This guide reflects CDF Distributors' standard specifications and field-tested recommendations used by commercial contractors nationwide. The information is provided for specification and selection purposes. Always verify requirements with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for your project location.

For questions or to order a complete door assembly, contact CDF at (855) 769-9895 or sales@cdfdoors.com. Configure your assembly online at ProBuilder: cdfdistributors.com.

About This Guide

What is CSI Division 8?

CSI MasterFormat Division 8 (Openings) is the specification division covering doors, frames, hardware, glazing, and related components in commercial construction. It defines materials, performance requirements, and installation standards for all building openings.

What is a hardware group in a door specification?

A hardware group (or hardware set) is a numbered list of all hardware items required for a specific door type, including hinges, locksets, closers, stops, seals, and specialty items. Each door on the project is assigned to a hardware group in the door schedule.

What is the difference between the door schedule and the hardware specification?

The door schedule is a tabular list of every door on the project with its size, material, fire rating, and assigned hardware group number. The hardware specification (Section 08 71 00) defines the specific hardware items within each hardware group.

What is a keying schedule?

A keying schedule defines the master keying hierarchy and individual key assignments for every lockable door on a project. It specifies keying system type, master key levels, key groups, and keyed-alike or keyed-different assignments.

What fire ratings apply to commercial door assemblies?

The five standard commercial fire ratings are 20, 45, 60, 90, and 180 minutes. Each rating level imposes specific requirements on door construction, frame preparation, hardware components, and seal packages.

What is a hardware submittal?

A hardware submittal is a detailed document prepared by the hardware distributor listing every hardware item for every door, organized by hardware group. The architect reviews the submittal for specification compliance before materials are ordered.

How does CDF support the Division 8 process?

CDF provides specification review, submittal preparation, keying schedule coordination, and hardware fulfillment. ProBuilder allows online configuration of complete assemblies, and CDF's sales team manages the architect review and approval process.

What is NFPA 80?

NFPA 80 (Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives) governs the installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire-rated door assemblies. It requires that all components of a fire-rated opening match the tested and listed assembly configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

CDF's ProBuilder tool allows contractors and facility managers to configure complete door, frame, and hardware assemblies online. During configuration, you can select the specific components discussed in this guide and receive an instant quote.

For assistance or to order a complete door assembly, call (855) 769-9895 or email sales@cdfdoors.com. CDF's sales team is available to help you specify the right components for your project.

Configure Your Door Assembly

CDF Distributors functions as the hardware distributor in the Division 8 specification-to-order process, providing pricing, submittals, keying coordination, and fulfillment for commercial door and hardware projects of all sizes.

CDF's ProBuilder configuration tool streamlines the specification-to-order process by allowing contractors and facility managers to configure complete door, frame, and hardware assemblies online. ProBuilder translates the hardware group concept into an interactive configuration workflow: the user selects the door type, fire rating, function, and hardware preferences, and ProBuilder generates a compatible assembly with all required components.

For projects with formal Division 8 specifications, CDF's sales team reviews the specification and door schedule, prepares the hardware submittal, and coordinates the architect review process. CDF's team identifies potential specification conflicts, suggests compliant alternatives where specified products are unavailable, and ensures that fire-rated assemblies include all required components per the applicable listing.

CDF's sales engineering team also assists with keying schedule development, working with the building owner to define the master keying hierarchy, key control policies, and construction keying requirements. For projects using interchangeable cores, CDF coordinates the core specification (SFIC or LFIC) with the lockset selection and keying system design.

By combining specification expertise with the FlashShip and Banner Solutions inventory programs, CDF provides both the technical support needed to navigate the Division 8 process and the fulfillment capability to deliver hardware on the project timeline.

How CDF Distributors Supports the Division 8 Process

Fire-rated openings are among the most heavily regulated elements in Division 8. Fire-rated doors, frames, and hardware must be part of tested and listed assemblies, and every component — from the door panel to the hinges to the gaskets — must comply with the assembly listing.

The five standard commercial fire ratings are 20, 45, 60, 90, and 180 minutes. Each rating level imposes specific requirements on the door construction, frame preparation, hinge type, closing device, latching hardware, and seal package. The hardware specification must identify fire-rated hardware groups separately and ensure that every component in those groups is listed for the applicable fire rating.

Fire-rated hardware components must carry labels or stamps from a recognized testing laboratory (UL, WHI, or Intertek). The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) may inspect fire-rated openings during construction and verify that all components match the listed assembly. Non-compliant components — including field-substituted hardware — result in failed inspections and required corrections.

The hardware specification's Part 1 typically includes a general requirement that all hardware on fire-rated openings must comply with NFPA 80 (Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives) and the applicable assembly listing. This general requirement provides a backstop in case specific hardware groups contain errors or omissions related to fire rating.

Fire-Rated Assemblies in Division 8

The process of converting a Division 8 specification into a hardware order involves multiple steps and coordination between several parties. Understanding this process is important for contractors and facility managers because it defines the timeline and decision points that affect project delivery.

• Bid phase: The hardware distributor receives the project specification and door schedule, prices the hardware package, and submits a bid to the general contractor or door subcontractor.

• Award and submittal: After contract award, the hardware distributor prepares a detailed submittal that lists every hardware item for every door, organized by hardware group. The submittal includes manufacturer, model number, finish, function, and any deviations from the specified products.

• Architect review: The architect (or hardware consultant) reviews the submittal against the specification. Items are approved, approved as noted, or rejected. Rejected items must be resubmitted with compliant alternatives.

• Keying conference: The hardware distributor, building owner, and locksmith meet to develop the keying schedule. This conference defines the master keying hierarchy, individual key assignments, and control key distribution.

• Ordering: After submittal approval and keying schedule completion, the hardware distributor orders all materials from the manufacturers. Standard items may ship within days; specialty items may have lead times of several weeks.

• Delivery and installation: Hardware is delivered to the job site in labeled packages organized by door number or hardware group. The installing contractor (typically the door subcontractor or a dedicated hardware installer) installs hardware per the manufacturer's templates and the approved submittal.

The Specification-to-Order Process

The keying schedule defines the master keying hierarchy and individual key assignments for every lockable door on the project. The keying schedule is separate from the hardware specification and door schedule but must be coordinated with both.

A keying schedule specifies the keying system type (conventional, interchangeable core SFIC, or interchangeable core LFIC), the master keying levels (master, grand master, great grand master), the key groups and subgroups, and the individual keyed-alike or keyed-different assignments for each door.

The keying schedule is typically developed during the submittal phase through coordination between the hardware distributor, the locksmith, the building owner, and the security consultant. The keying schedule must account for the owner's operational requirements, security zoning, common-area access, emergency access, and construction-phase access.

For projects using interchangeable core cylinders, the keying schedule also defines the control key hierarchy and the core inventory management plan, including how many spare cores to provide and how the construction-to-permanent core changeover will be executed.

The Keying Schedule

The door schedule is a tabular document (typically found on the architectural drawings, not in the specification manual) that lists every door on the project with its identifying information. Each row in the door schedule represents a single door opening and includes the door number, door size, door material, frame material, fire rating, glazing requirements, and the assigned hardware group number.

The door schedule is the bridge between the architectural drawings and the hardware specification. An architect specifies a door as 'Door 101, 3'-0" x 7'-0", hollow metal, 90-minute fire-rated, HW-3,' and the hardware distributor turns to Hardware Group 3 in the 08 71 00 specification to determine exactly what hardware to supply for that door.

Door schedules can contain hundreds or thousands of doors on large projects. Errors or inconsistencies between the door schedule and the hardware specification are common sources of project delays and change orders. Hardware distributors and consultants review the door schedule against the hardware specification during the submittal phase to identify and resolve conflicts before materials are ordered.

The Door Schedule

A hardware group (or hardware set) is a numbered list of all hardware items required for a specific door type. Each group includes every component: hinges, lockset or latchset, closer, stop, seals, threshold, silencer, and any specialty items such as kickplates, viewers, or coordinators.

Hardware groups are numbered sequentially (HW-1, HW-2, HW-3, etc.) and are referenced by the door schedule. Each door on the project is assigned to a hardware group, and all doors assigned to the same group receive identical hardware.

A typical hardware group for an interior office door might include three hinges, one cylindrical lever lockset (privacy or entry function), one door closer, one wall stop, and three silencers. A hardware group for a fire-rated stairwell door might include three hinges (bearing type), one mortise lockset (storeroom function), one door closer (with backcheck), one automatic door bottom, smoke gaskets, an intumescent seal, and a kick plate.

The hardware consultant assigns hardware groups based on the door's function, location, fire rating, accessibility requirements, security level, and traffic volume. Each group is a self-contained specification that tells the hardware distributor exactly what to supply for that door type.

Hardware Groups and Hardware Sets

Section 08 71 00 (Door Hardware) is the specification section that defines every piece of finish hardware on the project. This section is typically the most detailed and complex section in Division 8 because it must coordinate hardware across all door types, functions, fire ratings, accessibility requirements, and security levels in the building.

A door hardware specification consists of three primary components: the general requirements (Part 1), the product specifications (Part 2), and the execution requirements (Part 3). Within Part 2, the hardware is organized into hardware groups (also called hardware sets) that define the complete hardware package for each door type.

Section 08 71 00: Door Hardware Specification

CSI MasterFormat organizes Division 8 into numbered sections, each covering a specific product category. The most commonly referenced sections for door and hardware specification include the following.

• 08 11 00 — Metal Doors and Frames: Covers hollow metal doors and welded or knocked-down hollow metal frames, including material gauge, construction type, preparation for hardware, fire ratings, and finishes.

• 08 14 00 — Wood Doors: Covers architectural flush wood doors and stile-and-rail wood doors, including core type (solid, particleboard, structural composite), face veneer species and grade, fire ratings, and factory finishing.

• 08 41 00 — Entrances and Storefronts: Covers aluminum-framed entrance systems, including door panels, sidelites, transoms, and hardware integration.

• 08 71 00 — Door Hardware: The section that specifies finish hardware, including hinges, locksets, closers, exit devices, stops, seals, and all other hardware components. This section is the primary focus for hardware distributors.

• 08 80 00 — Glazing: Covers glass types, thicknesses, coatings, and performance requirements for glazed openings.

• 08 31 00 — Access Doors and Panels: Covers access doors for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing access in walls, ceilings, and floors.

Division 8 Section Organization

CSI MasterFormat Division 8 — Openings — is the specification division that covers doors, frames, hardware, glazing, and related components in commercial construction. Division 8 defines the materials, performance requirements, installation methods, and quality standards for every opening in a building, from the main entrance to interior office doors to fire-rated stairwell assemblies.

For contractors, facility managers, and building owners, understanding Division 8 is essential because it governs how doors and hardware are specified, procured, and installed. The specification document is the contractual basis for the hardware package — it defines what must be supplied, and any deviation from the specification requires formal approval through the submittal process.

Division 8 specifications are written by the architect or a hardware consultant (typically a certified Architectural Hardware Consultant, or AHC) and are part of the project manual issued during the bidding and construction phases. The specification is organized into sections that cover different product categories within the opening assembly.

Understanding CSI Division 8 in Commercial Construction

A guide to CSI MasterFormat Division 8 specifications, hardware groups, door schedules, and the specification-to-order process for commercial openings.

This guide answers: How Are Commercial Doors and Hardware Specified in CSI Division 8?