How to Get Specified in New Construction Projects in Ontario
Getting specified means having your product written into the project specifications before it goes to tender. The key is knowing which projects are in the specification window — and reaching architects before decisions are made.
What Does "Getting Specified" Mean?
In the construction industry, a product is "specified" when an architect or designer formally includes it in the project specifications — the document that defines exactly which materials, products, and systems will be used in a building. Specifications are written during the design development phase and become part of the tender documents that general contractors bid on.
Getting specified means your product — by brand name or by a performance standard that only your product meets — is written into the project before it goes to tender. This is the holy grail for building product manufacturers, because once you're specified, it's extremely difficult for a competitor to displace you.
When Specification Decisions Are Made
Product specifications are written during the design development and construction documents phases of a project. In Ontario, this typically happens concurrent with the municipal approval process — while the project is going through site plan approval or waiting for building permit issuance.
This means the specification window for most projects is 12 to 24 months before the building permit is issued. If you're not in front of the architect during this window, you won't be in the specification. By the time the project is on a bid platform, it's too late.
How to Find the Right Projects at the Right Stage
The challenge for most manufacturers is identifying which projects are in the specification window right now. Traditional approaches — trade shows, referral networks, cold calling architects — are inefficient and inconsistent. The projects you learn about are often already past the specification stage.
The most effective approach is systematic intelligence: tracking development applications from the moment they enter the municipal pipeline, so you know which projects are entering the design development phase and can prioritize outreach accordingly.
Key signals to watch for:
- Development Application Filed: The earliest signal — the developer is pursuing approvals, design work will begin soon.
- Site Plan Application: Design development is underway. The architect is actively working on the project specifications.
- Building Permit Applied: Specifications are likely locked. The window for getting specified is closing.
- Building Permit Issued: Construction is starting. Specifications are finalized. Too late for most specification decisions.
The Role of Pre-Construction Intelligence
Pre-construction intelligence tools like Cerosk give manufacturers and suppliers a systematic way to track projects through the municipal approval pipeline. Instead of finding out about a project at the bid stage, you find out when the development application is filed — and you have months to build a relationship with the architect and developer before specifications are written.
Cerosk's phase-based signals tell you exactly where each project is in the approval pipeline, so you can time your outreach for maximum impact. Stage timing data tells you how long each stage typically takes in a given municipality, so you can predict when the specification window will open for projects currently in early stages.
Learn more about how pre-construction intelligence works in practice: Cerosk for Manufacturers & Suppliers