QA/QC
Quality assurance is the planned process meant to prevent defects; quality control is the inspection and testing that checks the work was done right before it is covered.
Also known as: Quality assurance and quality control · QA vs QC
The two get written as one acronym and treated as one activity, which is why neither tends to work. Quality assurance is upstream and preventative: the scope, the method, the approved submittals, the sequencing, the trade briefings, everything intended to make the right outcome the likely one. Quality control is downstream and detective: the inspections, the hold points, the tests and the sign-offs that catch what slipped through.
The practical distinction is who is responsible and when. QA belongs to whoever plans the work, and it happens before anyone lifts a tool. QC belongs to whoever verifies it, and it happens after the work and before the next trade covers it. A job heavy on QC and light on QA finds its problems late, when they cost the most to fix.
On a residential build this does not need a manual. It needs hold points agreed in advance, before the insulation goes in, before the drywall closes, before the tile goes on, and a dated record with photographs at each. That record is what you will look for if a warranty question comes up two years later.
How QC relates to the punch list
A QC check happens while the work can still be fixed cheaply. A punch list, or deficiency list, is what is left at the end: items found at the final walk, each assigned to a trade and signed off when put right. A failed flood test is a QC failure fixed before tile, not a punch list item, and a long punch list usually means hold points were skipped.
Code inspections are not your QC
Where a permit applies, the authority having jurisdiction inspects at stages it sets, to check the work against the code. That is a minimum and a separate obligation. Your own hold points check the work against your scope and your standard, including things no inspector looks at, such as tile substrate or paint under raking light. Which inspections are required depends on the permit and the jurisdiction.
Doing this in BuildersBridge
There is no QC checklist or inspection feature in BuildersBridge. Use the free quality control checklist for the hold points, record each check in the job's daily log, and upload the photos to the job, where they are dated. Items left at the end go on the free punch list template.
Worked example: one stage, planned and then checked
| Step | QA or QC | What happens | Where it is recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope written | QA | "Install waterproof membrane in the shower; tile shower walls and floor and the bathroom floor (52 sq ft)." Acceptance for the milestone: membrane flood test passed; tile grouted and sealed. | Scope of work, agreed before start |
| Hold point set | QA | "Tile substrate and waterproofing verified before tiling". The site lead checks it, after the membrane cures and before any tile goes on. | QC checklist, Interior row |
| Substrate checked | QC | 15 Mar 2027: Bottom plate and studs checked once open: dry, no rot, no repair needed. Photographed before the membrane goes on. | Daily log, photo 2027-03-15-bottom-plate-dry.jpg |
| Flood test | QC | Filled 24 Mar 2027, read 25 Mar 2027. Pass: water level unchanged after 24 hours, nothing showing below. | QC checklist: D. Kaur, site lead, 25 Mar 2027, photo 2027-03-25-flood-test-24h.jpg |
| Tile set | Only after the hold point is signed. A failed test is fixed here, before tile, and does not wait for the punch list. | Daily log | |
| Final walk | QC | Whatever is still wrong at handover goes on the deficiency list, each item with a trade, a due date and your sign-off. | Punch list |
| Item | Quality assurance | Quality control |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before the work starts | After the work, before it is covered |
| Who | Whoever plans the work: here, the builder writing the scope and the checklist | Whoever verifies it: here, the site lead |
| What it produces | The scope line, the method and the hold point | A pass or fail, with a date, a name and a photo |
| If it goes wrong | Change the plan for the next job | Fix the work before the next trade covers it |
A fictional job. The flood test method and how long to wait come from the membrane manufacturer's instructions and your local code, not from this page.
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