Standards are reference documents that set out 'benchmark' specifications and descriptions.

These benchmarks are used to check that an approved level of quality or performance is being achieved.

There are different types of standards, depending on the product or service being described.

Some companies develop their own standards to cover dimensions and other specifications of products.

They may even have their own product quality standards and call them by trademarked names.

This type of standard is called an 'enterprise standard', because it only applies to the enterprise that developed it.

Other standards are developed by recognised bodies that consult with industry people, end users and government authorities. The two organisations most prominent in Australia are:

• Standards Australia, which produces the Australian Standards (prefixed with 'AS')
  
  
• International Organization for Standardization, which produces International Standards (prefixed with 'ISO').

Another type of standards document used by people involved in building is the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

This document sets out the technical requirements for all areas of building, from design through to construction.

It is produced by the Australian Building Codes Board, and has many cross references to particular Australian Standards.

When these standards are referred to in contracts for work to be performed, they become legally binding.

This means that if your contract with a client says that you will comply with AS/NZS (Australian Standard / New Zealand Standard) 4386.1: Domestic kitchen assemblies, then you are required by law to meet the specifications contained in that standard.

Some common industry standards

Sometimes people use the term 'standard' to simply refer to common ways of doing things. These sorts of standards are not formal requirements, but just 'good practice' accepted by the industry. They only become legally binding when you state the actual measurements into your specification document.

Below are some common 'industry standards' for kitchen cabinet dimensions.

You'll see that the measurements have a plus (+) and minus (-) tolerance for each figure.

For more details on how these tolerances work, see the Just for fun exercise for this section.