What does this asphalt paving rough-in checklist cover?

14 items across 4 sections, covering base condition, grade and slope, drainage structures, paving readiness. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The GC's superintendent with the paving contractor and, where required, the testing agency, walking the prepared subgrade and base before the paver arrives.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the base is placed and graded, before any asphalt goes down. Once the mat is on, a soft spot or a flat area in the base can only be fixed by tearing it back out.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails an asphalt paving rough-in inspection?

Base graded to line but never proof-rolled, so a soft area under the surface pumps and the mat cracks over it within a year. Cross-slope set to the plan on paper but built flat in a stretch, leaving water to sheet the wrong way once the surface is smooth. Compaction taken at the easy centerline and never at the edges and confined corners where the roller couldn't reach.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Asphalt paving

Asphalt paving rough-in inspection checklist

Asphalt paving rough-in is the last time the work is fully visible. Once the cover inspection passes and the walls, ceilings and slabs close, every defect left behind becomes a demolition bill. This checklist walks the rough-in in the order the work goes in, with the photo each item needs before it gets buried. Work is commonly verified against the project geotechnical report and specifications. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Base condition

Aggregate base compaction observed and documented
Compaction results reviewed against the specified density across the area, including edges and tight corners, not just open runs.
Proof-roll run and soft spots corrected
Loaded truck or roller run over the base, deflecting or pumping areas marked, undercut and replaced rather than paved over.
Subgrade observation report on file for each area
The geotechnical engineer's or testing agency's subgrade observation for every area on file before base went over it, with any undercut areas it called out closed.
No photo
Base aggregate tickets match the approved submittal
Delivery tickets show the material type, gradation and source on the approved aggregate submittal, not a substitute from another pit.
Base thickness checked against the pavement section
Depth probed or measured from grade stakes at intervals and at the edges, matching the section on the drawings rather than thinning out at the far end.
Base surface tight with no segregated or loose pockets
No nests of coarse stone or washed-out fines, surface bound and tight, not raveled or loosened by construction traffic since compaction.
Base not saturated, frozen or rutted before paving
No standing water, frost or pumping mud on the base, and no ruts left by haul trucks crossing it after the proof-roll.

Grade and slope

Grade and cross-slope checked against the plan
Finished base grade shot against the drainage plan, cross-slope confirmed to fall toward the inlets and away from buildings, no flat or reverse-pitch stretches.
Accessible stalls and routes shot for slope on the base
Where the plan shows accessible stalls, aisles or routes, their slopes shot on the base against the drawings, since the mat will follow what the base holds.
No photo
Base carried past the edge of pavement
Aggregate base extends beyond the mat edge as the pavement section shows, so the edge of asphalt is supported and not feathered onto soil.

Drainage structures

Inlets and edges set to receive the mat
Inlet and structure rims at the planned finished elevation relative to the base, base tight to curbs and structures so the mat can be laid without a low collar.
Utility castings in the paved area located and set
Manhole lids, valve boxes and cleanouts inside the paving limits found and either set to finished grade or marked for raising after paving per the plan.
No photo

Paving readiness

Air and surface temperature within the placement limits
Thermometer reading of air and base surface taken the morning of paving and compared with the specification's placement limits and the forecast.
Mix design for each course approved and on file
Approved mix design submittals on file for the base and surface courses, matching the mix types the specification calls for.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Base graded to line but never proof-rolled, so a soft area under the surface pumps and the mat cracks over it within a year.
Cross-slope set to the plan on paper but built flat in a stretch, leaving water to sheet the wrong way once the surface is smooth.
Compaction taken at the easy centerline and never at the edges and confined corners where the roller couldn't reach.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this asphalt paving rough-in checklist cover?: 14 items across 4 sections, covering base condition, grade and slope, drainage structures, paving readiness. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The GC's superintendent with the paving contractor and, where required, the testing agency, walking the prepared subgrade and base before the paver arrives.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the base is placed and graded, before any asphalt goes down. Once the mat is on, a soft spot or a flat area in the base can only be fixed by tearing it back out.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails an asphalt paving rough-in inspection?: Base graded to line but never proof-rolled, so a soft area under the surface pumps and the mat cracks over it within a year. Cross-slope set to the plan on paper but built flat in a stretch, leaving water to sheet the wrong way once the surface is smooth. Compaction taken at the easy centerline and never at the edges and confined corners where the roller couldn't reach.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

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Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.