Free checklist
Cold-formed metal framingCold-formed metal framing rough-in inspection checklist
Cold-formed metal framing 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 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.
Submittal and material
Crew working from the current approved CFMF submittal
Shop drawings and product data at the wall are the latest approved CFMF submittal, superseded sheets pulled, wall types and stud schedules matching that issue.
No photoDelegated-design connections located from the submittal
Where the approved submittal includes engineered clips, head or sill connections, each type and its locations are marked on the crew's set before install starts.
No photoStud markings show the coating and maker in the submittal
Printed marking on the stud web read for the manufacturer and coating designation, compared with the approved product data, on interior and exterior walls alike.
Layout and track
Wall lines match the plan and openings are located
Top and bottom track snapped to the layout, wall lengths and rough openings checked against the framing plan before studs go in.
Track anchored with the specified fastener and spacing
Anchor type, size and spacing along the track compared to the design, fasteners hitting solid substrate and not sitting in a slab joint or edge crack.
Track ends butted at splices with a fastener each side
Where track runs join, ends butted tight or spliced as the submittal details, with an anchor close to each side of the joint so neither end is left cantilevered.
Corners and intersections framed to give board a fastening edge
Corner and tee assemblies built as the submittal details, with a stud or track flange on each face where the board will land, not a gap between two walls.
Studs and spacing
Stud gauge and depth match the design
Bundle labels or the mil marking on the stud checked against the framing schedule for that wall, not assumed from the run next door.
Stud spacing and seating in track verified
On-center spacing measured on a run, studs seated fully into track and plumb, no gap at the track leg.
Stud punchouts lined up along each wall
Studs set with punchouts at the same height and facing the same way, so bridging channel and services pass straight through without field-cut holes.
No spliced or pieced studs outside the submittal details
Full-length studs from track to track, with no short pieces lapped or screwed together to make height unless the approved submittal shows that splice.
No photo
Bridging and heads
Bridging rows and clips installed at the required spacing
Every bridging row present through the wall height with clips or straps fastened both sides, none skipped mid-run.
Deflection track and slip connection at wall heads
Deflection or slotted track at the head where the wall meets structure above, screws set to allow the designed movement and not pinning the stud solid.
Every wall head tied to structure or braced per the submittal
Top track fastened to the deck or steel above at the spacing detailed, or walls that stop short braced with kickers to structure as the submittal shows, none free-standing.
Bridging runs anchored at their ends and lapped at splices
Each bridging channel run ends at a clip, blocking or end stud fastened as detailed, and joins in the run lapped and fastened rather than butted loose.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Studs one gauge lighter than the design substituted from stock on hand and framed in without anyone reading the bundle tags.
- Bridging or bridging clips skipped in the middle of a tall wall because the run got ahead of the tool.
- Track shot to the slab with the wrong fastener spacing, or anchors landing in the joint instead of the concrete.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this cold-formed metal framing rough-in checklist cover?
- 15 items across 4 sections, covering submittal and material, layout and track, studs and spacing, bridging and heads. 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 walking each wall line ahead of the board crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing walls before rock or sheathing.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After walls are stood and before any face is closed in, while a wrong-gauge stud or missed bridging row can still be pulled and fixed.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 17 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 rough-in inspection?
- Studs one gauge lighter than the design substituted from stock on hand and framed in without anyone reading the bundle tags. Bridging or bridging clips skipped in the middle of a tall wall because the run got ahead of the tool. Track shot to the slab with the wrong fastener spacing, or anchors landing in the joint instead of the concrete.
- 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 17 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.