Prescriptive performance specifications focus more on the engineer's role in the project. These documents frequently offer information about material durability and provide a map for measuring materials at each stage of the project. Related: Learn About Being a Construction Engineer

The elements of a prescriptive specification are essentially the rules the construction team must follow when selecting and installing each part of the project. In addition to categorizing construction specifications as prescriptive, performance or proprietary, you can also classify them as either open or closed.

Prescriptive construction specifications can be divided into three categories: general provisions, required products and execution procedures. General provisions are building codes and standards for the state, but also nationally, and must be compiled by contractors.

Most building code provisions are “prescriptive,” meaning that they lay out a recipe for the work, with specifications for both the material and installation.