Following Construction Standards: How to Comply With Confidence

Without meaningful guidelines, it can be difficult to judge performance on a given task – especially in construction, where projects are complex and require expertise in any number of disciplines. Construction standards were created to help guide designers and contractors toward quality, safe and sustainable projects.

This article will discuss key categories of construction standards, the importance of complying with set standards and best practices for using and staying up to date on all the modern standards.

Defining Construction Standards

A standard is a set of guidelines or criteria that can be used to judge a finished product. Construction standards are often voluntary guidelines established through a consensus of industry experts and approved by a standards authority. They provide technical rules for maintaining consistency and reliability in finished products. Standards are often adopted into codes, at which point they become mandatory.

Examples of standards include ASTM International’s cement and concrete standards or the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards on Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC) are other widely used and accepted standards governing groups.

Standards for minimum performance or quality on a construction project have been developed through a lot of experience by experts in the industry. Following them may help contractors perform their work at a higher level, leading to safer jobsites and happier clients. Some owners may look to a contracting firm’s track record on maintaining standards when awarding projects.

Further, many construction standards become adopted into law, so noncompliance can lead to fines and project shutdowns.

Differentiating Specifications, Codes and Standards

Construction specifications are precise lists of requirements owners and their design teams provide to contractors on how contractors and subcontractors should go about building a structure. They may include the scope of the work to be done, materials that should be used and how they will go together and the minimum quality expectations for the work.

While specifications are unique for each individual project, codes and standards apply more broadly to the work contractors do.

A building code is a set of regulations that govern how a building is designed, built, maintained or changed. Codes are mandatory and enforceable. They are set by state or local governments and are often updated every few years.

Standards, like the size of a water pipe or a structure’s load capacity, may be included as part of a building code. Notable examples of construction codes are the International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.

Common Construction Standards Categories

While construction standards may apply to almost any different activity within a project, there are some common types of standards contractors may strive to follow.

Safety

Safety standards provide guidelines for protecting workers and the public. Regulations set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are mandatory for use throughout the construction process to help maintain a safe working environment. OSHA rules govern the use of personal protective equipment, fall protection and scaffolding, among many other things.

Structural

Structural standards are there to make sure that buildings are strong and resilient to maintain integrity to keep users safe. For example, there are specific standards and codes for a building’s ability to withstand earthquakes. Authorities in earthquake zones may strictly enforce these standards to make sure the building is safe for people in the event of seismic activity.

Accessibility

Accessibility standards like those created by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensure that a building can be used by people with disabilities. They are often applied to commercial buildings or those used by state and local governments that are being newly built or renovated.

Some ADA standards specify a minimum number of elements or spaces that are available to people with disabilities, like a number of spaces in a movie theater that can accommodate a wheelchair.

Environmental

Environmental and sustainability standards are created to help decrease a building’s impact on the environment. They may be geared toward greener building methods, better enveloping so they use less energy to heat and cool or the use of renewable energy sources. Standards may include restrictions on a structure’s carbon emissions or water usage.

For example, ISO 15392:2019 identifies principles to use that will contribute to a building’s sustainable development, while ISO 52000-1:2017 establishes a systematic structure for assessing the energy performance of buildings.

Data Protection/Information Security

Standards have now been developed that help to ensure data privacy and security. Construction projects produce a lot of data that needs to be accessible to all the right people at the right times. Data privacy rules help ensure they’re not available to anyone else – including cyber criminals. One example of a data protection standard is ISO 27001, which defines the requirements of a company’s information security management systems (ISMS).

How to Stay Compliant with Current Construction Standards

There can be a lot of standards that apply to any given part of a construction project and they can be changed or updated at any time. For instance, in December, 2024, OSHA updated its PPE standard to explicitly state that the equipment issued to users fit properly to maintain compliance. Contractors can work to ensure compliance and stay on top of the latest standards with a few key best practices.

1. Work standards into daily operations.

To make sure construction standards are consistently met and ingrained in the company culture, make them a core component of standard operating procedures (SOPs). This way, they’re naturally woven into daily operations, helping everyone understand their importance. This not only promotes adherence but also creates a deeper understanding of the significance of these standards among all employees.

2. Review and update procedures regularly to ensure compliance.

Construction standards and regulations can change over time due to new technologies, evolving industry practices and updates to local, state or federal laws. To maintain compliance and ensure that your team is always working with the most current information, it's important to establish a system for regularly reviewing and updating SOPs.

3. Conduct regular training.

Offering targeted, ongoing training can help make sure crews are always up-to-date with the latest standards. This training helps them perform tasks correctly, spot noncompliance and address on-site issues effectively. Keeping sessions fresh and relevant makes sure everyone stays informed.

4. Check for compliance during inspections.

On-site inspections can help catch problems and develop habits of working according to construction standards. Documentation can help companies find any issues in their daily activities so they can work to improve their systems for better alignment with industry standards.

5. Use compliance software.

Compliance software can help companies stay up to date on construction standards, inform and improve inspections and work with construction management software to analyze the data collected on site. AI tools may help spot patterns and predict outcomes so companies can change their practices to avoid issues.

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Construction Standards Set the Mark

Standards can help elevate the quality of construction projects. They create benchmarks that help improve client confidence and drive the industry toward excellence.

Part of successful compliance with construction standards may be developing a company culture that aligns with those benchmarks. If a company is honest in striving toward safer, more sustainable and better quality construction work, then those ideals can be set into motion at every level of the company.

When companies consistently work toward staying compliant with construction standards, the industry may benefit from shared expectations that allow stakeholders to work together more effectively.

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