Quality Control Reviews For Architectural Projects
About us
Who We Are
Limitations
Who We Are
We are an ESB/COBID certified firm specializing in Quality Control Reviews of Architectural projects. We are licensed architects with decades of experience taking projects from schematic design through construction, on all types of projects. Over the course of our careers we've seen how the quality of construction documents is critical to the success of a project.
What We Do
Limitations
Who We Are
We review entire sets of drawings, not just Architectural, and look for discrepancies and mistakes that can be very costly if they make it out to the field. These include:
- Interdisciplinary
- Cross Disciplinary
- Documentation Clarity
We point out the issues so you and your Design Team can review and decide how to proceed, thereby reducing unnecessary RFI's and change orders.
Limitations
Limitations
Limitations
We aim for a quick turn around to keep your project on schedule and allow you to focus on more important matters. Our review will not identify every issue due to time constraints. Specifically we do not review:
- Code, FLS, ADA
- Waterproofing
- Engineering, Calculations
However, if we see something that stands out to us, we'll bring it to your attention for the design team to review.
We work exclusively in Digital PDF's
Process
We use PDFs of your project drawings and mark them up digitally using BlueBeam Revu™—allowing you to stay focused on more critical tasks. We work directly on the drawings, highlighting and annotating items as we go. This approach gives you clear insight into what was reviewed and why.
All comments are prioritized, enabling the design team to efficiently address issues post-review. We typically provide the marked-up PDFs for download but can also integrate comments into an ongoing BlueBeam Studio Session or deliver them in another format. Let us know what works best for your team.
Based on our experience we will propose a number of review hours to bring the greatest value without exceeded the point of diminishing returns.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a typical review take?
We know from our own project experience that your project won't wait for a QC Review to be complete. We therefore aim for a turnaround time of 1 to 3 weeks (depending on the size and complexity of the project). If you have a special need, let us know and we'll work with you.
Who will be reviewing the drawings?
We rely on a diverse staff of licensed architects and engineers with decades of experience in the field. Some are still active in their careers, and some focus solely on QC reviews, but all bring extensive experience from their own projects. Our past project expertise includes K-12, Higher Education, STEM/Laboratory, High-Rise residential, Performing-Arts/Music, and Commercial projects.
Don't Architects and Contractors do their own reviews?
Each party typically will do their own review, but they all tend to have a different areas of focus.
- Contractors - These reviews focus on sequencing, Means & Methods, Cost, and Constructibility.
- Owner - Are often sensitivity to previous lessons, Owner standards, Finishes, Practical issues and cost.
- Architect - Architects tend to focus on design issues, materials, and meeting program requirements.
Our review focuses on the coordination of the documents themselves, to prevent as many RFI's and change orders as possible. Our comments do not provide direction on any item - every comment will need to be reviewed by the Design Team, and to decide whether or not and how best to incorporate them.
Do you review the specifications?
Yes, when available, we crosscheck the drawings to the specifications
How much does a review cost?
The cost will depend on the size of the drawing set and their complexity, and well as the project type. Typical reviews range from $5k to $20k, which could easily be the price of your first change order. We are confident the cost of a review will be earned back in time, money, and frustration saved.
Do you charge for a proposal?
There is no charge for a proposal.
Will you give the drawings a grade when complete?
Each project has different requirements, budgets, schedules, clients, AHJ's, etc. As such, you can't compare one to the other. We are not here to give the drawings a grade. We are simply here to help each team achieve the best quality set we can in the time available. To that end, we are always willing to help provide suggestions if that's what is asked.
When is the best time for a QC review?
We recommend reviewing sets that are as complete as possible to ensure that you receive the best value. This typically means reviewing a Permit set prior to bidding. This allows the Design Team to incorporate comments while the set in for Permit, prior to bidding.
Some projects may also benefit from earlier, high-level reviews during the Schematic Design (SD) and Design Development (DD) phases. These preliminary checks can help identify major issues early, reducing costly revisions later, or not being able to incorporate valuable suggestions due to time constraints.