Contractor's Quality Control and Owner's Guidelines

Formal quality programs first appeared in the 1960s through numerous government agencies. Methods by which the contractor administers these programs is often as varied as the projects constructed. Regardless of the method, the result is a cost to the project. Often, conflicts occur between the quality control procedures and the production of a construction project. At times, there is much duplication of quality control effort when there is more than one contractor on a given project. This lends itself to a central quality control system. In order to provide quality in the construction project, adequate attention must be given to the design and working drawings. Prequalification of participants in a project and firm allowances for quality control should result in competitive pricing and better‐constructed projects. Much attention needs to be given to the selection of an engineer, contractor, and, in some cases, construction manager, by the owner, for the best overall end result.