At a glance
| Station | What is checked | Record you receive | Suggested level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Release for manufacture | Shop drawing revision approved; control sample signed; evidence the specification asks for is listed. | Approved drawing; signed, dated sample; schedule row at ‘approved’. | Hold |
| 2 Materials arrive | Species, board, metal, glass, hardware or cover against the specification; timber claim and certificate number; cover against the approved sample. | Delivery notes, certificate numbers, labelled photographs; a moisture reading where the specification sets a range. | Review |
| 3 Loose parts measured | Key sizes against the shop drawing, before parts are glued, welded or finished. | Dimension record; photograph with a tape in frame. | Review |
| 4 First frame, before covering | Joints, fixings and hardware preparation; the hidden build-up, as the construction that was tested. | Photographs; checklist for the first of each type. | Witness |
| 5 First finish | Finish on a real part against the control sample, all faces, under the named light; measured values where the specification sets them. | Photograph beside the sample; sheen or thickness readings; finish batch number. | Hold |
| 6 First complete piece | The first whole piece against drawing and sample: size, function, hardware action, comfort for seating. | First-article record; photographs with a scale. | Witness |
| 7 Final inspection, dry-fit | Every piece against drawing and sample; fitted and multi-part pieces assembled in the workshop; evidence file complete. | Inspection record for each item code; photographs of the dry-fit. | Hold |
| 8 Packing, crate | Protection, labels, sections that pass the route, contents list. | Packing photographs before the crate closes; crate list. | Review |
The levels are suggestions for a project to set. They are not what any workshop operates until that workshop confirms it. The order varies by trade: metal is finished after welding, upholstery is covered after the frame is signed.
What an inspection and test plan is, and what it is not
Designing Buildings, a commentary site, describes an inspection and test plan as a document that summarises how the quality of a particular element of work is to be managed (last edited 29 October 2020). It says the plan should answer five questions: what the requirements are, which inspections and tests will assure them, who witnesses and verifies and what records result, when they are to be done, and who is responsible. It adds that the level of detail should match the risk, and that a checklist can supplement a plan but not replace it. BS ISO 10005:2018 gives guidelines for quality plans for any product, project or contract; we have not read its text.
It is not a promise about any workshop. It is a plan that the designer and the maker agree before production is released. Which checks a given workshop operates on your job, and what record it can issue, is confirmed with that workshop first. We found no British Standard that fixes an ITP for bespoke furniture, so the stations and records here are our template.
It is not a certificate. If a workshop holds a quality management certificate, ask for it and read its scope. A certificate describes a management system and the activities it covers. It does not tell you which checks will be made on your piece, and the plan does.
It follows the order our production page describes. That page lists checks that run through production: dimensional checks while components are still loose, finish sign-off against the filed sample board, a dry-fit of fitted and multi-part pieces before dispatch, and a final inspection of every piece against drawing and sample, with editioned work checked piece by piece. It also says clients and designers are welcome at the workshops at agreed milestones (first frame, first finish, first complete piece), and that progress is photographed and reported. The template below turns those into stations with a record and a level, so that a designer can ask for the evidence at each one. See production and delivery.
Hold, witness or review: choose the level for each check
Three words do the work in a plan. They are in common use in construction and infrastructure quality plans, and we found no UK standard that defines them for furniture, so write their meaning into the plan: the paste-in wording below does.
| Level | What it means | Does work continue? | Use it for | What you hold afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hold | Work stops at this point until a named person has checked the work or the record and released it in writing. | No, not until released. | Steps that cannot be undone or looked at later: release for manufacture, the first finish against the control sample, release for dispatch. | A written release that quotes the plan revision and the item codes. |
| Witness | A named party is given notice and may attend, in person or by photograph or video. If nobody attends at the time given, work goes on. | Yes, once notice has been given. | Milestones where seeing helps: the first frame, the first complete piece. | The maker’s record, with the attendee’s note if someone came. |
| Review | The maker checks and records. The designer reads the record (photographs, dimension report, certificates) afterwards, in person or remotely. | Yes. | Routine steps, and every repeat after the first of a type. | The record, filed with the final inspection record. |
Choose few holds. Each hold is a place where the programme can stop. Keep them for the steps that cannot be undone or inspected later, and use witness and review for the rest. The plan is not a way for a designer to hold a veto on everything, and the maker is not asked to wait for a visit that cannot be made.
Witness does not have to mean travel. Our production page says visits are arranged in advance and follow each site’s access rules, and that where travel is not practical photographs are shared at the same milestones so approvals can be given remotely. Say in the plan which witness points may be witnessed by photograph or video, and agree the notice with the maker. No notice period is given here, because it belongs to the workshop and the site.
The eight stations, and what to ask for at each
One row for each station. Copy the columns into your own sheet, as in the drawing, and add stations for the trade: an electrical test and the glass for lighting (see shop drawings and mock-ups for bespoke lighting and handmade glass acceptance), weld inspection for metalwork, a stone slab against its range report. Take out any that do not apply.
| Station | Check in detail | Say in the specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Release for manufacture | The shop drawing is approved at a named revision (see the shop drawing checklist). The control sample is signed and dated (see the sample hierarchy). Where a prototype is agreed, it is approved first (prototype and mock-up approval). | Production is released in writing against drawing revision [letter] and sample [S-nn]. |
| 2 Materials arrive | Species, cut and grade, board type, metal, glass, hardware and cover are as specified. For timber, the claim and certificate number on the delivery note (FSC and PEFC). For upholstery, the cover and filling match the construction that was fire tested (fire documentation). | Records: delivery notes, certificate numbers, photographs of labelled stock, moisture reading against the range in [clause]. |
| 3 Loose parts measured | Key sizes are checked against the shop drawing while components are still loose, so an error is found before it is glued in. Choose the dimensions that matter for fit, not every one. | Record the [list of dimensions] against the tolerance in [clause], with the measuring method. |
| 4 First frame, before covering | Joints, fixings and hardware preparation. Anything that will be hidden is photographed before it is covered: frame joints, springing, foam and interliner in upholstery, welds before a finish (visible welds). | Witness for the first of each type. [Designer] may attend or accept photographs. |
| 5 First finish | The finish on a real part, all faces, is judged against the control sample under the named light. Record the batch (metal finish batches) and any measured value the specification sets, such as thickness (coating thickness). | Hold until [designer] releases the finish in writing against sample [S-nn]. |
| 6 First complete piece | The first whole piece is checked against drawing and sample: size, function, hardware, and comfort for seating (sit test). For a repeated item this is the first article. | Witness. The first-article record is signed by [named role]. |
| 7 Final inspection, dry-fit | Every piece is inspected against drawing and sample. Fitted and multi-part pieces are assembled in the workshop before dispatch. The evidence file for the item code is complete and the labels are fitted. | Hold. Release for packing and dispatch only on the signed final inspection record. |
| 8 Packing, crate | Finish protection, labels with item code and room, sections that pass the route (delivery access survey), contents list, photographs before the crate closes. | Record: packing photographs, crate list, labels. |
The evidence pack to ask for
A plan is only as useful as the records it produces. The pack below is what to ask for by the final inspection. Ask for the pack that matches the risk: a loose chair needs less than a banquette that has to carry a fire test report. Which of these a partner workshop can issue for your piece must be confirmed before the order, and your specification decides which are required.
| Evidence | When | Why ask for it |
|---|---|---|
| Approved drawing and control sample references | Station 1 | The record says what the piece was made to. |
| Timber claim and certificate number on the delivery note; board declaration; metal mill certificate where the specification asks | Station 2 | A claim is not evidence until a document backs it. |
| Fire test report for each upholstery composite, with its date | Station 2, filed at 7 | The test belongs to the construction tested, so check it matches the build. |
| Moisture reading for timber, against the range in the specification | Station 2 | Timber that is too wet or too dry moves after delivery. |
| Dimension report against stated tolerances | Stations 3 and 7 | Turns a size into a measured fact. |
| Finish record: batch, sheen reading, thickness where specified | Station 5 | Lets a later repair or repeat order match. |
| Photographs with a scale, captioned with station, item code and drawing revision | All stations | The memory of the check, for people who were not there. |
| Non-conformance and concession log | Any station | Shows what failed and who accepted what. |
| Signed final inspection record and packing list with photographs | Stations 7 and 8 | The release for dispatch, and the baseline for a damage claim. |
When a check fails, and what comes after the crate
Failure is recorded, not hidden. A check that fails is written down with a photograph, work on the item stops at that station, and the maker proposes rework, replacement or a concession. A concession is a written agreement to accept a departure, signed by a named person who has seen the effect on appearance, performance, programme and cost. Silence is not a concession. Reworked items are checked again at the station that failed. If the fix swaps a material, finish or supplier, enter it on the substitution register as well.
The plan ends at the crate, and acceptance begins at the door. Our delivery page describes a final quality check at the factory before packing, and delivery with pieces unwrapped and inspected with the site team present. Our production page says every piece is checked again on arrival in the UK. Agree, before production, what you will accept on site: see snagging acceptance criteria, and make sure the site is ready with the delivery access survey. The plan and the snagging criteria are two halves of one agreement, and a piece that passes the plan can still be damaged in transit.
Specification wording
Paste into your schedule or specification and replace anything in [square brackets] with your own figures. Wording is a starting point: your specification governs.
[Maker] is to submit an inspection and test plan for [package] with its quotation, in the format of Schedule [ref], listing for each station the check, the document it is checked against, the record to be issued, the level (hold, witness or review) and who signs. The plan carries a revision letter and is approved by [designer] before production is released. Stations are added or removed only by a new revision of the plan.
Work is not to proceed beyond a hold point until [named role] has released it in writing, quoting the plan revision and the item codes. A verbal release is not a release. The hold points are: [stations].
[Maker] is to give [named roles] notice of each witness point by email to [address], [notice period agreed with the maker] before the check, naming the item codes and the place. If nobody attends at the time given, work may proceed and the maker's record stands. A witness point may be witnessed by [photographs / video call] where [designer] has agreed in advance. Visits follow the access and safety rules of the site.
With the final inspection record for each item code [Maker] is to issue: [dimension report; finish record; certificate numbers; fire test report reference; moisture readings; packing list]. Records carry the plan revision and item code. Photographs show a scale and are captioned with station, item code, drawing revision and date.
Any departure from the drawing, the specification or the control sample is recorded with a photograph on a non-conformance report and sent to [designer]. It is not accepted by silence. A concession is valid only if it is in writing, signed by [named role], names the item codes and states any effect on appearance, performance, programme and the contract sum. Reworked items are inspected again at the station that failed.
Terms used on this page
- Inspection and test plan
- A plan listing the checks to be made at each stage of manufacture, the evidence recorded and who must be present. It turns 'quality control' into points you can verify.
- First article
- The first finished item from a production run, inspected and approved against the drawings and samples before the rest is made. It is the production counterpart to a prototype.
- Hold point
- A point in the plan at which work stops until a named person has checked the work or the record and released it in writing.
- Witness point
- A point at which a named party is given notice and may attend; if nobody attends at the time given, the work goes on.
Standards and sources
- Designing Buildings: Inspection & Test Plan (ITP): commentary, last edited 29 Oct 2020; read 5 Nov 2026.
- BS ISO 10005:2018 Quality management: guidelines for quality plans: BSI listing seen: published 30 Jun 2018, Current. Text not read.
- BS EN ISO 9001 (certificate scope only): BSI listing for the 2015 edition: Withdrawn 6 Nov 2024. Text not read.
- Make Bespoke Studio: Production; Delivery: checks and milestones described.
- No standard applies: we found none that sets hold-point wording for bespoke FF&E.
Questions we are asked
What is an inspection and test plan?
A document that lists the checks to be made at each stage of making, the record each check leaves, who must be present, and when. Designing Buildings describes it as summarising how the quality of an element of work is to be managed. For bespoke FF&E it turns ‘quality control’ into points you can verify.
What is the difference between a hold point and a witness point?
At a hold point work stops until a named person has released it in writing. At a witness point a named party is given notice and may attend, but if nobody does, work goes on. A review point is checked afterwards from the record. These are common terms in construction quality plans; we found no UK standard that defines them for furniture, so define them in your plan.
Do I have to visit the workshop?
No. Our production page says clients and designers are welcome at agreed milestones, and that where travel is not practical photographs are shared at the same milestones so approvals can be given remotely. Say in the plan which points may be witnessed by photograph or video.
Does a quality management certificate replace a plan?
No. A certificate shows that a management system exists within a stated scope. It does not say which checks will be made on your piece. Ask for the certificate and read its scope, and agree the plan for the job as well. Which certificates a partner holds must be confirmed with that partner; none is claimed here.
How many hold points are too many?
We give no number. Each hold is a place where the programme can stop, so keep them for steps that cannot be undone or checked later, such as release for manufacture, the first finish against the control sample, and release for dispatch.
Is a sampling inspection (AQL) right for bespoke furniture?
Sampling inspection takes a sample from a large batch of identical goods and is common in volume sourcing. Bespoke pieces are mostly one-offs or small editions, so the plan inspects each piece against its drawing and sample. Our production page says editioned work is checked piece by piece, not batch by batch.
Download the factsheet
A two-page A4 PDF with the eight-station table, the hold, witness and review markers and wording to paste into a quotation request, to keep with your project file.