April 22, 2025
Understanding Quality Control from Precon to Closeout
When a project kicks off, few things are more foundational than a solid QA/QC program. Whether your team follows a formal manual or a more flexible process, success starts with understanding what needs to be tested, inspected, and tracked—before the first shovel hits the ground.
Yet many construction teams still struggle with fragmented information, late discoveries of hidden requirements, or incomplete records. The key? Know your inspection obligations early—and manage them intelligently throughout the project lifecycle.
Three Sources of Inspection Requirements
Testing and inspection requirements typically fall into three categories, and understanding each is crucial to building a complete quality program.
1. Regulatory Requirements
Local building codes, municipal standards, and agencies like OSHA often mandate specific inspections. While not always called out directly in project specs, seasoned teams know that regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. Failing to plan for these inspections early can result in costly delays or rework later.
2. Project-Specific Requirements
Many inspections are dictated by the owner or design team. These are often listed in the specifications and may go beyond code compliance. Common examples include:
- Window water penetration testing
- Structural weld inspections
- First-in-place work inspections
- Equipment startup verification
These additional checks are usually based on lessons learned from previous projects, and while they may not always be top of mind, missing them can lead to disputes or quality issues down the line. Thorough spec review during precon is essential.
3. Contractor-Initiated Inspections
General contractors and subs often implement their own internal inspection procedures—whether to meet manufacturer requirements or prevent repeat mistakes. These checks might not appear in official documentation, but they can be critical for ensuring workmanship, avoiding future claims, and protecting project timelines.
From Paper to Platform: Managing Inspections Digitally
Once inspections are identified, the challenge becomes managing them efficiently. Historically, this meant binders full of checklists and inspection reports—easy to lose, hard to search, and impossible to analyze at scale.
A digital-first approach changes that:
- Inspection schedules can be aligned with work progress.
- Reports are instantly shareable with project stakeholders.
- Data from inspections can be used to surface recurring issues or early signs of failure.
And while digitizing QA/QC may sound like a burden upfront, most teams find it saves significant time, reduces admin load, and strengthens closeout documentation. It’s a short-term investment that delivers long-term risk reduction.
Streamline with AI-Powered Tools
One of the fastest ways to build your inspection roadmap is by leveraging AI tools that surface requirements hidden in your spec book. Platforms like Anyset Specs can identify overlooked inspections before construction begins—giving teams time to plan, coordinate, and deliver with confidence.
Combined with Anyset Closeout, which helps organize test results and inspection records for turnover, you can ensure nothing falls through the cracks—from precon to final handoff.
The Bottom Line
Great closeouts start long before the final punch list. By identifying all inspection and testing requirements early, digitizing how you track them, and using tools that automate the heavy lifting, you can stay compliant, stay ahead of claims, and deliver quality projects—on time and on spec.