RAW Specification

A RAW specification is a standardized specification for Dutch ground, road and hydraulic engineering works. The system is mainly used for civil engineering projects such as roads, sewers, bridges, quays, landscaping and public-space works.

The strength of RAW lies in clarity. The specification describes not only which activities must be carried out, but also which quantities, units, technical requirements, administrative provisions and settlement rules apply. This makes it clearer what a contractor has priced and how deviations during execution are settled.

What is a RAW specification?

RAW is a CROW specification system for civil engineering projects. A RAW specification consists of project-specific provisions, technical descriptions, specification items, quantities, drawings and appendices. Together, these documents form the basis for the tender, pricing and execution.

A RAW specification usually contains three types of information:

• Administrative and legal provisions: agreements about contract conditions, planning, payment, completion, inspections, safety rules and responsibilities.
• Technical descriptions: the activities, materials, quality requirements and execution rules needed to realize the work.
• Specification items and quantities: measurable items with a unit, quantity and often a unit price, so settlement during execution remains possible.

Why RAW matters for quotations

In civil engineering works, actual conditions are often uncertain. Soil conditions may differ from the investigation, cables and pipes may be located differently than expected and weather conditions can affect execution. A RAW specification does not remove that uncertainty, but it does provide a fixed way to deal with it.

For a quotation or bid, this matters. If all bidders use the same items, quantities and provisions, prices become easier to compare. The discussion then shifts from interpretation to substance: which unit prices, execution choices and risk allowances are realistic?

RAW does not prevent project risks. It does make visible where those risks sit and how they are contractually allocated.

How does RAW work in practice?

A specification writer translates the design into concrete specification items. For each item, the required result, unit and expected quantity are described. The contractor prices those items, usually with unit prices. During execution, the quantities actually carried out can then be measured and settled.

This approach is especially useful for activities where the exact scope is difficult to determine in advance, such as earthworks, asphalt paving, sewer works, retaining structures or remediation. If the quantity changes, the entire contract does not immediately have to be reopened. The agreed system determines how the change is processed financially.

RAW and UAV 2012

In practice, RAW specifications are often combined with the UAV 2012. The UAV governs the general legal relationship between client and contractor. The RAW system helps add the specific activities, quantities and technical requirements in a structured way.

That does not mean a RAW specification is automatically error-free. The contract conditions must be explicitly declared applicable, and the specification must align with drawings, soil investigations, permits, planning and other contract documents. Contradictions between documents remain an important risk.

RAW versus STABU

RAW is mainly used in the civil engineering sector. For residential and utility construction, STABU is usually used. Both are specification systems, but they fit different types of work and different risks.

• STABU: suitable for buildings and building-related works, with strong focus on building elements, materials, performance requirements and quality requirements.
• RAW: suitable for infrastructure and civil engineering works, with strong focus on quantities, unit prices, adjustable items and execution risks in the outdoor environment.

The choice between STABU and RAW is therefore not a matter of preference, but depends on the type of project. In mixed works, such as a building with substantial site works or infrastructure conditions, it must be clear in advance which system is used for which scope.

Points to watch in a RAW specification

RAW only works well when the specification is prepared carefully. Many discussions are not caused by the system itself, but by unclear quantities, missing items or poorly aligned contract documents. Pay particular attention to these points:

• check whether the specification items align with drawings, calculations and investigations;
• make clear which quantities are fixed and which quantities are adjustable;
• avoid vague descriptions without measurement or acceptance criteria;
• check deviations from the standard RAW provisions and their legal consequences;
• analyze tail costs, discounts and markups alongside the direct items;
• record how changes, additional work and omitted work are assessed.

For clients, a RAW specification is mainly a way to gain control over scope, pricing and settlement. For contractors, it is an important estimating document. The sharper the specification, the smaller the chance that parties only discover during execution that they had different assumptions.