Free checklist
Cold-formed metal framingCold-formed metal framing pre-cover inspection checklist
A cold-formed metal framing pre-cover inspection is the hold point before concealed work disappears behind the next layer. This checklist is built for that walk: verify, photograph, then release the cover, not the other way around. 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.
Fasteners and connections
Screw type, size and pattern per the connection
Correct screw at stud-to-track and stiffener connections, count and pattern matching the detail, heads seated flush and not stripped or over-driven.
Any welded connections sound and touched up
Field welds continuous and not burned through the light-gauge steel, slag cleaned and bare metal primed against corrosion.
No photoScrew points pass fully through the last layer of steel
At stud-to-track and clip connections, screw tips visible past the far ply with threads engaged, not a short screw spinning in the first flange.
Engineered clips and connections match the submittal details
Where the approved submittal includes delegated-design connections, clip type, screw count and location checked against each detail before the face closes.
No photo
Backing and blocking
Blocking and backing set for every finish attachment
Steel or plywood backing located and fastened for grab bars, casework, handrails, wall-hung fixtures and TVs per the finish drawings, before the face closes.
Openings framed and reinforced
Jamb studs, headers and sill framing at doors and windows built and fastened per the opening detail, not a single stud where a boxed or doubled jamb is called for.
After other trades' rough-in
Bridging still continuous after pipe and conduit runs
Bridging channel and clips not cut out or unclipped where plumbing, sprinkler or electrical runs pass through the studs; any broken row reported to the framing foreman.
Deflection heads still free after MEP supports went in
No box, strap or hanger screwed through the deflection track into a stud, and nothing added that locks the stud to the head track the submittal leaves free.
Ready to close
Studs square to the wall line with no rotation in the track
Stud flanges parallel to the wall face along each run, none turned in the track where the board would bridge a twisted flange.
Studs and track free of red rust and trapped water
No rusted cut ends, pooled water in bottom track or wet debris left in the cavity; water cleared and rusted pieces reported before insulation or board goes in.
Control joint framing set where the drawings locate joints
Where the drawings show board or sheathing control joints, doubled studs or the detailed framing at each joint location so the joint can move.
No photoRated-wall framing matches the listed assembly on the drawings
On fire-rated walls, stud type, spacing and head track match the assembly the drawings list for that wall type, with the head joint left ready for the firestopping trade.
No photoSpecial inspection of framing connections recorded if required
Where the statement of special inspections covers CFMF connections, the inspector's observation is logged for the wall line before any face closes.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Screws driven with the wrong head or length so they strip or stand proud, discovered only when the board won't sit flat.
- Blocking for grab bars, cabinets, TVs or handrails left out because the finish layout wasn't in the framer's hands.
- Field welds on structural connections left unpainted and rusting, or burned thin on light-gauge material.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this cold-formed metal framing pre-cover checklist cover?
- 13 items across 4 sections, covering fasteners and connections, backing and blocking, after other trades' rough-in, ready to close. 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 framing foreman with the GC's superintendent, walking connections just before the wall face is closed.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After framing and blocking are complete and before sheathing, cladding or board covers the studs, since a missed screw line or missing backing is invisible once the face is on.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 8 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 pre-cover inspection?
- Screws driven with the wrong head or length so they strip or stand proud, discovered only when the board won't sit flat. Blocking for grab bars, cabinets, TVs or handrails left out because the finish layout wasn't in the framer's hands. Field welds on structural connections left unpainted and rusting, or burned thin on light-gauge material.
- 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.