The unit type matrix is the foundational document for interior finishes procurement on every multifamily project. It defines which unit types exist in the building, how many of each type there are, and what the finishes specification is for each type. Without a complete and confirmed unit type matrix, the finishes sub is pricing assumptions rather than a defined scope, and those assumptions may or may not match what the project actually requires.

Understanding how interior finishes specification and scope legitimately differ across unit types, and how those differences should be captured in the unit type matrix, allows GCs to build a procurement document that produces accurate bids and a clear installation record.

Studio and junior one-bedroom units

Studios and junior one-bedroom units are typically the smallest units in a multifamily project and have the most compact kitchen and bathroom configurations. The reduced floor area creates a flooring scope that is ten to twenty percent smaller per unit than a one-bedroom, but the cabinet and accessory count per unit is only slightly lower because most accessory items are fixed per bathroom and kitchen rather than scaled to room size.

Studio kitchen cabinets are often limited to a galley configuration with no island or peninsula. The cabinet count per studio unit may be thirty to forty percent lower than a two-bedroom kitchen. This difference in cabinet scope must be reflected in the unit type matrix as a separate studio cabinet configuration, not as a pro-rated reduction from the one-bedroom configuration.

Studio bathroom scope is typically a single bathroom with tub-and-shower or a shower-only configuration. Confirm whether the studio bathroom has a tub or a shower-only, because the Division 8 scope differs significantly: a shower-only requires a frameless or semi-frameless glass enclosure, while a tub-and-shower typically requires only a curtain rod or sliding door.

One-bedroom units

One-bedroom units are the most common unit type in most multifamily projects and typically represent the baseline finishes specification. One-bedroom kitchen and bathroom scope establishes the mid-point specification that all other unit types are measured against.

One-bedroom scope typically includes: a kitchen with upper and lower cabinets in an L or galley configuration, a primary bathroom with either a tub-and-shower or walk-in shower, and in some buildings a half bath or powder room. The wire shelving scope for a one-bedroom unit includes a primary closet and a linen closet in most configurations.

Two-bedroom units

Two-bedroom units add scope primarily in two areas: a second bedroom closet and a secondary bathroom. The secondary bathroom typically has a tub-and-shower configuration even on projects where the primary bathroom has converted to a walk-in shower, because the secondary bathroom serves guests and residents who prefer or need tub access.

Two-bedroom units often have a kitchen with more cabinet runs than a one-bedroom, including an island or peninsula in layouts that accommodate it. The countertop scope for a two-bedroom with a kitchen island includes island countertop fabrication and installation in addition to the perimeter countertop, with a waterfall edge on the island if the project specification includes it.

The wire shelving scope for a two-bedroom includes two bedroom closets, a linen closet, and in some configurations a coat closet or entry closet.

Three-bedroom and larger units

Three-bedroom units in multifamily construction are typically the largest unit type and serve family or group living demographics who use the full unit intensively. The additional bedroom adds a third bedroom closet and in most three-bedroom configurations a third full or three-quarter bathroom.

Three-bedroom Division 10 scope differs from one and two-bedroom scope in the towel bar and toilet accessory count: three bathrooms require three complete accessory sets. This difference is often missed in per-unit estimates that apply a standard accessory count regardless of bedroom count.

The wire shelving scope for a three-bedroom may also include a pantry closet in the kitchen or a utility closet in addition to the three bedroom closets and the linen closet.

Maintaining unit type consistency across the project

The most common unit type matrix error on large multifamily projects: the unit type matrix is confirmed at the start of the project and then updated informally as architectural changes are made during construction, without the finishes sub receiving formal notification of changes.

A one-bedroom unit that gains a kitchen island mid-construction, or a two-bedroom unit whose second bathroom changes from a tub-and-shower to a walk-in shower, requires a unit type matrix update that triggers a change order if the scope change affects the finishes cost. The finishes sub who is not notified of unit type changes discovers them when their crew arrives at the unit with materials sized for the original configuration.

Require formal written notification from the finishes sub acknowledging any unit type matrix revision before the revised configuration goes to procurement. The acknowledgment confirms that the sub’s procurement has been updated to reflect the change and protects both parties from a scope dispute at the installation stage.

How Innergy uses the unit type matrix

Innergy reviews and acknowledges the unit type matrix at the pre-construction meeting, confirms all quantities against our field measurements before placing procurement orders, and requires written notification of any configuration change before the affected unit type enters the procurement cycle. The unit type matrix is referenced in every division’s scope section of our subcontract as the controlling procurement document. For finishes subcontracting organized around a confirmed unit type matrix in TX, WA, OR, CO, UT, NM, or AZ , contact us and we respond within one business day.

Innergy covers Division 6-Finish Carpentry & Cabinets, Division 9-Flooring, and Division 10-Specialties for multifamily construction under a single subcontract.

Unit type consistency documentation created at the pre-construction meeting, confirmed at each floor’s first walk, and archived in the project close-out record creates accountability for every unit type change that occurs during construction. A GC who can show that each unit type change was formally acknowledged and reflected in a revised unit type matrix has a clear record for any dispute about whether a specific unit was built to the correct configuration. For finishes subcontracting organized around confirmed unit types in TX, WA, OR, CO, UT, NM, or AZ , contact us and we respond within one business day.