Construction Quality Assurance: Definition, Tips & Best Practices

What Is Construction Quality Assurance?

Quality assurance involves establishing rules and guidelines to prevent mistakes from occurring throughout a construction project’s lifecycle. This ensures the completed project meets all relevant building codes, legal provisions, safety regulations, and the client's expectations.

Project managers create these rules and guidelines before a project starts, determining factors such as:

• Delivery timelines for specific tasks and the entire project.

• Minimum quality standards for each deliverable, such as the minimum compressive strength of concrete after 28 days or the exact method of installing drywall before painting.

• The minimum qualifications of the construction workers.

• The quality specifications of each material. This includes its type, strength rating, etc. 

• How often inspections will be conducted, and by whom.

Essentially, quality assurance involves ensuring quality from the outset of the project. This differentiates it from quality control.

How Does Quality Assurance Differ From Quality Control?

While quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) are sometimes used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between them.

QA happens before projects. It focuses on preventing errors before they occur by implementing and monitoring procedures to ensure that minimum quality standards are met.

QC happens after projects are completed. Here, supervisors and project managers inspect the final project—typically using a checklist—identify defects, and collaborate with construction workers to rectify them before submitting the project to the client.

In short, quality assurance is proactive and focused on preventing issues before they occur. On the other hand, construction quality control is a corrective measure that identifies and fixes issues after they have occurred.

Why Is Quality Assurance Important in Construction Projects?

Quality assurance plays a vital role in the success of every construction project. Here are some of its advantages:

Reduces rework and associated costs

On average, construction rework accounts for approximately 52% of total cost growth for projects. This cost overrun derails projects.

Implementing strong QA measures can prevent rework. This involves setting clear standards, procedures, and checkpoints from the project's outset to ensure that every task is completed correctly the first time.

That way, you save costs and boost employee productivity.

Improves client satisfaction and regulatory compliance

Quality assurance rules and protocols are developed based on the client’s requirements, project specifications, and applicable industry standards and building regulations.

By implementing QA measures throughout the project lifecycle, you ensure the final deliverable meets or exceeds the client’s expectations and fully complies with all relevant building codes and safety regulations.  

Supports long-term business growth

When you deliver a quality project the first time, clients are more likely to recommend you for future work and hire you for subsequent projects. 

Plus, well-executed projects are powerful marketing tools. Potential customers or homeowners passing by can see the quality of your work, ask about the contractor responsible, and reach out to you directly for new opportunities.

This ensures your pipeline is always full, generating a steady revenue source that you can use to invest in growing your business.

What Are the Core Elements of a Construction Quality Assurance Plan?

For construction quality assurance plans to be effective, they must include three major elements:

• Defined project objectives and quality benchmarks

• Standard operating procedures and workflows

• Documentation guidelines and inspection protocols

Defined project objectives and quality benchmarks

At the foundation of any successful construction quality assurance program is a clear set of project objectives and measurable quality benchmarks. These set the standard for the entire team and ensure everyone is aligned on what quality really means.

When quality benchmarks are clearly documented, it becomes much easier to track progress during construction and perform QC inspections before the snagging and handover stages.

To set objectives and quality benchmarks, first determine the project’s specifications. Then, identify what’s required to meet those specifications. This could include a specific material quality, the qualifications of each construction worker, testing requirements, or particular tolerances.

For example, let’s say the specification for a residential project requires concrete floors to have a flatness (FF) rating of at least 35. Your objective will then be:

• Ensure concrete floors achieve an FF rating of 35 or higher, verified through third-party testing after each pour.

While the quality benchmarks become:

• Using pre-approved concrete mix designs

• Specifying laser screeds for placement

• Conducting a floor flatness test within 24 hours of each pour

• Setting a pass-rate goal (e.g., 100 percent of floor areas must meet or exceed FF 35).

Standard operating procedures and workflows

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) break down large tasks into smaller, repeatable steps, helping teams complete work correctly every time. This prevents errors and ensures workers consistently adhere to quality standards.

SOP documents also provide construction companies with a concrete benchmark for measuring quality and serves as a useful document for onboarding new hires.

Follow these steps to create SOPs for your QA documentation:

1. Identify the core tasks required to execute the project: Using the project example we provided, one core task would be conducting a floor flatness test within 24 hours of each pour.

2. Outline the procedures: What processes, tools, and team members will be required to execute the task? For the task of conducting a floor flatness test within 24 hours of each pour, the procedure would be:

• Assign responsibility to a QA technician or site engineer.

• Use a digital F-number profiler or an approved measuring device.

• Once the concrete has cured enough, begin testing to allow safe access (typically 6–12 hours post-pour).

• Measure flatness at multiple points across the slab, following ASTM E1155 guidelines.

• Record F-number results (e.g., FF35 or higher required) and document findings in a standard QA report.

3. Document the SOP

After creating the procedure, document it. You can use a clipboard or documents such as PDFs and Excel sheets. 

However, to prevent the risk of the SOP document getting lost and ensure construction workers always use it for the respective task, consider uploading it to ServiceTitan.

With ServiceTitan, you can automate when and how SOPs appear during the project. For example, when a worker reaches a specific task, such as pouring concrete or framing walls, the relevant SOP and checklist will automatically appear on their tablet.

The worker must confirm that each item on the checklist is completed before proceeding to the next stage of the project. The system won’t allow them to proceed until all checklist items are marked as done.

This ensures that:

• Construction workers always use checklists to execute tasks to the required quality standards.

• The appropriate people identify potential issues and mistakes before the project proceeds to the next step.

Documentation guidelines and inspection protocols

Proper documentation isn’t optional in construction quality assurance—it’s essential. Using clear templates, inspection forms, and checklists ensures quality checks are consistently performed in the same manner. 

It also provides a written record of the work completed, the person responsible, and whether it met the required standards. If a problem arises later, you can trace it back to a specific phase or crew.

When setting documentation guidelines and inspection protocols, consult the construction schedule. Identify each primary task or phase (e.g., excavation, slab pour, framing, MEP rough-ins) and determine:

• What documents are required to complete or approve that task (e.g., inspection forms, material checklists, permits).

• When those documents need to be completed.

• Who is responsible for performing the inspection and signing off.

What Are the Best Practices for Implementing Quality Assurance in Construction?

Quality assurance processes are designed to help a construction project succeed, but they cannot function effectively in isolation. For QA to deliver the intended results, several key elements must be established first. 

Gain leadership buy-in and build a QA culture

Quality assurance often involves extra work, which employees might naturally try to avoid, leading them to bypass established QA standards. 

For employees to willingly put in this additional effort, leadership must clearly demonstrate they prioritize quality assurance. 

One effective way leaders can do this is to include it in the company’s mission statement. Familiarizing new employees with these values should be part of their onboarding process when they’re hired.

Leadership should also embed quality goals into project plans and performance metrics. For instance, superintendents and project managers can be held accountable for QA benchmarks, such as passing inspections on the first attempt or achieving a target number of quality checks per phase.

And whenever crews or individuals demonstrate strong QA practices, reward them. It could be as simple as a shout-out during weekly or monthly meetings, in which evaluating recent QA successes and failures can be a standing agenda item.

Train teams on standards and tools

Your crew members must be taught how to implement QA guidelines. 

After creating a new QA document, hold a hands-on training session with the crew leaders or foremen (if your company is large) or the crew members themselves (if your company is small to medium-sized). If a physical meeting is impossible due to time constraints, create digital tutorials.

During such training sessions, cover the following topics:

• Why checklists are essential, how to complete them, and how to report deviations.

• Any new regulatory requirements workers will need to adhere to.

• New QA technologies and how to use key features such as data input, photo/video uploads, and report generation.

Monitor QA compliance with technology

Get a project management or QA tool that allows supervisors and QA managers to verify QA tasks have been completed.

For example, with a platform like ServiceTitan, you can program digital forms to appear automatically on your crew's tablets when they reach a specific project stage that requires a QA task. 

They'll then fill out the form directly on the tablet and can even take photos or videos to prove the work meets your quality standards.

Supervisors can then quickly inspect the completed task remotely by viewing the submitted photos and data or attend the site in person if necessary. 

After their review, they can digitally sign off, giving the crew member the green light to move on to the next phase of the project.

This process ensures quality checks are completed by the crew and officially approved by supervisors before work progresses, maintaining high standards and preventing delays.

How Can You Measure Construction Quality Assurance Effectiveness?

It's great to set QA policies. But they become another set of words on paper if you fail to track their effectiveness.

Here’s how to do it:

Track defect and rework rates and inspection results

Over time, your QA policies can become less effective. They might not align with new technologies, materials, or the types of projects you're undertaking, or perhaps they're not being consistently enforced by supervisors.

Regardless of the reason, you'll only know if your QA policy is working by tracking the results it’s supposed to produce: quality projects, lower rework rates, and fewer defects.

So, how do you track these results? By using post-project audits and quarterly reviews.

After every project, perform a ‘post-mortem’ audit. Document all defects, reworks, and customer complaints.

If you see these metrics trending upward, it's time to identify which aspect of your QA policy is responsible. Ask yourself:

• Is the number of inspections insufficient?

• What's the quality of the materials like?

• Do the crew members need a refresher course on specific construction processes or projects?

• Is communication regarding QA issues clear and timely between all stakeholders (crew, supervisors, project managers, clients)?

• Is the policy compliant with the latest industry standards and best practices?

Pro Tip: If QC identifies recurring issues on a project, make small, targeted adjustments to your QA policies immediately to prevent the same problems from occurring on the next project.

Conduct audits and reviews regularly

Conduct internal audits regularly to assess whether teams are following the SOPs outlined in the QA policy. Conduct reviews, have one-on-one discussions with supervisors, and check daily logs to see if everyone follows the prescribed procedures.

You should also use feedback to improve the QA policy.

Beyond surveying employees, you can use work-in-progress (WIP) reports to track whether QA policies are being followed.

For example, ServiceTitan’s WIP report dashboard gives a real-time overview of active jobs, including all completed tasks. QA teams can use this dashboard to track task completion and spot any ignored QA policies before they escalate into major problems that compromise the final deliverable.

What Role Does Project Management Play in Construction Quality Assurance?

Project managers and QA officers work in tandem. 

Project managers plan, execute, and monitor the overall progress of a project, ensuring it stays on track, within budget, and fulfills QA standards.

At the same time, QA officers enforce checks and balances to ensure every stage of the project and its ultimate output adheres to predefined quality benchmarks and client expectations.

Here’s a breakdown of how they work together to ensure a project succeeds:

Align project goals with quality expectations

During the planning phase, project managers collaborate with QA officers to set quality benchmarks. 

Based on their previous experience on similar projects, project managers can anticipate potential pitfalls, identify critical success factors, and, together with QA officers, define realistic, measurable quality standards from the get-go.

After the quality benchmarks are set, project managers will use them to create tasks and schedule a kickoff meeting to communicate them to stakeholders.

Facilitate communication between field and office teams

Throughout a project’s lifecycle, project managers ensure QA updates, relevant documents, and work order updates are shared with all stakeholders.

They’re essentially the bridge between the customer and QA, as well as being the stakeholders responsible for executing the project.

Project managers also ensure there’s seamless communication between field and office teams. They set systems to ensure work updates from the field reach office teams who need them to create invoices, order the right materials, etc.

Traditionally, construction teams rely on paper-based daily logs to record job updates and pass them on to the office. This is okay until problems start piling up:

• Documents go missing.

• Executives and project managers must wait until the day shift's end to receive the necessary updates.

• Vital documents become illegible due to smudged ink and sloppy handwriting.

• Project managers are lost in a tangle of Excel sheets.

• Customer service representatives cannot update customers in real time about the status of the job.

…to name just a few examples.

That’s where ServiceTitan’s Daily Logs feature comes in.

With it, field workers can share observations, detailed notes, and report any issues in real time directly from the job site. 

This immediate flow of information means project managers and office staff stay continuously informed about each job's exact status and any on-the-ground challenges.

They can quickly make necessary adjustments, whether it’s reordering materials, reassigning tasks, addressing quality concerns, or updating the customer. This helps to prevent delays and ensures quality issues are caught before they turn into bigger problems.

What Are Common Challenges in Construction Quality Management?

Construction quality management isn’t without its challenges. But, to overcome these challenges, you must first recognize them.

Here are the common quality management challenges construction professionals face:

Unclear standards and inconsistent documentation

Construction relies heavily on documentation. If quality standards are unclear and records aren't meticulously kept, it inevitably leads to defects in quality and expensive rework.

That’s why we advise all construction companies to set and document quality standards. You can do this using construction templates and cloud-based work management platforms.

Limited visibility into subcontractor performance

Tracking your own employees' performance is usually pretty straightforward. The real challenge arises when you need to monitor the performance of third parties, such as subcontractors, who are also working on your project.

To close this gap:

• Implement digital check-ins: Require subcontractors to use digital platforms to clock in and out, mark tasks as complete, and report progress. 

• Use mobile QA applications: Equip lead subcontractors with mobile apps designed for quality assurance. They can use them to take photos, complete checklists, and upload key documents on-site.

• Schedule regular quality check-ins: Beyond routine site visits, schedule periodic quality review meetings and inspections with subcontractors to ensure ongoing quality assurance. Use these meetings and inspections to discuss progress and verify whether they adhere to quality standards.

Fragmented planning and cost tracking

When planning, budgeting, and quality assurance are handled in separate systems, it’s challenging to maintain consistent quality standards. This happens because employees must switch between tools, increasing the likelihood they’ll miss critical items or make mistakes.

A unified system makes coordinating tasks easier, catches issues early, and helps maintain consistent quality throughout the project.

You can achieve this with ServiceTitan’s Construction Project Management platform. The platform lets you track projects and their associated QA tasks from a central dashboard.

You can access key reports from the dashboard, such as the budget vs. actual expenditure table, which allows you to track costs in real time. This ensures your project stays on budget and maintains quality.

Over to You!

Quality assurance is a continuous commitment that yields results. When you consistently complete projects to the customer’s satisfaction, you’ll receive organic referrals, resulting in a steady revenue stream.

However, QA is only effective when you have the right tools to track its implementation. That’s where ServiceTitan comes in.

It lets you plan projects and track QA compliance on a single platform. This makes it easy to refine your QA policies over time and ensure that final projects consistently meet quality standards.

Want to see how ServiceTitan makes your QA effective? Book a demo.

ServiceTitan is a powerful, all-in-one software solution designed to help construction businesses set quality standards and ensure they’re adhered to. Our cloud-based platform supports thousands of contractors by streamlining everything from resource scheduling and asset tracking to cost management and team coordination. On average, companies using ServiceTitan see a 25 percent boost in revenue within their first year.