Quality is what separates the good from the bad. Both in our lives and in our work, quality is the defining factor in how we evaluate and are evaluated by others. In short, it determines how we feel about our efforts at the end of each day.
Construction is no different, and the secret to achieving the highest level of quality for any job starts with having standards and systems in place to ensure those standards are met. We’ll dive deep into how you can ensure your next construction project excels in quality. We’ll examine what quality management is, how construction quality is evaluated, what can stand in the way of quality programs, and processes you can implement to ensure the highest quality for any job. Read on for a look at how to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding construction quality.
What it is, how it’s measured, why it matters, and how to improve it—
everything you need to know about construction quality.
What Is Construction Quality?
At its core, quality in construction means that a project is completed within the defined guidelines set out in the Scope of Work. This document serves as a set of guardrails for the project based on the owner’s expectations and sheds light on how to execute the project in a way that meets these standards.
How Is Construction Quality Evaluated?
While quality may seem straightforward – work is completed on time, without damage, and within spec – there are several factors to consider when evaluating the quality of a construction project. Among these are certainly whether you have completed the project on schedule and have met the owners’ requirements within the agreed-upon budget.
Additionally, whether you have fulfilled the specifications in the job’s contract—and avoided disputes in the process—is vital in determining quality. Finally, one of the most significant factors in construction quality is ensuring that your final build performs its intended purpose once you’ve wrapped up a job and turned a site over to its owner.
Why Is Quality Important in Construction?
Perhaps most critically, construction quality affects your bottom line. Completing projects with a high level of quality can protect you from costly mistakes requiring rework on a job while helping you win repeat business. Conversely, construction projects with material, installation, scheduling problems can damage your reputation and lose business in the future, both from potential repeat clients and other owners or contractors who have heard of the poor quality of your work.
During a project, problems that arise and remain unresolved can hurt your ability to complete closeout. This problem is widespread in the industry, with 68% of general contractors reporting that they experience issues “getting off the job” on at least 25% of their projects, according to an Autodesk and Dodge Data & Analytics report. Moreover, nearly 60% say this has a “high” to “very high” negative impact on their profitability.
What Creates Quality Problems?
The first step to improving the quality of your construction projects is to identify the factors affecting quality management and how to address them. Among the most common of these factors are the use of damaged and low-quality materials, supplier and vendor failures, subcontractor mishandling, failure to document changes and practices, last-minute changes, scope creep, miscommunication between teams, the complexity of designs, lack of a project management system, and ignored audits and testing.
These factors span the entirety of the project lifecycle and can be avoided by doing stringent due diligence against clearly defined standards for every aspect of a project. You must implement several construction quality processes to create and stick to these standards.
What are Quality Processes in Construction?
Setting up quality processes for your next construction project involves establishing two tracks: quality assurance and quality control.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance, or QA, doesn’t just examine the end result of a project; it takes a process-oriented approach. QA regards the planned and systematic activities executed during a job to fulfill the project’s quality requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Quality in construction means that projects are finished within the guidelines established by the Scope of Work.
- Finishing the project on time, meeting the requirements of the agreement and staying within the budget are all essential aspects of quality management.
- Quality affects your bottom line; completing projects that show a high level of quality work helps obtain repeat business and may help prevent rework on a job.
- Poor quality construction can have a negative impact on the ability to close out a project. Up to 60% of general contractors say it has a high or very high negative impact on profitability.
- Quality issues arise from various problems like using low-quality materials or failing to document changes.
- There are two quality processes in construction: quality assurance and quality control.
- It’s possible to improve quality control in construction by working towards closeout earlier, focusing on using quality workflows, conducting risk assessments frequently, and standardizing your processes.
3 Replies to “Construction Quality: Best Practices and Standards for Superior Building Projects”
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How all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings.
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