[ RFIs ]
Ask a question, get a timestamped answer back
A question to the architect or engineer usually lives in an email thread, gets answered whenever, and leaves no real record of when it was asked or when the answer actually came back — which is exactly the detail that matters if a late answer held up work. Novato sends the question and brings the answer back into the project record automatically.
How it works
Pick who it's addressed to
From your own reusable contact list — architect, engineer, client, whoever — not a retyped email address. Add a contact once, reuse them on every future RFI.
Write the question and send
Composing it sends it — Novato emails the question with a no-login link to respond.
They answer directly, no account needed
They open the link, type their answer (and attach a file if needed), done.
The answer lands back automatically, with a timestamp
No copying an email reply back in by hand — it's already there, dated, in the project record.
How this fits Australian WHS compliance
A dated record of exactly when a question was asked and when it was answered is real evidence in a delay dispute — Novato's RFIs are built specifically to capture that record automatically, not to be reconstructed from an email inbox after the fact. The email address behind an answer is always the one Novato actually sent to, never something self-reported, so the record holds up if it's ever challenged.
Common questions
Do I have to correspond by email and then copy the answer into Novato myself?
No — you compose the question once. Novato sends it, the person you addressed it to answers directly through the link, and their answer lands back in Novato on its own.
Why do I pick a contact instead of typing an email address?
RFIs are addressed to a saved contact from your own reusable list, not a free-typed address — retyping an email from memory is exactly how a real question ends up sent to the wrong inbox.
Why does a new contact need to confirm their email first?
Adding a contact sends a plain confirmation email — no project details, no RFI content. Until they confirm, no real RFI can be sent to them, so a mistyped address never receives sensitive project information.
Can an RFI answer include an attachment?
Yes — whoever answers can attach a file, like a marked-up drawing, along with their written response.
What plans include RFIs?
Shield and Armor — see Pricing for the full comparison.