Documentation & records
How to write a nonconformance report
A nonconformance report (NCR) is for work that missed the spec in a way you cannot just touch up on the spot — an out-of-tolerance pour, a substituted fastener, a firestop detail that wasn't followed. Written well, it forces a decision and records who made it. Written vaguely, it becomes a line everyone argues about months later with no paper trail. This walks through what a defensible NCR actually contains.
For QC managers, superintendents and field engineers who have found work that doesn't conform and need to document it before it gets covered, paid for, or forgotten.
Step by step
Capture the as-found condition first
Before anything gets touched or corrected, photograph and describe exactly what you found and where. The as-found state is the one thing you can never recreate once someone starts fixing it, so it goes down first and in detail.
State the location precisely
Name the room, grid line, level, or riser — not just "third floor." An NCR that can't be tied back to a specific spot on the drawings is nearly impossible to verify or close, and it's the first thing a reviewer will question.
Cite the requirement it fails against
Point to the specific drawing detail, spec section, approved submittal, or standard family the work violates. "Looks wrong" is not a nonconformance; "does not match the approved shop drawing" or "outside the stated tolerance" is.
Describe the deviation in plain terms
Say what the requirement called for and what was actually built, side by side. Keep it factual and measurable — a dimension, a count, a missing component — so no one has to interpret what you meant.
Route it for a disposition
The disposition — rework, repair, use-as-is, or reject — usually needs the engineer of record's or owner's agreement, especially on structural or life-safety scope. Record who was asked, what they decided, and the date; the field does not decide use-as-is on its own.
Assign the corrective action and a due date
Name who owns the fix, what the fix is, and when it's due. Separate the immediate correction from any broader corrective action meant to stop the same problem recurring elsewhere.
Verify and close with evidence
Don't close on a promise. Confirm the disposition was actually carried out, photograph the corrected condition tied to the same location, and record the sign-off. An NCR that flips to "closed" with no verification photo is an open question, not a closed one.
What gets missed
- Correcting the work before the as-found condition is photographed — the evidence is gone the moment a trade starts the fix.
- Downgrading a real nonconformance to a punch item to avoid the paperwork, which buries a spec miss under a finish-level list.
- Letting the field decide "use-as-is" on scope that needs the engineer's or AHJ's sign-off.
- Vague locations and no requirement cited, so the report can't be verified or defended later.
- Closing the NCR without proof the disposition was performed and re-inspected.
Questions people ask
- What's the difference between an NCR and a punch item?
- A punch item is a finish-level touch-up you can just fix. An NCR is for work that missed the spec in a way that has to be evaluated and dispositioned — usually with the engineer's or owner's agreement on how to make it right.
- Who signs off on the disposition?
- It depends on scope. Repairs and reworks the contractor can often handle within its QC plan; use-as-is or anything touching structural, fire, or life-safety systems typically needs the engineer of record and sometimes the AHJ to accept it in writing.
- Does every deviation need an NCR?
- No. Trivial issues caught and fixed immediately usually live on the punch list or the daily report. The NCR is for deviations significant enough that someone has to formally decide how to resolve them.
Checklists that make this a one-tap job
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related guides
- How to manage a nonconformanceTake a nonconformance from discovery through documentation, disposition, corrective action, and re-inspection so it closes with evidence, not memory.
- How to do root cause analysis on a defectTrace a recurring defect past the symptom to the cause that let it happen, then put a corrective action in place that keeps it from coming back.
- How to keep a defensible inspection recordBuild inspection records that hold up in a dispute — location-tied, dated, backed by photos, and traceable from acceptance criteria to sign-off.
Reading the steps is one thing. Proving you walked them is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.