Independent quality assurance and quality control for structural designs and construction.
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A second set of licensed eyes catches what a single review can miss. Structural QA/QC services provide independent quality assurance and quality control, reviewing calculations, drawings, and field conditions against the design intent for engineers, architects, contractors, and owners who want an extra layer of verification. In this role, ISTA Engineers is not the original designer of record. Our engineers act strictly as the independent checker, evaluating someone else’s structural work against the applicable codes, the stated design intent, and what has actually been built.
ISTA Engineers provides independent structural QA/QC review across Colorado, from plan-level calculation checks performed before a permit is submitted to field verification performed while framing, foundations, or steel are actively under construction. The scope is tailored to the project: a single calculation package, a full drawing set, a specific field condition in question, or an ongoing QA/QC relationship spanning an entire construction schedule.
What Is Structural QA/QC Review?
Structural QA/QC review is the process of verifying someone else’s structural engineering work rather than producing it. Quality assurance refers to the systems and checks built into a process to prevent errors before they occur; quality control refers to the inspection and verification that confirms the finished calculations, drawings, or built conditions actually meet the intended standard. In practice, ISTA’s structural QA/QC services combine both: a documented, methodical check of the engineering itself, paired with verification that what was designed is what is actually being built.
This distinction matters because a QA/QC engagement is fundamentally different from a design engagement. When ISTA is engaged for structural QA/QC, the firm is not producing the original stamped structural drawings or calculations for the project. Instead, ISTA’s engineers independently work through the existing engineer of record’s design, load paths, and detailing to confirm they hold up under scrutiny, then compare the as-built or in-progress construction against those approved documents. The result is an independent opinion, backed by a licensed Colorado Professional Engineer, on whether the structural work is sound.
Why Structural QA/QC Matters in Colorado
Structural errors are expensive to catch late, after concrete is poured or steel is erected. Independent QA/QC review, whether performed at the design stage or during construction, is a cost-effective way to verify that calculations, drawings, and built conditions actually match the design intent before problems become permanent and far more costly to correct.
Colorado’s building conditions add specific risk factors that make independent structural QA/QC particularly valuable on projects across the state:
- Expansive soils found throughout much of the Front Range and Denver metro area can generate significant heave forces on foundations and slabs if the geotechnical recommendations were not correctly translated into the structural design; QA/QC review confirms that translation was made correctly.
- Frost depth requirements vary by jurisdiction and elevation across Colorado, and footing and foundation designs need to reflect the local frost line, not a generic assumption carried over from another region.
- Snow and wind load variation by elevation and jurisdiction means a design correct for one Colorado municipality may not be correct for another; an independent reviewer checks that the governing loads used in the calculations match the project’s actual location.
- Jurisdiction-specific amendments to the adopted building code are common across Colorado’s cities and counties, and a QA/QC review confirms the design and construction reflect the specific code amendments enforced by the local building department, not just the base code.
- Seismic detailing requirements, while typically lower than in higher-seismic regions of the country, still apply and are sometimes overlooked in designs adapted from out-of-state templates.
An independent structural QA/QC review catches these region-specific issues before they become a field problem, a plan review rejection, or, worse, a performance issue after occupancy.
What’s Included in ISTA’s Structural QA/QC Services
Our structural QA/QC services can include calculation checks against the structural design, independent peer review of drawings, and field verification comparing built conditions to the approved plans. Depending on the stage of the project and the client’s needs, a QA/QC engagement with ISTA Engineers may include:
- Independent calculation review – working through the engineer of record’s load takedowns, member sizing, and connection design to confirm the numbers hold up and the governing code provisions were applied correctly.
- Drawing set review – checking structural drawings for internal consistency, coordination with architectural and MEP drawings, and completeness of details needed for construction.
- Design intent verification – confirming that the load path shown on paper is complete and buildable, from roof to foundation, with no gaps in the framing or connection details.
- Field verification against approved plans – site visits during construction to confirm that footings, foundations, framing, connections, and steel erection match the approved structural drawings.
- Documented findings – a written report identifying any discrepancies found, organized so the design team or contractor can act on them directly.
Each engagement is scoped around what the client actually needs reviewed. A architect preparing to submit for permit may only need a calculation and drawing check. A general contractor mid-construction may need periodic field verification visits tied to specific construction milestones, such as foundation placement or steel connections, before those elements are covered up by subsequent work.
How ISTA Structures a QA/QC Engagement
ISTA Engineers approaches every structural QA/QC engagement as an independent, third-party review, separate from the design process itself. The general process typically follows these steps:
- Scope definition – ISTA works with the client to define exactly what needs review: full calculations and drawings, a specific structural system, or field conditions at defined construction stages.
- Document collection – the client provides the calculations, drawings, geotechnical report, and any other design documents produced by the original engineer of record.
- Independent evaluation – ISTA’s licensed engineers perform their own review of the load paths, member design, and code compliance, working independently of the original designer’s assumptions.
- Field observation, where applicable – for construction-stage QA/QC, ISTA visits the site to compare actual conditions against the approved structural drawings.
- Findings report – ISTA documents any discrepancies, open items, or concerns in a clear report the client can route back to the design team or contractor for resolution.
Because ISTA is engaged as the independent checker and not the designer of record, findings are delivered objectively, without any incentive to defend a design decision the firm did not make.
Who Relies on ISTA’s Structural QA/QC Services
Architects wanting an independent structural check before permit submittal.
General contractors verifying field conditions match the structural design.
Owners and developers wanting an additional layer of quality assurance on a project.
Beyond these core groups, ISTA’s structural QA/QC services are also used by public agencies and municipalities that require independent structural verification as a condition of approval, by lenders and insurers who want independent confirmation of structural adequacy before financing or underwriting a project, and by design-build teams who want an outside check on in-house engineering before it goes to permit. In each case, the value is the same: a licensed, independent engineer confirming the structural work holds up, separate from whoever produced it originally.
Why Choose ISTA for Structural QA/QC
- Independent Colorado-licensed Professional Engineers providing objective review, with no role in the original design that would create a conflict of interest.
- Experience across residential, commercial, and industrial projects, giving ISTA’s reviewers context for a wide range of structural systems and construction types.
- Clear, actionable findings rather than vague red flags, delivered in a report format the design team or contractor can act on directly.
- Familiarity with Colorado-specific conditions, including expansive soils, local frost depth requirements, and jurisdiction-specific code amendments across the state.
- Flexible scoping, from a single calculation check to ongoing field verification across the full construction schedule.
Structural QA/QC FAQ
What does structural QA/QC include?
Calculation checks, independent peer review of drawings, and field verification comparing built conditions to the approved structural plans.
Who typically requests QA/QC review?
Architects, general contractors, owners, and developers who want an independent check on a structural design or its execution in the field.
Is QA/QC the same as a peer review?
Peer review is one part of QA/QC an independent check of the design. QA/QC can also include field verification during construction.
When should QA/QC happen design or construction?
Both are valuable: design-stage review catches errors before permit submittal, and field verification catches issues before they’re built over.
Does ISTA provide the original structural design during a QA/QC engagement?
No. During a structural QA/QC engagement, ISTA acts strictly as the independent third-party reviewer of someone else’s calculations, drawings, or built conditions. If a project instead needs original stamped structural design, that falls under ISTA’s design services rather than QA/QC.
What happens if ISTA finds a discrepancy during a QA/QC review?
ISTA documents the discrepancy in a written findings report and communicates it to the client so it can be routed back to the engineer of record, architect, or contractor for resolution. ISTA’s role is to identify and clearly report the issue as the independent reviewer.
Can structural QA/QC be limited to a specific system, or does it cover the entire structure?
Structural QA/QC review can be scoped either way. Some clients need a full review of the entire structural design and construction; others need review focused on a specific system, such as the foundation, a lateral system, or a single structural connection detail. ISTA scopes the engagement to match what the client needs verified.
Request Independent Structural QA/QC Review
Tell us about your project and what stage it’s at, and we’ll scope the right level of independent structural QA/QC review. Request a consultation or call (720) 740-4060.