Quality concepts
Acceptance criteria
Also called: acceptance standard
Acceptance criteria are the specific, agreed conditions a piece of work has to meet to be accepted: the tolerance, the test result, the finish level, the code family it must satisfy. They come from the drawings, the specifications, the approved submittals and the applicable standards. Their whole job is to take the argument out of "good enough" — an inspection either measures the work against the criteria and it passes, or it does not and gets written up.
Why it matters
Without stated criteria, acceptance is one person's opinion versus another's, and the loser is usually whoever has to prove a negative later. Defined criteria mean the checklist item has a pass/fail answer instead of a judgment call.
They also set the target before work starts, so the crew builds to a known standard rather than finding out at final what "acceptable" meant.
How it shows up on site
Checklist items written as measurable conditions — a slope, a torque, a pressure held for a set time, a finish level — tied to the drawing, the submittal or the standard family they come from, so a passing photo actually proves the point.
Standards it's verified against
Checklists that put acceptance criteria to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- ToleranceThe allowable amount a dimension or condition can vary from the target and still be acceptable — the plus-or-minus on a spec.
- Hold pointA stop in the inspection and test plan where work cannot continue until a required party inspects and signs off the release.
- Quality control (QC)The hands-on inspection and testing of installed work against the spec — checking the actual product, not the process that made it.
- Quality assurance (QA)The planned system of procedures, plans and checkpoints set up before work starts so the right result is built the first time.
- NonconformanceInstalled work that does not meet the drawings, spec or accepted submittal — formally identified so it gets dispositioned, not ignored.
- DeficiencyWork that is incomplete, missing or not up to standard — the catch-all a punch list and inspections use for anything that still needs attention.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it 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.