A mock-up is not just something to approve and move past. It is where quality control begins.
Build the mock-up in layers so the team can see how the work comes together—not only what the finished surface looks like.
Use it to review:
- Each material and installation layer
- Transition points between systems and trades
- Dry lines, control lines, alignment, and layout
- Flashing, sealants, terminations, and penetrations
- Workmanship and tolerances
- Access for inspection and future maintenance
- Protection of completed work
- Every condition that will be repeated in the field
A Good Mock-up Also Teaches the Sequence of Work
On one project, we had several different window conditions.
At one window type, the masonry had to be installed first. That gave us a surface to caulk to and allowed us to complete the dry line.
At a curtain-wall condition, the sequence had to change. The curtain wall needed to be installed first, and the surrounding work had to be coordinated to it before the masonry could proceed.
The finished appearance may have looked similar, but the sequence required to achieve it was different.
That is what a mock-up should expose.
It shows which trade goes first, which work follows, where one system transfers to another, and what must be completed before the next trade can proceed.
This Is Where You Work Out the Bugs
If a transition does not work, correct it on the mock-up. If the drawings leave a condition unclear, resolve it on the mock-up. If different trades have different expectations, bring them together at the mock-up.
Do not approve only the pretty finished side. Review what is underneath it, how every layer connects, and the order in which it must be built.
Once accepted, the mock-up becomes the physical standard—and the sequencing guide—for the work that follows.
Cover the conditions. Establish the standard. Work out the sequence. Fix the problems before they are repeated throughout the project.
The mock-up is the place to make it happen.
FieldWise Training™ teaches practical quality-control habits that help teams recognize risks early and make better field decisions.
What has a mock-up taught your team about sequencing?Request training