Factory inspection visits are vital, yet they unfortunately have a habit of being overlooked. The factory inspection process during the Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) is especially important when it relates to fenestration systems, when any prefabricated components are being installed or when complex architectural glazing is being utilized on a project. As more and more systems are being fabricated off-site (to minimize not only rising costs of field labor, but also to improve general quality) the importance of reviewing these components in the factory is critical to ensuring that they ultimately will meet the project’s goals. While this process starts on paper with the review and commenting on Quality Control/Assurance plans and discussions with the contractor and their team, it is most important that these steps and processes are verified in the factory setting with project specific materials. Critical components that are commonly verified in factory settings are architectural glazing, metal panels, stone cladding systems, fenestration components, unitized curtain walls, and other specialty systems. Major points discussed include defining the process in which factory inspections should be approached throughout the design process, determining when they are most critical, identifying common deficiencies, as well as the value that factory inspections bring to a project in terms of reducing risk.

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