Non-conformances
When it is worse than a snag
Some things are not a defect to fix — they are a departure from what was specified, and somebody has to decide formally what happens to them. Those get a disposition, a root cause and a verified close-out, and they hold the handover until they have one.
Non-conformance register
+ NCR| Ref | Title | Disposition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCR-004 | Cavity trays omitted to Level 02 openings Critical | Rework | Open |
| NCR-003 | Screed depth short of specification, Flat 09 Major | Concession | In progress |
| NCR-002 | Incorrect fixings to balcony balustrade Major | Rework | Verified |
The difference
A snag is a defect. An NCR is a decision.
The distinction matters because the two need different records. A snag needs somebody to fix it and somebody else to check it. A non-conformance needs somebody to decide what happens to it — and that decision has to survive being asked about a year later.
It departs from a requirement
Not “it looks wrong” but “it is not what the specification, the drawing or the standard says”. The record carries the requirement it departs from.
Somebody has to agree a disposition
Rework it, repair it, replace it, accept it by concession, test it further, or take it out and do it again. Six options, on the record, not in an email.
It has to have a cause
Nine categories, from workmanship to sequencing to damage by others. Until one is chosen the record reads “not yet determined”, which is a visible gap.
Correction is not corrective action
What you did to this one, and what you changed so the next one does not happen — two fields, because they are two different things.
Somebody else verifies it
Closing is a separate act from fixing, with the person and the date on the record.
It holds the handover
A unit with an open non-conformance against it cannot pass its gates, whatever anybody thinks about it.
The route
Seven stages, in the order they happen
Identify and contain
Raise it against the location and the trade, with photographs, and stop it getting worse or being repeated on the next unit.
Record the facts
What was found and what the specification, drawing or standard actually required. Both, in their own fields.
Assess and dispose
Severity — minor, major or critical — and then the agreed disposition, with who agreed it.
Find the cause
One of nine categories, chosen rather than left blank.
Correct and act
What put this one right, and what changed so it does not recur.
Verify
Somebody other than the person who fixed it checks it, on site, with a photograph.
Close and watch the trend
Closed on the register, and counted in the root-cause breakdown so a pattern shows up before it becomes six more.
On the register
What it looks like while it is running
Every one with its disposition on show
Reference, title, severity, disposition and status in one line. You can see at a glance how many are open, how many are waiting on a decision and how many concessions the job has taken.
Non-conformance register
+ NCR| Ref | Title | Disposition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCR-004 | Cavity trays omitted to Level 02 openings Critical | Rework | Open |
| NCR-003 | Screed depth short of specification, Flat 09 Major | Concession | In progress |
| NCR-002 | Incorrect fixings to balcony balustrade Major | Rework | Verified |
Raised from the failure that found it
A failed inspection line escalates into a non-conformance carrying the plan, the activity and the acceptance criterion with it — so the evidence is attached before anybody starts typing.
ITP-03 — Substructure & Ground Floor Slab
PDFCounted where it matters
Open non-conformances sit on the dashboard with the critical ones called out, and the root-cause breakdown says which four things are actually causing them.
Open snags by trade
Inspections
OpenWhat a non-conformance carries
What the record holds
Everything you would be asked for
- The location, the trade and the date it was raised, with photographs
- What was found, and the requirement it departs from — as two separate fields
- Severity: minor, major or critical
- The agreed disposition, and who agreed it
- The root cause category, chosen from nine rather than typed as prose
- The correction applied, and the corrective action taken so it does not recur
- Who verified the close-out, and when
- A full dated history of every change to the record
FAQ
Questions about non-conformances
When is it a snag and when is it an NCR?
A snag is a defect to put right. A non-conformance is a departure from a specified requirement — it needs somebody to decide formally what happens to it, and it needs a recorded reason why it happened. If the answer is “fix it” and nobody has to agree anything, it is a snag.
Can I raise one from a failed inspection?
Yes, and from a snag. A failed check sheet line escalates straight to a non-conformance carrying the plan, the activity and the acceptance criterion it failed against, so the record starts with the evidence already attached.
What dispositions can I set?
Rework, repair, replace, use as-is by concession, further testing or investigation, or remove and reconstruct. The disposition is a field on the record, not a note in a description, so the register can tell you how many concessions a job has taken.
Does it force a root cause?
It asks for one from a fixed list — workmanship, supervision, design or information, material or product, setting out, sequencing, competence, damage by others — and it will sit at “not yet determined” until somebody chooses. That is deliberate: an undetermined cause is a visible gap rather than a blank nobody notices.
Does an open NCR stop a handover?
Yes. One of the four handover gates is that the unit has no open non-conformance against it, and the gate is calculated from the register rather than ticked by hand.
Can I send one to the subcontractor?
As a branded PDF carrying the description, the requirement it departs from, the disposition, the photographs and the dates. The whole register also exports to Excel and CSV.
See one on a real project
The worked example carries non-conformances at every stage — open, disposed, awaiting verification and closed. Fourteen days free, no card.