Are you buying ITP/hold-point control, punch/snag closeout, photo evidence, or all three?

Why it matters: Visibuild and Dalux Field emphasize inspection plans and hold/witness or checklist acceptance criteria. PlanRadar, Fieldwire, RDrive and ArchiSnapper also cover punch/defect tickets. CompanyCam and Raken are stronger as photo/daily-report systems that can support evidence without being a full QC system of record. Tip: Write the one outcome the pilot must prove (e.g. % of lots signed before cover-up, or punch items closed before PC) before demos start.

Who can raise, fix and sign off an item — and which of those seats are free?

Why it matters: PlanRadar says subcontractors and watchers are free. Dalux Field Basic invites unlimited project members on the free tier. Fieldwire and Raken price per user. Ask how many trade partners you can invite without buying seats. Tip: Bring your typical trade count on one active floor and ask them to price that mix, not just GC seats.

Does every item pin to a drawing or BIM object, and survive drawing revisions?

Why it matters: Dalux Field and PlanRadar pin tickets to drawings/BIM. Visibuild describes revision control that updates linked inspections when a drawing changes. Fieldwire centers on plan-based tasks. Confirm what happens when Rev B lands mid-punch. Tip: In the demo, upload Rev A, raise two items, then swap to Rev B and ask where the open items go.

If the vendor markets AI, what does it actually do on a punch walk?

Why it matters: PlanRadar AI lists agents, voice-to-ticket and form generation. Fieldwire Field Intelligence lists NL search, voice tasks and talk-to-action reports. CompanyCam lists voice checklists and reports. Visibuild, Dalux Field, RDrive and ArchiSnapper pages we read do not claim generative AI. Tip: Ask them to create one punch item by voice on a live sheet and show the structured fields that result.

What does the handover / closeout pack contain, and who owns it after PC?

Why it matters: Visibuild says the handover pack builds from inspections and certificates as work happens. PlanRadar lists handovers and facility maintenance. RDrive lists RKive as a permanent archive without ongoing licence fees. Ask for a sample closeout export your owner would accept. Tip: Bring your owner's closeout checklist (O&M, warranties, as-builts) and map each line to an export.

How do punch and NCR records connect to the owner's CMMS or digital twin after handover?

Why it matters: Our facilities/CMMS roundup covers MaintainX, UpKeep, Facilio and Willow. Field QC tools rarely replace those systems. Ask whether defects export with asset IDs the FM team already uses. Tip: Name the owner's CMMS on the call and ask for a current integration or CSV field map, not a roadmap slide.

Is project or photo data used to train models outside your account?

Why it matters: PlanRadar AI says zero training on your data. Fieldwire says it does not use customer data to train AI without explicit permission. Ask every AI vendor the same way in writing. Tip: Get retention, subprocessors and training-data policy before uploading as-built photos of a secure site.

Home / Guides / Questions to ask before a QA/QC or punch-list software pilot

Questions to ask before a QA/QC or punch-list software pilot

A checklist for a first conversation with a QA/QC, punch-list or closeout software vendor. These are our suggestions, drawn from our field, progress & safety category and our QA/QC punch and closeout roundup. They are not findings: Means & Methods Lab has not tested any tool. Where a question mentions a vendor, it points to something that vendor publishes.

SUGGESTIONS, NOT FINDINGS. No tool has been tested by Means & Methods Lab. Vendor facts are desk research from vendor websites and are not verified. Updated 2026-10-16.

The questions (7)

Q01Are you buying ITP/hold-point control, punch/snag closeout, photo evidence, or all three?
WHY IT MATTERS · Visibuild and Dalux Field emphasize inspection plans and hold/witness or checklist acceptance criteria. PlanRadar, Fieldwire, RDrive and ArchiSnapper also cover punch/defect tickets. CompanyCam and Raken are stronger as photo/daily-report systems that can support evidence without being a full QC system of record.
WHAT TO ASK · Write the one outcome the pilot must prove (e.g. % of lots signed before cover-up, or punch items closed before PC) before demos start.
Q02Who can raise, fix and sign off an item — and which of those seats are free?
WHY IT MATTERS · PlanRadar says subcontractors and watchers are free. Dalux Field Basic invites unlimited project members on the free tier. Fieldwire and Raken price per user. Ask how many trade partners you can invite without buying seats.
WHAT TO ASK · Bring your typical trade count on one active floor and ask them to price that mix, not just GC seats.
Q03Does every item pin to a drawing or BIM object, and survive drawing revisions?
WHY IT MATTERS · Dalux Field and PlanRadar pin tickets to drawings/BIM. Visibuild describes revision control that updates linked inspections when a drawing changes. Fieldwire centers on plan-based tasks. Confirm what happens when Rev B lands mid-punch.
WHAT TO ASK · In the demo, upload Rev A, raise two items, then swap to Rev B and ask where the open items go.
Q04If the vendor markets AI, what does it actually do on a punch walk?
WHY IT MATTERS · PlanRadar AI lists agents, voice-to-ticket and form generation. Fieldwire Field Intelligence lists NL search, voice tasks and talk-to-action reports. CompanyCam lists voice checklists and reports. Visibuild, Dalux Field, RDrive and ArchiSnapper pages we read do not claim generative AI.
WHAT TO ASK · Ask them to create one punch item by voice on a live sheet and show the structured fields that result.
Q05What does the handover / closeout pack contain, and who owns it after PC?
WHY IT MATTERS · Visibuild says the handover pack builds from inspections and certificates as work happens. PlanRadar lists handovers and facility maintenance. RDrive lists RKive as a permanent archive without ongoing licence fees. Ask for a sample closeout export your owner would accept.
WHAT TO ASK · Bring your owner's closeout checklist (O&M, warranties, as-builts) and map each line to an export.
Q06How do punch and NCR records connect to the owner's CMMS or digital twin after handover?
WHY IT MATTERS · Our facilities/CMMS roundup covers MaintainX, UpKeep, Facilio and Willow. Field QC tools rarely replace those systems. Ask whether defects export with asset IDs the FM team already uses.
WHAT TO ASK · Name the owner's CMMS on the call and ask for a current integration or CSV field map, not a roadmap slide.
Q07Is project or photo data used to train models outside your account?
WHY IT MATTERS · PlanRadar AI says zero training on your data. Fieldwire says it does not use customer data to train AI without explicit permission. Ask every AI vendor the same way in writing.
WHAT TO ASK · Get retention, subprocessors and training-data policy before uploading as-built photos of a secure site.

Bring to the demo

One active floor or lot with a real ITP and an open punch list export.
Rev A and Rev B of the same sheet.
Your typical subcontractor count and who needs edit vs view access.
Owner closeout checklist and CMMS/digital-twin name if known.
IT contact for SSO, retention and photo storage questions.

Sources

PlanRadar AI https://www.planradar.ai
PlanRadar pricing https://www.planradar.com/pricing/
Visibuild https://visibuild.com
Dalux Field Basic https://www.dalux.com/products/dalux-field-basic/
Fieldwire Field Intelligence https://www.fieldwire.com/ai
RDrive https://rdrive.io/en/
ArchiSnapper https://www.deltek.com/products/delivery-assurance/archisnapper/
CompanyCam pricing https://companycam.com/pricing

Tools mentioned (alphabetical, not ranked)

CompanyCam · Jobsite photo documentation
Dalux Field · BIM field QA, punch lists & inspections
Deltek ArchiSnapper · A&E field reports & punch lists
Fieldwire (Hilti) · Jobsite field management
PlanRadar · Site documentation, defects & inspections
Raken · Daily reporting & field management
RDrive (by SnagR) · Snagging, NCRs & field quality
Visibuild · Construction QA, ITPs & punch/closeout

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