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Construction document review basics
New to document review, or to AI review? These guides cover what a review looks for, the terms teams use, and how to get a set ready.
Close submittal comments against the revised evidenceBackcheck resubmittals against prior comments, responses and revised documents. Includes a comment closure CSV and a worked review example. Turn the project manual into a traceable submittal listExtract required submittals from project specifications, reconcile drawings and addenda, and build a source-linked register with a free CSV. Build an RFI response the next person can verifyResearch an RFI against current drawings and specifications, separate documented answers from design decisions, and use a source-linked response CSV. Reconcile the documented changes before closeoutReview as-built and record drawings against documented RFIs, changes, equipment schedules and closeout records. Includes a source reconciliation CSV. Start a firm knowledge base with one answerable taskPlan an AI knowledge base for an architecture firm: source selection, permissions, citations and a pilot using a real recurring question. Free worksheet. Find a useful precedent, then check whether it appliesSearch past AEC projects by design condition, retrieve source-linked precedents and verify their applicability before reuse. Includes a research worksheet. Keep reusable details approved, traceable and applicableOrganize an architecture detail library with source history, applicability, approvals and revision control. Includes a free detail review register CSV. Use the section number to find the actual requirementWhat CSI MasterFormat numbers identify, how to read a project specification reference, and how to connect sections with drawings and submittals. Connect the owner’s requirement with the design approachWhat a basis of design records, how it relates to owner project requirements, and how to trace its assumptions into drawings and specifications. Make the delegated design criteria and interfaces explicitUnderstand delegated design, its criteria and review handoffs. Trace a designed package into the receiving drawings with an editable checklist. Ask who prepared the record and what evidence supports itUnderstand record drawings and as-builts by their source, preparation and verification responsibilities. Includes a closeout evidence worksheet. Submittal review checklistA practical submittal review checklist for product data and shop drawings: verify the design issue, compare requirements, track comments and record the decision. Submittal log templateDownload a free editable submittal log with specification references, owners, review dates, revisions, dispositions and closure evidence. Learn how to use it. Drawing register templateDownload a free drawing register CSV for construction review. Track sheets, revisions, issue purpose, package inclusion, and unresolved baseline decisions. Is there a website that checks drawings for discrepancies?Yes. Groundbook AI compares construction drawings sheet by sheet and flags discrepancies, with the sheets and sections linked for your team to verify. Construction documentation, explained for reviewWhat construction documentation means, what a complete set contains, how drawings, specifications, and schedules depend on each other, and common errors. How to review construction documentsRun a construction document review from scope and register to source-backed comments, designer responses, and verified closure. Includes a free review log. What is AI plan review?Learn how AI plan review works, what a useful finding includes, where human judgment matters, and how to evaluate it on your own construction documents. Plan check vs. plan reviewUnderstand plan check, design QA/QC, pre-permit review, and constructability review. Define the scope, reviewer, evidence, and decision each process needs. Prepare a set the reviewer can followPrepare a coherent drawing package for AI review: current revisions, readable PDFs, complete references, file roles, and clear project-specific instructions. Construction drawing abbreviations and symbolsVIF means verify in field, TYP means typical, NIC means not in contract. Plain-English meanings of 16 common construction drawing abbreviations. Construction plan review glossaryPlain-English definitions of the terms used in construction document review: QA/QC, coordination, RFIs, submittals, governing documents, plan check, and more.
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Other topics
Drawing review checklists by disciplineSheet-by-sheet checklists for a single discipline, most with an editable CSV. Cross-discipline coordination guidesWhere consultant documents disagree with each other, and the checks that surface it. Mass timber coordination guidesCoordinate CLT and glulam drawings across disciplines before fabrication. Specifications vs. drawings guidesTrace a specification section into the drawings, schedules, and details that have to match it. Comparing drawing revisions and toolsWhat each vendor's own compare feature checks, and the question none of them answer. California permitting and state plan reviewState agency review for schools and healthcare, and private plan review under AB 253. Building codes, permitting, and calculatorsAdopted codes, plan check responses, and free calculators that show their math. Project delivery and program guidesHow the delivery arrangement decides who reviews what, and at which milestone. Review evidence and evaluationPublished findings, accuracy pilots, and how to prioritise what a review returns.
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