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Casework and millworkCasework and millwork rough-in inspection checklist
Casework and millwork 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 AWI / architectural woodwork standards, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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.
Blocking coverage
Blocking present for uppers, wall cabinets and counters
Continuous solid backing behind every wall-hung cabinet, upper run and supported counter, sized and spanning the studs the anchors will catch.
Backing for grab-type and wall-mounted anchors
Solid backing where grab bars, wall-hung units and heavy accessories anchor, not just at cabinet lines, so later fasteners hit wood or plate rather than board.
Blocking material and size match the shop drawing detail
Lumber size, plywood or metal backing plate as the detail shows, fire-retardant-treated where the drawings call for it, no scrap offcuts standing in for the specified member.
Blocking fastened at every stud or track it crosses
Screws or nails at each stud or track intersection per the framing detail; no blocking friction-fit or held by a single fastener that will spin under load.
Backing carried past the ends of each cabinet run
Blocking extends beyond the last box so end panels, fillers and scribe strips have solid backing to fasten to, not just the cabinet backs.
Location and height
Blocking heights and locations match the shop drawings
Heights and horizontal locations measured against the approved shop drawings for each elevation, not assumed from a standard detail.
Heights measured from finished floor, not bare slab
Blocking elevations taken from the finished floor line, allowing for the floor finish thickness shown on the drawings, so counters don't land low once flooring goes in.
No photoBlocking centerlines marked for the installers to find
Blocking locations marked on the floor or top track, or photographed with a tape in frame, so the casework crew can find solid backing through the finished wall.
Wall lengths field-measured against the cabinet runs
Wall-to-wall and wall-to-opening lengths compared with each run plus the scribe and filler allowance on the shop drawings; shortfalls sent to the shop before fabrication.
Coordination
Blocking clears rough MEP in the same wall
Backing does not conflict with boxes, valves or vents roughed into the same wall, so cabinets sit flat and cutouts land clear.
Stub-outs and outlets land where the casework layout needs them
Sink supply and drain stub-outs fall inside the sink base, and counter-height boxes clear cabinet sides and backsplash lines per the shop drawings.
Framing at cabinet walls plumb and straight
Each run's wall checked with a level and straightedge; bowed or twisted studs flagged to the framer before board rather than scribed around at install.
Release to drywall
Missing or misplaced blocking corrected and re-walked
Each blocking deficiency re-checked in place after the framer fixes it, and the wall released to the drywall crew only after the re-walk.
No photoWalk done against the current approved shop drawing revision
Revision on the shop drawings in hand matches the latest approved set, including any layout changes from the architect's review comments.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Blocking installed at a standard height while the shop drawings put the uppers higher, so the cabinet cleat lands on bare gypsum.
- Backing provided for the cabinets but not for the grab-type anchors or wall-hung counters, discovered when there is nothing solid to fasten to.
- Blocking locations never checked against the approved shop drawings, only against the framer's memory of the last job.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this casework and millwork rough-in checklist cover?
- 14 items across 4 sections, covering blocking coverage, location and height, coordination, release to drywall. 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 casework foreman or the GC's superintendent walking each room with the shop drawings before the drywall crew hangs board.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After framing and rough MEP, before drywall closes the walls. Once board is up, missing blocking means opening the wall back up.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 14 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 casework and millwork rough-in inspection?
- Blocking installed at a standard height while the shop drawings put the uppers higher, so the cabinet cleat lands on bare gypsum. Backing provided for the cabinets but not for the grab-type anchors or wall-hung counters, discovered when there is nothing solid to fasten to. Blocking locations never checked against the approved shop drawings, only against the framer's memory of the last job.
- 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
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 14 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.