Before you bid a job or start work, there’s one document you must read: the specification. The problem is that specs are written in dense technical English with a specific structure that’s unfamiliar if you haven’t seen one before. This guide focuses on the Finish Division painting section — the part that directly governs your work — and shows you how to read it in practice.
How Is a Spec Document Structured?
Canadian construction specs typically follow the MasterFormat system — a standardized numbering framework that divides construction work into Divisions. Painting and finishes live primarily in Division 09 — Finishes. The key sections to know:
- 09 90 00 — Paints and Coatings (general painting)
- 09 91 00 — Interior Painting
- 09 96 00 — High-Performance Coatings (epoxy, industrial coatings, etc.)
Knowing these section numbers lets you navigate directly to the right pages in a document that might run hundreds of pages long.
Inside a Painting Section: Three Parts
Every spec section is divided into three standard parts:
Part 1 — General
Covers scope, submittals, warranty requirements, and references. Key things to check:
- Work Included — what you’re responsible for
- Related Work — where your scope ends and another trade’s begins
- Quality Assurance — whether an MPDA finish level is specified here
Part 2 — Products
Specifies which paint products to use. Example:
“Paint shall be Benjamin Moore Aura Interior, or approved equal.”
“Or approved equal” means you can substitute an equivalent product — but only with prior written approval from the GC or architect. Substituting without approval creates a dispute risk.
Part 3 — Execution
This is the most important part to read carefully. It covers surface preparation standards, application method, coat count, and inspection criteria — everything that determines whether your work passes.
Reading It in Practice
Here’s a typical spec sentence:
“Prepare all gypsum board surfaces to MPDA Level 3. Apply one coat alkyd primer and two finish coats of latex eggshell. Touch-up after other trades complete.”
Unpacked, this tells you:
- Prep gypsum board to MPDA Level 3 (correct all defects)
- 1 coat alkyd primer
- 2 coats latex eggshell topcoat
- Touch-up included after all other trades finish
One sentence, 90% of your scope. Every step needs to be accounted for in your estimate — labour and materials.
Three Things People Miss
1. The Finish Schedule
Outside the spec text, the drawing package often includes a separate Finish Schedule — a table listing floor, wall, and ceiling finishes room by room, using codes. If the finish codes there conflict with what the spec text says, ask the architect which governs. Don’t assume.
2. Whether Primer Is Counted in the Coat Total
When a spec says “2 coats,” it’s not always clear whether primer counts as one of them. Read the context carefully — and if it’s genuinely ambiguous, submit an RFI to get it clarified in writing before you price the work.
3. Touch-up Responsibility After Other Trades
Damage caused by other trades (electrical, plumbing) working after your coats are applied is a common grey area. Who owns the touch-up? If the contract doesn’t spell it out, establish this in writing before you start — otherwise you’ll need a change order approval for work you weren’t expecting to do.
Summary
Reading specs is a practical skill that’s just as important as your trade technique. The habit to build: check Part 1 for scope, Part 2 for materials, Part 3 for execution requirements. That three-step read reduces bid errors and rework risk on every job.
This wraps up Series A. Series B focuses on a different context: rental residents dealing with paint damage — a completely different set of rules.
📌 ← Part 2: MPDA Finish Levels 1–5 Explained
📌 ← Part 1: What Is MPDA? BC’s Commercial Painting Standard Explained