Fibre Reinforced Facade Encyclopedia: Design and detailing
MasterSpec is a commercial master specification library: a maintained set of pre-written, editable specification sections that an architect cuts down to suit a project rather than writing from a blank page. Two unrelated systems carry the name. MasterSpec in the United States is the long-established master specification developed under the sponsorship of the American Institute of Architects, and Masterspec in New Zealand is the national system used by most New Zealand architectural practices. Both do the same job that NATSPEC does in Australia and NBS does in the United Kingdom.
A master specification is not a specification. It is a library of every clause the writer might need, with alternatives and prompts, which the architect edits down to the clauses that apply to one project.
At a glance
| Property | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| United States | MasterSpec, AIA sponsored | |
| New Zealand | Masterspec, national system | |
| US classification | CSI MasterFormat, 50 divisions | Division 07 covers thermal and moisture protection, Division 08 openings |
| US section format | CSI SectionFormat, 3 parts | Part 1 General, Part 2 Products, Part 3 Execution |
| New Zealand structure | Work sections | Grouped by trade and element rather than by MasterFormat number |
| Editing model | Delete and select from a maintained master | Updated on subscription, typically several releases a year |
| Australian equivalent | NATSPEC | Same principle, Australian standards and NCC references (check the edition adopted in your jurisdiction) |
| UK equivalent | NBS | Uniclass 2015 classification |
| Manufacturer input | Product data written into the host section | Not a separate document appended to the specification |
What a master specification does
A project specification has to say what is required, to what standard, tested how, and installed to whose instructions. Writing that from scratch for every project is slow and produces gaps. A master specification solves the problem by maintaining a complete library of clauses, kept current against the standards and codes of its jurisdiction, from which the architect deletes what does not apply. The output is an office specification for one project; the master itself never appears in the contract documents.
This matters to a manufacturer because it decides how a product enters a project. The specifier is not usually writing new text about a cladding panel. They are editing a section that already exists, choosing between options the master gives them, and pasting in the manufacturer clauses they have been given. A product that cannot be described inside that structure is a product the specifier has to fight the software to include.
MasterSpec in the United States
The US MasterSpec is built on the two CSI conventions. MasterFormat provides the numbering, 50 divisions covering the whole of construction, and it is the filing system for the entire US project: the specification, the cost plan and the submittal register all use the same numbers. SectionFormat provides the internal structure of each section, in three parts. Part 1 General covers submittals, quality assurance, warranties, mock-ups and delivery. Part 2 Products covers materials, fabrication, finishes, source quality control and testing. Part 3 Execution covers examination, installation, field quality control, adjusting and protection.
An architectural composite facade panel is normally written into a Division 07 exterior cladding section rather than given a section of its own, though a large or unusual package may be specified separately. Ask the specifier which section they are editing rather than assuming a number, because the allocation is a project decision.
Masterspec in New Zealand
New Zealand Masterspec is organised around work sections rather than MasterFormat divisions, and it is written against the New Zealand Building Code, the Acceptable Solutions and the New Zealand and joint Australian and New Zealand standards. Externally clad walls are dominated by E2 and its Acceptable Solution E2/AS1 for external moisture, which governs cavity depth, drainage and ventilation in a way that has no direct Australian equivalent, so a rainscreen detail that satisfies an Australian project may need rework for New Zealand.
Branded manufacturer content sits inside Masterspec as maintained product sections, which is how a product ends up pre-written in a specifier’s library rather than pasted in by hand.
What a manufacturer supplies
- A section or clause set written in the host system’s structure and its language, not a brochure
- Product identification: system name, material, thickness, weight per square metre, finish options and standard sizes
- Performance clauses with the test and the testing body named, including reaction to fire and, in Australia, the AS 1530.1 or AS 5113 evidence
- Submittal requirements the manufacturer can actually meet: shop drawings, samples, control samples, batch test results
- Execution clauses covering substructure, tolerances, fixings and handling
- A maintenance and replacement statement consistent with the stated design life
Standards and references
- CSI MasterFormat and CSI SectionFormat, and the CSI Project Resource Manual (United States)
- New Zealand Building Code Clause E2 and Acceptable Solution E2/AS1 (external moisture)
- NATSPEC National Building Specification (Australia); NBS Chorus and Uniclass 2015 (United Kingdom)
- AS 1530.1 and AS 5113, and NCC 2022 Volume One (check the edition adopted in your jurisdiction)
- ISO 19650 for information management where the specification is delivered through a BIM workflow
Related terms
Questions specifiers ask
Is MasterSpec the same as MasterFormat?
No. MasterFormat is the CSI numbering system that organises a US project into 50 divisions. MasterSpec is a library of editable specification sections that uses that numbering.
Is the US MasterSpec the same as New Zealand Masterspec?
No. They are unrelated systems that share a name. The US system is built on CSI MasterFormat and SectionFormat; New Zealand Masterspec is organised in work sections and written against the New Zealand Building Code.
What is the Australian equivalent?
NATSPEC, the Australian national building specification, which references the NCC and Australian standards.
Does a manufacturer need a separate section for a facade panel?
Usually not. Composite and concrete facade panels are normally written into an exterior cladding section. A standalone section is used where the package is large or the system is unusual.
What evidence should the specification call up?
Named test standards, the accredited laboratory, a current report matching the product and thickness supplied, batch test records, and shop drawings and control samples as submittals.
Specifying a moulded facade panel? ShapeShift supplies clause-ready product data, test reports and fixing details for the specification system you are working in. Request specification data
Reviewed by Richard Halvorsen, General Manager, ShapeShift Technologies. Last updated September 2026.