AI concept illustration of a site inspection. The scene does not show an actual Marwells project, team member or portal screen.
A well-managed building project should give you evidence of the work behind the finished surfaces. Foundations become buried, insulation disappears behind linings, and structural connections are concealed by finishes. Checking these items at the appropriate stage makes questions easier to resolve while the relevant work is still accessible. A final walk-through is useful, but it cannot tell the whole construction story.
Quality assurance, quality control and inspection and test plans provide a practical structure for that evidence. At Marwells, we use our QHSE portal for all project documentation across all projects, including inspection records, daily reports and health, safety and environment documentation. Here is what these terms mean and what a client should expect to discuss with their contractor.
What QA and QC mean on a building project
Quality assurance, or QA, concerns the processes that help work meet its requirements consistently. Quality control, or QC, checks the actual result against those requirements. Both are needed: a sound procedure has little value if nobody checks the work, and repeated inspections cannot compensate for unclear instructions or unsuitable materials. ISO describes this distinction as preventive process management and verification of the resulting output. [1]
For a domestic project, a useful QA question is whether the team has the current structural drawing before ordering a beam. The corresponding QC question is whether the delivered and installed beam matches the specified item and detail. These are illustrative examples; the engineer determines the actual design and acceptance requirements for the project.
A project quality plan connects responsibilities, materials, inspections, records and the handling of changes. It should be proportionate to the work and updated when the design or scope changes. The CIOB Code of Quality Management describes this project-specific planning approach. [2]
What an inspection and test plan should contain
An inspection and test plan, usually shortened to ITP, identifies the checks needed through a particular work package. A useful plan connects each activity to its acceptance criteria, responsible people and evidence. CIOB guidance emphasises inspections at key construction stages and traceable records. [3]
For each relevant stage, agree what will be inspected or tested, which drawing or specification applies, when the check happens, who carries it out, who must attend or release the work, and which record demonstrates the result. A tick against “roof checked” is much less informative than an identified inspection against the approved roof detail. Formal ITP structures commonly include these fields and distinguish hold, witness and review points. [4]
A hold point prevents the affected work from progressing until the required release has been obtained. A witness point provides an opportunity for a named party to observe a check under agreed notification arrangements. A review point concerns examination of the required documents or evidence. Define these terms and the notice periods in the project plan; attendance and release arrangements must also respect any separate statutory requirements. [4]
Which work is worth checking before it is concealed
The following is an illustrative discussion checklist for a home project. It is not a completed ITP or a universal list of mandatory tests. The designer, contractor and relevant inspection bodies must determine the actual checks, acceptance criteria and responsibilities for the agreed scope.
- Groundworks: Formation and foundation details before the relevant pour; reinforcement where specified. Useful evidence: Location record, current design reference and required inspection outcome.
- Structure: Specified supports, connections and interfaces before they become inaccessible. Useful evidence: Identified inspection and any engineering clarification or release.
- Fabric and roof: Insulation continuity, air and vapour control layers, roof outlets and junction details. Useful evidence: Close and wider photographs tied to the location, plus specified checks.
- Drainage and services: Accessible pipework before covering; relevant tests and commissioning as the systems are completed. Useful evidence: Test method, measured results, responsible specialist and any recheck.
- Linings and finishes: Required wall or ceiling system before closing up; finished work against the agreed specification. Useful evidence: Product and installation record, then a clear list of outstanding items.
For example, imagine an extension ceiling about to be boarded. The useful discussion is whether the relevant insulation, concealed service work and specified fire protection have been checked, whether any unresolved issue prevents closing up, and where the evidence is held. Painting the room later will not recreate that opportunity. This is why inspection dates need to follow the construction sequence.
What a useful inspection record looks like
Ask for records that identify the project, room or location, inspection date, work item, applicable drawing revision, person checking, findings and outcome. Measurements or tests should state what was checked and the result. Supporting photographs need enough context to identify the work. The quality plan should also identify how records, product information and corrective actions are controlled. [2]
A close photograph without its location can be difficult to interpret. A wider view linked to the same inspection helps explain where it belongs. Photos are useful supporting evidence, while specified measurements, specialist tests and authorised approvals retain their separate purpose. A folder containing hundreds of images is only helpful if somebody can find and understand the relevant ones.
How defects and changes should be handled
Before work starts, ask the contractor how an item that does not meet the specification will be recorded, reviewed, corrected and checked again. Agree who can approve a proposed design change and how it reaches the site team. Defect management and change control form part of project quality planning. [2]
An illustrative example is a product substitution caused by a delivery delay. A similar-looking product should prompt a compatibility and design review before installation. Record the proposed change, obtain the necessary decision, update the relevant documents, and check the installed result. If work has already been covered, agree with the appropriate professional how it can be verified. Writing “completed” in a report does not resolve an unanswered technical question.
How Marwells uses its QHSE portal
QHSE means quality, health, safety and environment. Marwells uses its QHSE portal as the central place for project documentation on every project. This includes our inspection records, daily site reports and HSE documentation, bringing the record of the work together as the project progresses.
Our inspection approach is organised around the agreed scope, drawings and construction sequence. The project team identifies the relevant checks, records the findings, raises items requiring clarification or correction, and follows up before the affected work is treated as complete. Where the work needs an engineer, specialist tester or building control inspection, that involvement must be coordinated with the programme.
Daily reports document site activity and provide context for the inspection records. We also share weekly progress reports with clients. A useful progress discussion covers completed work, the next activities, outstanding decisions and any issue affecting the programme. The portal supports the management of this information; the responsibility for inspecting, making decisions and resolving issues remains with the people carrying out those duties.
During the contract and pre-start stages, we agree the inspection and documentation requirements for your scope. Clients can ask which records will be provided during the works and at handover, how questions will be raised, and who will deal with them. This gives the project a clear reporting arrangement from the beginning.
Health and safety documentation has a practical purpose
A construction phase plan is required for every construction project under CDM 2015. HSE explains that the plan can be proportionate to a small job; it still needs to address how the work will be organised and its risks managed. It should be prepared before construction begins. [5]
Depending on the work, the site arrangements may include inductions, welfare, access control, risk assessments, safe working methods and supervision. For projects involving more than one contractor, the principal contractor coordinates the construction phase and must review the plan as work develops. Site documentation should explain the actual arrangements and responsibilities. [6]
The principal designer and principal contractor roles under CDM concern construction health and safety. The similarly named Building Regulations roles concern compliance of design and building work. These are distinct duties with different competence requirements, even when the same organisations are appointed to both. [7]
What to agree before the final handover
Ask for a handover document schedule early enough for the team to collect the required records as work proceeds. For your particular contract, this might include relevant completion certificates, specialist test and commissioning results, operating instructions, warranties, maintenance information and agreed drawings showing the completed work. A health and safety file is also needed where CDM requires one, including projects involving more than one contractor. [8]
Walk through the finished work together and identify any outstanding items clearly, with responsibility and an agreed plan for resolution. Ask how equipment is operated and maintained, who to contact with a concern, and which warranty terms apply. Keep the documents somewhere accessible after the contractor leaves: future maintenance and alterations will be easier when the construction record is understandable.
Plan your project with Marwells
When you request a quotation, tell us what you want to build and share the available drawings. Alongside the construction scope, we can discuss the inspection stages, progress reporting and handover information relevant to your project. Request a free quotation through our website, call 07340 094028 or email info@marwells.co.uk.
Related: Request a free quotation · Residential construction
Sources and further reading
- ISO guidance on quality assurance and quality control
- CIOB Code of Quality Management
- CIOB Academy guidance on inspection and test plans
- Crossrail Learning Legacy quality management and ITP requirements
- HSE construction phase plans under CDM 2015
- HSE guidance for principal contractors
- GOV UK design and building work duties
- HSE managing health and safety in construction guidance
