Glossary

Deficiency

A deficiency is work that falls short of what the contract documents, the drawings or the applicable code require. A deficiency list, or deficiency report, is the list of them issued after an inspection.

CONSTRUCTION DEFECT GLOSSARY·UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

Where the word is used

North American, especially Canadian, and common in inspection and code-compliance reports in the United States. In Australia, the UK and most contracts the same item is a defect.

On site

Deficiencies come out of inspections: the consultant walks the floor, issues a deficiency report, and the contractor has to clear it before the next milestone or final payment. The report is only useful if each deficiency can be found again and its correction proven.

On the record

How IssuesId holds it

In IssuesId a deficiency is a defect record with a photo, a room and a trade. Where it came from an inspection, the failed checklist question raises it and links to it, and the question flips back to Yes when the item closes. The trade proves the correction with a photo before they can mark it complete.

Asked alongside

Two questions people ask

What is a deficiency in construction?

Work that falls short of the contract documents, the drawings or the code. The word is North American; in Australia and the UK the same thing is a defect. A deficiency list is the inspector’s list of them.

What is the difference between a deficiency and a non-conformance?

Scope and formality. A deficiency is any shortfall against the contract documents, noted on a walk or an inspection. A non-conformance is a departure from a specific stated requirement, written up on a non-conformance report with a disposition and a corrective action. Every non-conformance is a deficiency; not every deficiency gets an NCR.

Related terms

Definitions describe common usage and the usual shape of standard-form contracts. Your contract and your jurisdiction’s building law set the terms that apply to your job. The whole list is at the glossary.