A drawing set may look complete, but if the fundamentals haven’t been checked, it will cost time, budget, and credibility downstream.
The following ten checks represent the core of our internal QA workflow, the same structure our remote teams use before any documentation set is issued to design leads, consultants, or clients.
These checks are technical, predictable and repeatable, and they sit underneath every efficient delivery model.
Before anything else, the model must be organised correctly.
This means verifying that:
A clean model structure reduces crashes, keeps performance stable, and prevents coordination errors that emerge late in the project.
Small inconsistencies in documentation metadata often trigger the biggest headaches.
Every sheet should be checked for:
A set that doesn’t align on these basics undermines confidence before anyone reviews the drawings.
Before drawings leave the studio, the team reviews for clash and consistency across architecture, structure, MEP and any other linked consultant model.
This includes verifying:
This is the check that prevents coordination meetings from becoming rework meetings.
Dimensions are one of the most common sources of RFI friction.
The QA step verifies:
Good dimensioning dramatically reduces site confusion.
Every callout in the documentation set must:
Missing or incorrect references are a direct path to rework and delay.
Poor annotation creates ambiguity — which becomes rework.
Checks include:
Annotations should clarify, not create new questions.
Materials must match the specification, not an assumption.
QA ensures that:
Incorrect materials cost more to rectify than any other documentation mistake.
A set may be technically correct but visually unclear.
This check focuses on:
Great documentation looks intentional. Poor documentation looks improvised.
This step prevents repeated mistakes and builds trust.
Before a set is issued, the team reviews:
This is where retention matters: stable teams know the history behind each decision.
No two practices have the same drawing rules.
A good QA process ends with a final review against the client’s:
This ensures the set lands exactly as the client expects — not just “technically correct.”
These ten steps represent the baseline of a robust QA system.
When applied consistently, they:
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