Free checklist
Cold-formed metal framingCold-formed metal framing final inspection checklist
Cold-formed metal framing 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 AISI cold-formed steel standards, the applicable building code. 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.
Alignment
Walls plumb, straight and in plane
Plumb checked at ends and mid-height, wall face straight along its length with no bow, adjacent walls in the same plane at intersections.
Ceilings and soffits level and to layout
Framed ceilings and soffits level to the line, hangers and framing tight, dimensions matching the reflected ceiling plan.
Wall heights reach the line each wall type calls for
Walls scheduled to deck run to the deck, and walls that stop above the ceiling reach the height on the wall type, checked room by room rather than on one wall.
Critical room dimensions measured stud face to stud face
Corridor widths, toilet room clearances and casework or appliance runs measured to the framing, allowing for board layers, against the dimensioned plans.
Walls stiff when pushed at mid-height and at free ends
Tall walls, wall ends and walls that stop short of structure pushed by hand for movement or rattle; loose heads, missing bracing or unfastened ends reported.
No photo
Openings and connections
Openings framed to the correct rough size and reinforced
Rough opening dimensions confirmed against door and window schedules, jambs and headers complete, reinforcing at openings in place.
All connections complete and tight
Stud-to-track, bridging and structural connections fully fastened with nothing left loose at corners, intersections or crew hand-off lines.
Bottom track bearing on the floor along its full length
Track sighted along each wall for spans bridging a dip in the slab or lifting at a hump; gaps shimmed or grouted as the submittal allows so studs don't hang off the anchors.
Recessed cabinet and panel openings framed at their locations
Openings for extinguisher cabinets, electrical panels and access panels framed with head and sill track at the sizes and heights the drawings show, not cut in later.
No photo
Records and handoff
Field changes to the approved submittal documented
Any stud substitution, spacing change or moved opening written up and sent to the architect and delegated engineer for review, and marked on the as-built set.
No photoDelegated engineer's field observation report on file
Where the CFMF design is delegated, the design engineer's site observation letter or report for the area is in the project file, with open items listed.
No photoWalls on hold marked so the board crew skips them
Walls still waiting on an inspection or a framing correction tagged at the wall and listed for the board foreman, so no face is closed early.
No photoOpen framing items assigned to the framing foreman
Each open item from this walk given to the framing foreman with its wall or room on the plan and a date to close it, before the punch walk.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A wall plumb at the ends but bowed in the middle, so the finished face waves once board is hung.
- Corner and intersection connections left loose where two crews met and each assumed the other tied them.
- A framed opening left the wrong rough size, forcing the door or window trade to shim or refit later.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this cold-formed metal framing final checklist cover?
- 13 items across 3 sections, covering alignment, openings and connections, records and handoff. 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 framing foreman, walking finished walls before the next trade takes over.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After framing is complete on an area and before board, cladding or ceiling grid starts, so alignment problems don't get built into the finishes.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 10 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 cold-formed metal framing final inspection?
- A wall plumb at the ends but bowed in the middle, so the finished face waves once board is hung. Corner and intersection connections left loose where two crews met and each assumed the other tied them. A framed opening left the wrong rough size, forcing the door or window trade to shim or refit later.
- 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 10 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.