Who publishes what — Drafting Millwork

A specification line like "comply with the Architectural Woodwork Standards, latest edition" looks settled. It is not. Since 2016 two different publications have each been presented as the successor to that book, and the one your job means depends on the bid date and on who wrote the spec. This chapter sorts out who publishes what, so you can read that line and know what it binds the shop to.

Three organisations, two standards

Organisation	Where	Standard it publishes	Certification programme
Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI)	United States, awinet.org	The AWI Standards: a set of separate standards, most approved by ANSI (for example ANSI/AWI 0641, Architectural Wood Casework)	Quality Certification Program (QCP), awiqcp.org
Woodwork Institute (WI)	United States, Sacramento, woodworkinstitute.com	North American Architectural Woodwork Standards (NAAWS), jointly with AWMAC	Certified Compliance, Monitored Compliance, Certified Seismic Installation
Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC)	Canada, awmac.com	NAAWS, jointly with WI	Guarantee and Inspection Service (GIS)

AWI says its standards "are enforced by the AWI Quality Certification Program (QCP)". The Woodwork Institute says of NAAWS: "All Woodwork Institute Certification Programs uphold the NAAWS." AWMAC calls NAAWS "AWMAC'S Standards Manual".

How the split happened

The three organisations used to publish one book together. The Architectural Woodwork Standards, 1st Edition, is dated 1 October 2009 and carries the copyright line "© 2009, AWI, AWMAC, WI". The 2nd Edition is dated 1 October 2014 and carries "©2014 AWI | AWMAC | WI". The book is usually called the AWS.

Then the paths divided:

Date	Event	Source
1961	AWI publishes the first version of its Architectural Woodwork Quality Standards Illustrated (QSI)	AWI-QCP guide to the AWI Standards
1 Oct 2009	AWS 1st Edition, joint AWI, AWMAC, WI	The standard's own title pages
1 Oct 2014	AWS 2nd Edition, joint AWI, AWMAC, WI	The standard's own title pages
1 Jul 2016	WI and AWMAC adopt NAAWS "as the successor, replacement and latest edition of the Architectural Woodwork Standards, Edition 2"	Woodwork Institute, AWS Edition 2 page
2016, 2017, 2021	NAAWS 3.0, 3.1 and 4.0	naaws.com, About
15 Mar 2019 onward	For AWI-specified jobs bid from this date, AWI's own standards begin to replace AWS 2, section by section	AWI-QCP FAQ
1 Jun 2020	ANSI/AWI 0641 "succeeds, replaces, and supplants Section 10 of the Architectural Woodwork Standards, Ed. 2 (2014)"	ANSI/AWI 0641-2019 foreword
1 Sep 2026	NAAWS 5.0 takes effect	naaws.com FAQ

What "latest edition" means

Here is the problem in the two publishers' own words.

The Woodwork Institute: "For jobs bid on or after July 1, 2016, with specifications calling for the AWS 'latest edition,' NAAWS will apply. Projects bid prior to this date, but on or after Oct. 1, 2014, use AWS2."

AWI's certification programme, on how to specify it: "Unless otherwise indicated, comply with AWI Standards or the Architectural Woodwork Standards (Current Edition)". Its FAQ then gives bid-date rules for which AWI section replaces which AWS 2 section. For casework: "If your project is bid between March 15th, 2019 and June 1st, 2020, then you would NOT utilize section ANSI/AWI 0641, and reference Section 10 below from the AWS 2nd edition." For stairs, the cut-off for ANSI/AWI SMA 0643 is 1 August 2021. For a project "specified as AWS 2nd Edition, or your project is bid before March 15, 2019", it points to the AWS 2 sections.

Both readings are published. Neither publisher settles the conflict for you. The project's contract documents do, and if they do not, the architect does.

What to do with an ambiguous reference

When a spec names "AWS" or "Architectural Woodwork Standards" with "latest edition" or "current edition" and no publisher, send an RFI on day one. Ask three things: which standard (the AWI Standards or NAAWS), which edition, and which grade applies to which items. Write the answer on your cover sheet. Every tolerance, substrate and grain-matching decision in the set depends on it.

The bid date matters more than the issue date

Both publishers tie the applicable edition to the bid date, not the date you start drawing. A job bid in 2019 and detailed in 2022 still sits under whatever applied at bid. Find the bid date in the contract or ask the project manager. Put it in your job notes.

The AWS 1st Edition makes the same point about errata: "ERRATA, published on the Associations' websites ... shall TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER THESE RULES, subject to their date of posting and a project's bid date." NAAWS says it publishes errata annually and major editions "on a five-year cycle". Check the errata list that applied at bid, not only the book.

What each standard looks like

The AWI Standards

AWI now publishes a family of numbered standards. The list on awinet.org, read 21 September 2026:

Number	Title
AWI 100	Submittals
AWI 200	Care & Storage
AWI 300	Materials
ANSI/AWI 0400-2022	Factory Finishing
ANSI/AWI 0620-2024	Finish Carpentry/Installation
ANSI/AWI 0641-2019	Architectural Wood Casework
ANSI/AWI SMA 0643-2021	Wood Stair, Handrail, and Guard Systems
ANSI/AWI 1232-2022	Manufactured Wood Casework
ANSI/AWI 1236-2022	Countertops
ANSI/AWI 0622.0646–2024	Millwork & Wood Trim
ANSI/AWI 0642–2024	Wood Paneling
ANSI/AWI 1235–2024	Specialty Casework
AWI 0601-2024	Historic Restoration of Architectural Woodwork

The ANSI standards share one layout: purpose, scope, then requirements split into general, material, structural and aesthetic. AWI says its standards "are based on three aesthetic grades" (Economy, Custom, Premium) and four "performance duty levels" for structural performance: "Duty Level 1: Light Commercial, Duty Level 2: Commercial, Duty Level 3: Institutional, Duty Level 4: Laboratory". AWI also states it "uses the International System of Units (SI) in its standards, with SI units preceding Imperial units."

The introductions and scopes are public on awinet.org. When this chapter was written, the requirements sections were marked "Members Only".

AWI-QCP describes a change of approach: "Originally, the AWI Standards set prescriptive rules for the fabrication, finishing, and installation of interior architectural woodwork. But the current edition instead focuses on the structural integrity and aesthetic performance of woodwork products."

NAAWS

NAAWS is one book in numbered sections. Access to NAAWS 5.0 is free with an account at naaws.com, and AWMAC says the PDF is a free download. The NAAWS FAQ describes its organisation as "Fundamental Requirements, Product Sections, Installation, Tolerances". AWMAC notes that "All joinery methods recognized within Section 10 of NAAWS are validated through standardized Casework Integrity Testing procedures", and that joinery not detailed in Section 10 "may be permitted provided they meet the established performance requirements."

AWMAC's grades differ from AWI's. From its GIS page: "AWMAC's grades are Custom and Premium. Both grades may occur in a single project. If you do not specify a grade, Custom grade is the default." Chapter 20 covers grades in detail.

AWS 2

Superseded by both sides, but still the governing text for older bids. The Woodwork Institute supplies it on request. Some sections' introductory pages remain on the Woodwork Institute's website. This book quotes them where they show how a rule works, and always marks them as superseded.

What the standards leave out

Both sets of text say plainly what they do not cover. The ANSI/AWI 0641 disclaimer: "Provisions for mechanical and electrical safety are not included. References to life-safety requirements may be included but are not meant to be comprehensive." And: "Wood products installed outside of climate controlled, interior environments are not governed by this standard." Its scope excludes installation, Division 12 products, and "Structural components, grounds, in-wall blocking, backing, furring, brackets, or other anchorage that become an integral part of the building's walls, floors, or ceilings".

That last exclusion shows up on real drawings. The Woodwork Institute sample set's general notes read: "ALL BLOCKING FOR CABINET ANCHORAGE IS BY OTHERS." Its cover sheet assigns anchorage design to the architect or engineer: "IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ARCHITECT / ENGINEER TO DIRECT AND PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILED REQUIREMENTS FOR ANCHORING OF CABINETS TO WALLS / FLOORS / CEILINGS."

And the standards are voluntary. From the 0641 disclaimer: "AWI standards are voluntary." A standard binds the shop only because the contract names it. The AWS 1st Edition, Section 10, says the same from the other side: "MODIFICATIONS by the contract documents shall govern if in conflict with these standards."

Certification programmes

A specification can require more than compliance. It can require a third party to check. Each organisation runs its own programme, and each one reaches into the drawing office.

AWI Quality Certification Program (QCP)

QCP separates three things. From its "How to Specify" page: "A woodworking firm holds a QCP license." A project is "QCP certified". Labels and certificates are the evidence issued for the work.

Licensing. The QCP FAQ lists five steps for a firm: apply, "Take two (2) open book tests", submit references, "Complete sample shop drawings", and "Build required samples and undergo inspection of samples and facility".
Grade of licence. AWI-QCP: a firm "would choose to become licensed according to custom grade or to premium grade (you cannot get licensed on economy grade)". A project is "not eligible to be QCP-certified based on economy grade requirements."
Project fee. The QCP FAQ: "Each project registered for QCP certification requires a project fee of ½% of the contract value or a minimum of $500 and not to exceed $10,000."
Inspection. After two provisional projects a firm moves to "self-labeling status". It is then inspected only if "the specifications require inspection, a party to the contract requests an inspection, QCP selects the project for a random inspection, or it has been (3) three yrs since you last certified inspected project."
Specification language. "Provide AWI Quality Certification Program [Labels] [Certificates] indicating that the woodwork, [including installation,] complies with requirements of grades specified."

For drafters, QCP offers the Individual Drafting Accreditation (IDA). QCP describes it as a test with training modules. It says passing it demonstrates "knowledge of the AWI Architectural Woodwork Standards, as well as their ability to create accurate and detailed shop drawings." QCP also says it will "Review and report on shop drawings, ensuring they conform to AWI requirements regarding drawing format and standards compliance."

Woodwork Institute programmes

Certified Compliance Program (CCP). The WI says it has been "in use for more than 50 years" and that "The certified shop drawing review eliminates the need to check on fabrication details." CCP "does not restrict bidding or bidders." Accredited Millwork Companies can self-certify. The spec language requires a certificate showing "the millwork products being supplied fully meet the requirements of the Grade or Grades specified", and a second certificate for installation.
Monitored Compliance Program (MCP). "Established in 2001". A WI representative follows the job "from submittal review, through production, and after installation". The spec language is blunt: "Millwork and/or installation found to be non-compliant (and not corrected) will be rejected. Issuance of a Monitored Compliance Certificate is a prerequisite of acceptance."
Certified Seismic Installation Program (CSIP). Listed by NAAWS and the WI among the WI programmes. The WI programme page was not opened for this chapter, so its terms are not described here.

The WI's regional Architectural Services Representatives offer fabricators "free and unbiased consultation regarding specification interpretation, compliance issues, shop-drawing protocol, standards interpretations, and other matters." For a new drafter on a WI job, that is a phone number worth having.

AWMAC Guarantee and Inspection Service (GIS)

From AWMAC's GIS page: the service is "a three-step process with a written report issued for each step":

Shop Drawing Review. "This review is in addition to the usual review by the Architect. The AWMAC Certified GIS Inspector determines whether or not the methods and materials indicated in the shop drawings submitted by the Manufacturer conform to the specified AWMAC STANDARDS and will also indicate deviation from architectural drawings and specifications."
Sample Unit Inspection, if specified.
Final Site Inspection.

When the work complies, "a two-year guarantee on the architectural woodwork will be issued to the AWMAC Manufacturer Member." AWMAC says the cost of GIS "will be part of the tendered lump sum."

What this means at your desk

Every one of these programmes puts your drawings in front of a second reviewer who reads them against the standard. The architect checks design intent. The inspector checks methods and materials. AWMAC says so in as many words: "in addition to the usual review by the Architect". Draw for both.

The Woodwork Institute's sample shop drawings show what that looks like on paper. Sheet 1 carries a block headed W.I. SPECIFIED GRADE with one line per product type (tops, cabinets, millwork, doors), and a yes/no checklist: "W.I. CERT. REQ'D", "SHOP DRAWINGS LABELS REQ'D", "COUNTER TOPS LABELS REQ'D", "CABINETS LABELS REQ'D", "MILLWORK LABELS REQ'D", "DOOR CERTIFICATE REQ'D", "INSTALLATION CERTIFICATE REQ'D". Its general notes say: "ALL CONSTRUCTION IS BASED ON THE LATEST EDITION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL WOODWORK STANDARDS UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERWISE."

Copy the idea, not the wording. After the split, "latest edition" alone does not identify a book. On your own cover sheet, state:

The standard, by publisher and name: "ANSI/AWI 0641-2019" or "NAAWS 4.0", not "AWS".
The edition and the bid date it was selected for.
The grade for each product type, and where grades change within the job.
The certification programme, if one is specified, and which labels or certificates are required.
Any spec clause that modifies the standard.

Where to find the reference in a specification

In a CSI-format specification, casework usually sits in Division 06, and the standard and certification requirements usually sit in Part 1, Quality Assurance. Both certification programmes publish their language for that location: AWI-QCP for "the Quality Assurance section of your project documents", the WI for "PART 1 — QUALITY ASSURANCE". AWI names the sections it covers, such as "06 41 00 Architectural Wood Casework". Read Part 1 before you draw anything.

Outside North America

AWI, the Woodwork Institute and AWMAC write for the United States and Canada. This chapter does not cover standards elsewhere. If your job is in another country, find its own standard and code before you assume any of the above applies.

Sources

Architectural Woodwork Institute, awinet.org: "How AWI Standards Work" (grades, duty levels, ANSI process, SI policy) and the standards index, read 21 September 2026. Primary.
ANSI/AWI 0641-2019, Architectural Wood Casework, introduction, disclaimer, foreword and scope, public pages on awinet.org. Succession of AWS 2 Section 10 from 1 June 2020; exclusions; "AWI standards are voluntary". Primary.
AWI Quality Certification Program, awiqcp.org: FAQ (bid-date rules, licensing steps, project fee, self-labeling); "How to Specify a QCP Project"; "Drafters" (IDA); "A Guide to the AWI Standards" (QSI 1961, change from prescriptive rules); "What Do the Grade Requirements ... Mean?" (licence grades, no Economy certification). Read 21 September 2026. Primary for the programme's own rules; Claimed for its statements about its own value.
Woodwork Institute, woodworkinstitute.com: AWS Edition 2 page (NAAWS succession, 1 July 2016, bid-date rule), NAAWS page, Publications, Certified Compliance and Monitored Compliance programme pages, About. Read 21 September 2026. Primary for programme rules; Claimed for statements about its own programmes' benefits.
AWMAC, awmac.com: NAAWS manual page and GIS page (three-step review, Custom and Premium grades, Custom default, two-year guarantee). Read 21 September 2026. Primary for programme rules.
naaws.com, About and FAQ: edition history (3.0, 3.1, 4.0), NAAWS 5.0 effective 1 September 2026, errata and five-year cycle. Primary.
Architectural Woodwork Standards, 1st Edition (2009) and 2nd Edition (2014), Section 10, web copies hosted by the Woodwork Institute. Joint copyright lines, errata precedence, contract documents govern. Superseded. Primary (superseded edition).
Woodwork Institute sample shop drawings, 26 sheets, watermarked SAMPLE. Specified-grade block, certification checklist, anchorage and blocking notes, "latest edition" general note. Document.

Dropped for lack of an opened source: the terms of the WI Certified Seismic Installation Program; British, Australian and other non-North-American standards (the BWF was not researched for this chapter); AWI's founding date and QCP's founding date, because AWI's own history page gives two different years for QCP (1955 and 1995).