What is a nonconformance report (NCR)?

An NCR is the record a fabricator or erector creates when material or work does not meet a specified requirement. It documents what was found, which requirement it departs from, what was decided (use as is, rework, repair, or reject), who approved that decision, and the evidence that the decision was carried out.

What should an NCR form include?

A unique number, the date identified, the project and traceability details such as piece mark or heat number, who identified it, a factual description of the condition and the requirement it violates, the disposition with its technical basis, the approver, verification that the disposition was completed, whether corrective action is needed, and closure details.

What is the difference between an NCR and a CAR?

An NCR handles the specific nonconforming item — what to do with this piece. A corrective action request handles the cause — why the condition happened and what changes prevent it recurring. Not every NCR needs a CAR, but repeated or systemic NCRs do, and the two records should reference each other.

Does AISC 207-25 require nonconformance records?

Yes. The standard's control-of-nonconformances requirements (§1.15) expect a documented way to identify, segregate, disposition, and record nonconforming material and work, with corrective action addressed separately (§1.16). This template is an original layout designed around those expectations; it is not standard text.

How long do you keep NCRs?

Keep them for the retention period defined in your own quality manual under the quality-records requirements, and at least as long as any contract or specification demands. Auditors will ask to see the retention rule and then ask for records that fall inside it.

Free nonconformance report (NCR) template

A blank NCR form you can print and use today, built around what an AISC auditor actually samples: a unique number, traceability back to the job and the heat, a factual description of the condition, a disposition with its basis, and proof the disposition was carried out. The preview below is the form; underneath it is field-by-field guidance so it gets filled in the same way every time.

Generate this in SteelQMS

This template is an original SteelQMS layout, not standard text — AISC standards are copyrighted. Adapt it to your own quality manual before use. SteelQMS is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by AISC.

The form

Quality record

Nonconformance Report

Company: ______________________

Form rev.: ______ Page ___ of ___

NCR number
Date identified
Project / job number
Piece mark / heat number
Identified by
Quantity affected
Description of the nonconforming condition
Disposition
Disposition approved by / date
Verification the disposition was carried out
Corrective action required?
Closed by
Date closed

Retain this record per your quality manual’s record-retention rule. Reference the related corrective action request number when one is raised.

How to fill in each field

NCR number: Sequential and unique, e.g. NCR-2026-014
Date identified: The date the condition was found, not the date written up
Project / job number: Ties the report back to the contract
Piece mark / heat number: Traceability to the affected material
Identified by: Name and role of the person reporting
Quantity affected: Pieces, feet, or assemblies involved
Description of the nonconforming condition: Factual and specific: what does not conform, and to which requirement, drawing, or WPS
Disposition: Use, rework, repair, or reject/scrap — with the technical basis for the choice
Disposition approved by / date: Signature of the person authorized to approve that disposition
Verification the disposition was carried out: Who confirmed it, how, and the evidence (re-inspection, NDT report, photo)
Corrective action required?: Yes or no. If yes, reference the CAR number so cause analysis is tracked separately
Closed by: Person closing the report
Date closed: Completes the record for audit sampling

Choosing a disposition

Four dispositions cover almost every case. What matters to an auditor is that the choice has a stated technical basis and that someone authorized approved it.

Use as is: The condition departs from a requirement but is judged acceptable without change. This needs the engineer of record's or customer's concurrence when the deviation touches design intent, and the concurrence belongs in the record.
Rework: The item is brought back into full conformance with the original requirement. Reworked items get re-inspected against the same criteria as new work.
Repair: The item is made fit for use without meeting the original requirement — weld repairs are the common case. Repairs normally need an approved procedure and follow-up inspection or NDT.
Reject / scrap: The item is removed from the work and identified so it cannot be used by mistake. Segregation is the part auditors check.

Mistakes auditors find in NCR logs

The description restates the drawing instead of the actual condition, so nobody can tell later what was wrong.
Disposition is filled in but the verification line is blank — the record never proves the fix happened.
Every NCR is dispositioned 'use as is' with no technical basis or customer concurrence attached.
Recurring conditions are written up as separate one-off NCRs and no corrective action is ever raised.
Rejected material stays on the same rack as accepted material with only a paint mark to distinguish it.
NCR numbers restart or duplicate, so the log cannot be reconciled during the audit.

Questions fabricators ask about NCRs

What is a nonconformance report (NCR)?: An NCR is the record a fabricator or erector creates when material or work does not meet a specified requirement. It documents what was found, which requirement it departs from, what was decided (use as is, rework, repair, or reject), who approved that decision, and the evidence that the decision was carried out.
What should an NCR form include?: A unique number, the date identified, the project and traceability details such as piece mark or heat number, who identified it, a factual description of the condition and the requirement it violates, the disposition with its technical basis, the approver, verification that the disposition was completed, whether corrective action is needed, and closure details.
What is the difference between an NCR and a CAR?: An NCR handles the specific nonconforming item — what to do with this piece. A corrective action request handles the cause — why the condition happened and what changes prevent it recurring. Not every NCR needs a CAR, but repeated or systemic NCRs do, and the two records should reference each other.
Does AISC 207-25 require nonconformance records?: Yes. The standard's control-of-nonconformances requirements (§1.15) expect a documented way to identify, segregate, disposition, and record nonconforming material and work, with corrective action addressed separately (§1.16). This template is an original layout designed around those expectations; it is not standard text.
How long do you keep NCRs?: Keep them for the retention period defined in your own quality manual under the quality-records requirements, and at least as long as any contract or specification demands. Auditors will ask to see the retention rule and then ask for records that fall inside it.

Or stop filling in paper forms

SteelQMS creates the same record digitally: NCR numbers are assigned automatically, the project and heat number link to your material records, dispositions capture the approver and signature, and open items that need verification or a corrective action show up on the audit-readiness dashboard instead of sitting in a binder.

Generate this in SteelQMS Read the 207-25 guide