January 2026 Vol. 81 No. 1
Tech Tips
Raising QA/QC standards for in-building CIPP projects
By NASSCO Pipe Rehabilitation Committee Chair Sean Borris, Gemini Pipeline Rehabilitation Consultants
(UI) — You can spend weeks lining pipe in a building and still end up in a mess if the QA/QC isn’t solid. All it takes is one improperly cured section, or a missing photo, and now you're facing questions you can’t answer. That can lead to payment delays, warranty fights, or even legal problems.
That’s the reality a lot of us face in this industry. And it’s why better QA/QC is no longer optional if we want to be taken seriously. We’ve got to move away from scribbled notes and loose photos, and start documenting these jobs in a way that protects the contractor and reassures the client. Some contractors are starting to do this with QA/QC tracking software and visual documentation that actually ties each report back to the physical layout of the building. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s way ahead of where the industry has been.
This kind of setup helps in a lot of ways. It keeps the crew accountable, it keeps the client informed, and if something ever goes wrong, there’s a clear paper trail. It’s also one of the best sales tools a contractor can have. Showing a building owner a detailed report with everything labeled, dated, and backed up with inspection videos proves you’re a professional and not just another guy with a liner kit. That’s how you stand out.
We’re not saying this is the final answer. There’s still room to make these systems better. But it’s a solid step forward, and if more people in the industry take it seriously, we’ll all benefit from the results.
Digital QA/QC reporting
One contractor on a recent project used a QA/QC tracking app in the field to collect everything from liner lengths to resin batch numbers. They used tablets onsite to fill in digital forms, take photos, and push updates to a central dashboard where managers and the client could see what was happening.
Reports included:
- Stack number and where the pipe was located in the building
- What kind of pipe it was (waste, vent, VTR)
- Date and time of install
- Pipe size and liner size
- Resin used and batch number
- How it was installed (pull-in-place or inversion)
- How it was cured and for how long it cured
- Photos before, during, and after installation
Everything was saved and easy to reference later. No more digging through emails or trying to remember what happened on Stack 6 two months ago.
Video links and final inspection
One of the better parts of the process was tying inspection videos directly to each report. So, when you looked at the entry for a certain section of pipe, there was a link to the video that showed how it looked after lining. That kind of transparency goes a long way when you’re dealing with owners or inspectors.
Visual documentation (like BIM)
The contractor also used a digital building model to map where each pipe was and where liners had been installed, what got done and where. And it made it really easy for the owner to pull up a floor or a stack and get a sense of how much work had been done, and then click into the related QA/QC info. That’s a big deal when you’re trying to close out a job or explain the scope to someone new down the road.
What it means for contractors
Having this kind of system in place separates the pros from the ones who are just winging it. When you walk into a sales meeting with examples of this kind of documentation, it gives you a real edge. Building owners want to know they’re not going to be left guessing if something goes wrong. QA/QC like this helps them sleep better and it helps the lining contractor get the next job.
Why this matters
Good QA/QC protects everybody. The crew has a record that they followed procedure. The client can see that the job was done right. And if there’s ever a warranty issue, you’ve got real documentation to back you up. It keeps people honest, it clears up confusion, and it avoids a lot of finger pointing. More importantly, it helps raise the bar in a part of the industry that’s had too many shortcuts for too long.
Conclusion
There’s still more we can do. The software isn’t perfect, and not every job will have the same level of detail. But it’s a start, and it’s a strong one. If you’re in the CIPP business and working inside buildings, this kind of QA/QC isn’t just a bonus—it’s becoming the expectation. The sooner we all start documenting like professionals, the sooner the industry earns the kind of respect and trust it deserves.
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