What does this below-grade waterproofing final checklist cover?

15 items across 5 sections, covering before the walk, membrane continuity, terminations and flashings, protection before backfill, and more. 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 waterproofing foreman, releasing the wall for backfill.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the membrane is complete and any adhesion or flood test is done, immediately before protection board and backfill go on.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

9 of the 15 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 a below-grade waterproofing final inspection?

Backfill dumped against the membrane before protection board is on, gouging the coating with rock and debris. Sheet laps run short or shingled the wrong way, so water tracks into the overlap instead of over it. Termination at the top of wall left unsealed or unbattened, so water gets behind the membrane from above.

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

Below-grade waterproofing

Below-grade waterproofing final inspection checklist

Below-grade waterproofing final inspection is where the punch list is either short or expensive. This checklist walks the finished work the way an owner or AHJ will see it: devices on, systems running, everything labeled. Each item gets the photo that closes it instead of reopening it. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions, the applicable building code. 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.

Before the walk

Protected access to the wall confirmed before the final walk
Walk party reaches the waterproofing side of the wall only by the sloped, benched or shored route the competent person cleared that day, never from an unprotected cut.
No photo
Adhesion checks recorded across the wall
Peel or pull checks the manufacturer or specs call for done at spread-out locations, each logged with its gridline, and short areas re-rolled or re-coated.
No photo

Membrane continuity

Membrane continuous with correct laps and overlaps
Full coverage with no pinholes, fish-mouths or unbonded areas, laps shingled to shed water and rolled or sealed to the specified overlap.
Fluid membrane at the specified thickness
Wet or dry film thickness checked across the wall on fluid systems, no thin or holidayed areas, cured before covering.
No photo
Membrane carried over the cant and onto the footing
Field membrane runs down over the cant and onto the footing top or face as far as the detail shows, bonded tight into the corner with no bridging or open edge.
Bentonite or crystalline coverage matched to the system
Bentonite panels lapped, staggered and fastened with none hydrated; crystalline coats at the listed coverage rate with the curing the manufacturer requires.
No photo

Terminations and flashings

Top-of-wall termination sealed and secured
Termination bar, reglet or seal at the top edge fastened and sealed so water can't get behind the membrane from above.
Flashings tied into the membrane
Flashings at grade, steps and transitions lapped and sealed into the field membrane, no open edges left exposed.
Termination height held to the finished grade line
Top edge of the membrane at or above the height the drawings set relative to finished grade, checked against grade stakes or the civil plan, not the rough cut.

Protection before backfill

Protection board or drainage mat installed
Protection board or drainage mat covering the membrane over its full height before any backfill, seams butted and secured so it stays put during backfill.
No punctures or damage before covering
Wall walked for punctures, tears and pulled laps, any damage repaired and photographed before backfill goes against it.
No fasteners driven through the membrane field
Protection board and drainage mat held with the adhesive or top-edge fastening the manufacturer allows, no nails or pins shot through the membrane below the termination.

Backfill handoff

Each wall photographed in full before backfill
Overlapping shots along every wall with gridlines or station marks in frame, showing membrane and protection in place, so a later leak can be traced to a spot.
Backfill material and lifts confirmed with the sitework crew
Backfill free of rock and debris that could puncture the protection, placed in lifts with light compaction near the wall as the specs call for, agreed before the first load.
No photo
Dewatering kept running until backfill and drains are in
Where the excavation is pumped, shutoff timing confirmed with the GC so groundwater doesn't rise against uncovered membrane or hydrate bentonite before it's confined.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Backfill dumped against the membrane before protection board is on, gouging the coating with rock and debris.
Sheet laps run short or shingled the wrong way, so water tracks into the overlap instead of over it.
Termination at the top of wall left unsealed or unbattened, so water gets behind the membrane from above.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this below-grade waterproofing final checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering before the walk, membrane continuity, terminations and flashings, protection before backfill, and more. 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 waterproofing foreman, releasing the wall for backfill.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the membrane is complete and any adhesion or flood test is done, immediately before protection board and backfill go on.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 9 of the 15 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 a below-grade waterproofing final inspection?: Backfill dumped against the membrane before protection board is on, gouging the coating with rock and debris. Sheet laps run short or shingled the wrong way, so water tracks into the overlap instead of over it. Termination at the top of wall left unsealed or unbattened, so water gets behind the membrane from above.
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.

Related checklists

Below-grade waterproofing Rough-inBelow-grade waterproofing rough-in inspection checklistSubstrate cure, cant at the footing, tie holes, cold joints and penetration details verified before the membrane covers them14 items11 photos Below-grade waterproofing PunchBelow-grade waterproofing punch checklistBackfill damage traced, seams repaired and drainage tie-in confirmed9 items4 photos

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.