SETMARK INSIGHTSFIELD LEDGER

Cost of quality

What Does One Manual QC Pass Actually Cost?

The labor math behind construction-document review.

Read the cost-of-quality analysis
Scenario modelNot an industry benchmark.

Select your discipline

Primary reviewer: Architect at $66.28/hr loaded cost. Edit the rate for your firm.

Cost per pass$760 / pass
Annual impact$60,818 / year

Defaults use BLS May 2024 median wages with the Dec. 2025 private-industry benefits multiplier. They are starting points, not billing rates. Edit both rates for your business. See methodology.

Evidence stripMedian wages, not billing rates · U.S. BLS / May 2024
Architect$46.49wage / hour
Civil engineer$47.88wage / hour
Construction manager$51.43wage / hour
A/E manager$80.64wage / hour

Featured analysis

A review pass is labor, capacity, and risk, not a vague “overhead” line.

AIA guidance calls for completed drawings and specifications to be checked by a qualified staff member not directly involved in preparation. USACE guidance calls for a documented quality-control plan with schedule, budget, review effort, and checklist.

Read the cost-of-quality analysis

Latest field notes

Method

What AIA actually asks a drawing set to prove

Accuracy, dimensions, cross-references, discipline coordination, and a review trail.

Capacity

How to turn review hours into an annual number

Use the inputs your team already tracks: hours, rates, passes, and projects.

Sources

Every assumption stays visible

AIA, USACE, CII, and BLS, so the model can be challenged and replaced.