# Design quality review

> Run a design quality review that finds conflicts within plans, within specs, and between the two, with an outline, conclusions, and tracked issues.

Source: https://docs.specset.com/docs/design-review · Section: Agents · Last updated: 2026-10-08

A design quality review looks for conflicts within the plans, conflicts within the specs, and clashes between the two.

1. Type `/` in any chat and choose **Design Review**. The agent first proposes an **outline**: a high-level review strategy; architectural, structural, civil, and mechanical review; cross-discipline coordination; and constructability and bidability.
2. Scope or change the outline — focus on a particular area (say, concrete only), drop disciplines you don't need, use the **@** symbol to point the agent at specific sections, or attach extra files. You can also tell it to check against publicly available standards like **IBC**, or to flag zoning and code conflicts. Then hit **Approve**.
3. The agent returns an overall conclusion plus issues. Each issue is independently verified against the documents before it lands in the project's [Issues tab](https://docs.specset.com/docs/issues), so the list you triage is already filtered for substance.
4. Keep engaging with the agent: ask it to write up an RFI for the issues it found, ask about HVAC means, rebar sizes, quantity counts, or measurements — and put results into tables.

![Design review plan showing the proposed scope and checks before the review](https://docs.specset.com/images/docs/design-review/docs-dqr-outline.png)

> A review runs in the background. Duration varies with the project size and review scope. You can close the window while it works, and run **multiple projects in parallel** instead of waiting for one to finish.

- **Verified before you see it** — A second, independent AI checks every finding by trying to disprove it against the plans and specs. Confirmed issues arrive with the evidence attached; findings that do not hold up are archived automatically with the reason, and minor self-resolving items go to a [Cleanup list](https://docs.specset.com/docs/issues) instead of your queue.
- **Custom workflows** — Turn your QA/QC checklists and design standards into standardized, one-click review agents — for example, separate commercial and residential reviews.
- **Rework cost exposure** — Issues can include a cost estimate: a **Rework** figure when the documents guarantee field rework, a **Risk** figure for latent failure modes, or a **Resolution** figure — what it costs to resolve the issue in the documents before construction. Issues roll up to a dashboard of rework cost exposure, with Risk and Resolution tracked alongside the headline. Lists can be sorted, filtered, and assigned out by discipline or assignee.
- **Side-by-side review** — Issue description and a suggested resolution on the right; the AI auto-flags the markup on the sheet at left, with multiple reference sheets. Choose **Confirm**, **Trivial**, or **Not an issue** for each finding. Your review records the team’s decision alongside the finding.
- **Built for multiplayer** — Run a review and every member on the job can engage and collaborate on the issues together, all at once.
- **Deep design quality review** — A regular review works from the agent's own judgment; a deep review forces it through every spec section against the plans — plus each document's internal consistency and the clash between them — surfacing far more issues. Allow more time for broad reviews of large projects.

![Rework cost exposure dashboard rolling up review issues](https://docs.specset.com/images/docs/design-review/docs-rework-cost-exposure.png)