Introduction: What is ISO 9000, and Why Should You Care?

ISO stands for the International Standards Organization. As you might have guessed, this organization is responsible for developing quality standards for different industries.

Its main goal is to set quality control standards that can be followed worldwide, acting as a quality stamp of sorts.

ISO certification is standard-specific, so you must first identify which standard you want to get certified on and then follow the necessary procedures to get certified. The most relevant ISO standards in the construction industry are:

ISO Standard	Scope	Benefits
ISO 9001	Quality management	Less rework, fewer defects
ISO 14001	Environmental management	Reduced waste, lower utility bills
ISO 45001	Occupational health & safety	Fewer accidents, lower insurance premiums
ISO 50001	Energy management	Energy efficiency, reduced energy costs
ISO 19650	BIM and info management	Improved project coordination, less rework

The most important certification is undoubtedly the ISO 9001, which establishes a quality management system (QMS) that ensures consistent quality throughout your projects.

Why Should You Care?

If you work in construction, getting the ISO certification and following their framework of quality management will save you money, prevent lawsuits, and increase your chances of getting hired- particularly if you’re targeting government contracts or large companies.

Saves money

The construction industry is a bit like the Wild West: requirements change constantly, accidents happen all the time, workers don’t show up, and so on and so on.

Following ISO’s Plan-Do-Check-Act framework allows you to have some control over this craziness and avoid taking big financial risks during contracts.

By having clearly stated goals, measuring them frequently, and adjusting your operations, you can save a lot on procurement, staff management, and minimizing delays.

The implementation of ISO 9001, which standardizes processes by implementing checklists and ITPs, results in less time wasted, and more accurate materials and labour predictions.

Increases the likelihood of getting jobs.

Increasingly, big companies and the government require contractors to be ISO certified. Big companies like ISO certified companies as they reduce likelihood of accidents and lawsuits.

Large companies often prefer hiring ISO certified companies as they are familiar with their checklist based approach and can integrate more effortlessly into their own procedures.

The No-BS Breakdown: What You Actually Need to Do to Be ISO 9001 Compliant

The ISO 9001 is based on a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.

Plan:

With ISO 9001, most of the work happens before construction even begins. Under this framework you must rigourously plan the project and create extensive documentation to later implement and benchmark.

Here are the major steps in this phase:

• Define Quality Objectives: What does success look like? Write a document with the scope and quality goals for this project.
• Create a Documented System: To carry out the work, you must first plan it. This is done with:
  • Inspection & Test Plans (ITPs): These are a set of checklists with detailed checks that need to be carried out throughout the construction project. We have a huge library of trade specific ITPs on offer. Check them out here.
  • Supplier Evaluation Forms and Checklists: These are forms to check products and services supplied by outside contractors or suppliers
  • Quality documents (drawings, procedures, material specs)
  • Risk management files: Identify potential risks to the project and develop plans to mitigate it.

Do:

Its now time to put the plan into action. 

• Train Your Team: Make sure everyone in the team is familiar with the key concepts, techniques, and standards. Ensure that they are comfortable with the process of inspecting and filling out the checklists.
• Build: Start building in accordance with the plans you developed.

Check:

• Track & Measure Everything. In construction, the KPIs could be percentage of inspections passed, number of NCRs per week, customer satisfaction scores

Act:

• Identify gaps in the checks and act to fix them.
• This could be revising ITPs to include extra steps to improve quality, changing suppliers and subcontractors, and fixing any issues that are resulting in failed inspections.

How to Get Certified

Step 1- Read and understand the ISO standard you’re applying for.

Most commonly, this means reading the ISO 9001 standard, which is the most popular certification standard.

Step 2- Develop internal documents

Mandatory Documents

Document / Record	Purpose
Quality Policy	Communicates the company’s commitment to quality
Quality Objectives	Defines measurable goals aligned with business strategy
Scope of the QMS	Clarifies what part of the business is included in the system
Documented Procedures (as needed)	Where processes need consistency (e.g. Non-Conformance Report handling, audits)
Process Descriptions & Interactions	Flowcharts or text explaining key processes
Control of Documented Information	How documents are created, approved, reviewed, and retained
Records of Competence/Training	Proof that staff are qualified and trained
Internal Audit Reports	Verification that the system is working properly
Management Review Minutes	Evidence of leadership involvement and strategic oversight
Nonconformity & Corrective Action Records	Shows how issues are identified and resolved

Project-Level Quality Documents

Document	Purpose
Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs)	Defines what inspections are needed, by whom, and when. We have a comprehensive list of ITPs available here.
Site Quality Control Reports	Daily/weekly QC logs to track compliance and issues
Material Approval Records	Document acceptance of materials (e.g., concrete, steel)
Subcontractor Evaluation Forms	Ensures subcontractors meet your quality standards
Design Review Checklists	Confirms design is reviewed before execution
Site Safety Observations	Supports Clause 8 operational controls
Client Communication Logs	Verifies client requirements are understood and agreed

Organizational-Level Documents

Document	Purpose
Organizational Chart & Roles	Clarifies responsibilities and accountability
Risk & Opportunity Register	Lists project and operational risks, with mitigation plans
Supplier Qualification Records	Evaluation and approval of material vendors/suppliers
Equipment Calibration Logs	Ensures accuracy of measuring/testing devices
Change Management Log	Tracks changes to project scope, specs, or procedures

As you can see, the document list is extensive and encompasses all areas of the company from management to sub-contractors. 

Step 3- Train staff

In order to get ISO certified, staff are required to be trained not only in their specific tasks, but also in the quality management system. 

They must know which documentation needs to be filled out for each process and how to act in accordance with the ISO principles.

Step 4- Implement the standard

After all the documentation is created and the staff knows how to handle it, its time to implement the standard. 

This includes conducting internal audits frequently, tracking relevant  KPIs, managing client feedback and complaints and keeping project documentation organized.

Internal audits are a key part of the ISO process. They must be conducted by someone independent of the process being audited, and must be documented frequently.

This internal audit should encompass the 7 key areas of ISO’s quality management principles:

• Context of the Organization
• Leadership
• Planning
• Support
• Operation
• Performance Evaluation
• Improvement

Step 5- Hire an accredited body to audit and grant ISO certification

When the above process is running smoothly, its time to call in the big guns.

There are a number of accrediting bodies that can grant you the 9001 ISO certification. These include: TÜV, SGS, Bureau Veritas, and DNV.

Hire a consultant, DIY, or use software?

In your road to ISO certification, you may choose to hire a consultant to help create all the processes described previously. This will save you a lot of headaches, but it will also be quite costly. 

In our experience, these are the figures to expect:

Consultant: ~$5,000–$25,000 depending on company size.

DIY + Templates: Under 500$

Certification audit: ~$3,000–$15,000.

The choice is yours, but in our opinion going the DIY route, with the help of templates and softwares will give you a better understanding of your quality management system and will also save you a lot of money. We offer trade-specific bundles that are ready to use and ISO-aligned.

The TUV companies, such as TUV Rheinland, TUV Sud are popular choices for ISO audits and certifications. TÜV” stands for “Technischer Überwachungsverein” (Technical Inspection Association) in German and you’ll find many such companies offering ISO 9001 certification.

How long does it take? 

If you’re starting from scratch, the whole process of implementing and passing the audit can take anywhere from 6 months to 12 months.

Remember that ISO requires you to implement a whole new management system and produce a series of quality manuals, check lists, inspections, and more. 

What does an ISO 9001 audit actually look like? 

Once you’re ready to get certified, an auditing body will assess your management system in two major phases: Document review and on-site audit.

There are “sub-phases” in preparation for the document review and on-site audit, and these are:

1. Preparation Phase (Pre-Audit)

• An Audit plan is shared in advance (schedule, areas to be audited, personnel involved).
  
• Auditor requests key documents: QMS manual, procedures, previous audit results, and so on.
  

 2. Opening Meeting

• Explanation of the audit scope, objectives, methodology, and schedule. This is done by the audit team
  
• Confirmation of logistics (e.g. interview availability, site access).
  

 3. Document Review

• Auditor verifies that required documents and procedures are in place, including:
  
  • Quality Policy and Objectives
    
  • Management Review minutes
    
  • Internal audit results
    
  • Corrective actions
    
  • Training records
    
  • Control of nonconforming products
    

 4. On-Site Audit / Fieldwork

This is the main part of the audit and it includes:

• Interviews with staff at various levels (management, operations, QA, etc.).
  
• Observation of processes to verify if actual practices match documented procedures.
  
• Sampling of records to confirm consistency.
  
• Evidence gathering to ensure processes are effectively implemented.
  

Auditors focus on areas such as:

• Customer satisfaction handling
  
• Process monitoring and measurement
  
• Risk-based thinking
  
• Supplier evaluations
  
• Continual improvement
  

5. Findings and Non-Conformities

• Auditor notes:
  
  • Conformities
    
  • Opportunities for Improvement (OFIs)
    
  • Non-conformities (NCs) (minor or major)
    

Each non-conformity must be backed by objective evidence.

6. Closing Meeting

• Summary of findings presented.
  
• The organization is allowed to clarify or dispute findings.
  
• Deadlines for corrective actions are discussed.
  

7. Audit Report & Follow-Up

• A formal report is issued.
  
• If non-conformities exist, the company must submit a Corrective Action Plan.
  
• In a certification audit, once non-conformities are addressed and verified, certification is granted.
  

Types of ISO 9001 Audits

• Internal Audit: Conducted by your team or a consultant.
  
• External Audit:
  
  • Stage 1: Readiness review (documentation check).
    
  • Stage 2: Full system audit.
    
• Surveillance Audits: Conducted annually to maintain certification.
  
• Recertification Audit: Every 3 years.
  

Conclusion: Hard Work Pays Off

The ISO certification process is laborious. Expect at least 6 months and several thousand dollars in investment. However, it will open doors that would otherwise be inaccessible.

The certification itself will allow you to target large contracts, as well as improving the quality of your products and services. It’s a chance to audit your processes and streamline them.

We hope that this article has convinced you to take the leap and invest in ISO certification. We provide many templates to help you. 

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