What does this concrete repair and restoration rough-in checklist cover?

15 items across 5 sections, covering survey and layout, removal, reinforcement, surface condition, 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 restoration foreman with the GC's superintendent, releasing prepared cavities before any repair mortar is placed.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After removal and cleaning, immediately before placement, while the cavity, reinforcement and saturation state are all still open to inspect.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 15 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 concrete repair and restoration rough-in inspection?

Removal stopped at the first hard surface instead of carrying down to sound concrete, so the patch bonds to material that is already failing. Cavity edges feathered to a thin taper instead of saw-cut square, leaving a knife edge that spalls off within the first season. Reinforcement exposed but left with rust scale, or coated in a rush before it was cleaned, so the coating traps corrosion under it.

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

Concrete repair and restoration

Concrete repair and restoration rough-in inspection checklist

Concrete repair and restoration 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 ICRI guidance, ACI, manufacturer's published instructions. 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.

Survey and layout

Repair areas outlined on the surface from the sounding survey
Each hollow area marked in paint past the edge of the drummy zone and numbered to match the repair drawings or survey log.
Repair detail assigned to each area from the engineer's documents
Every marked area tied to the repair type the engineer's repair documents show; areas past the defined repair limits sent back to the engineer before cutting.
No photo
Saw-cut depth set clear of the reinforcement
Bar cover checked along the outline before cutting so the saw stops short of the steel, and no bar nicked or severed at the perimeter cut.

Removal

Removal carried to sound concrete
Delaminated and unsound material fully removed, the exposed base ringing solid on sounding, no soft or drummy spots left in the cavity.
Edges saw-cut square, not featheredged
Perimeter cut to a defined square edge at the required depth, no thin feathered tapers around the cavity.
Removal tools match the method in the repair documents
Breakers or other removal equipment on site are the type and size the repair specification allows, so removal does not bruise the sound concrete left behind.
Cavity depth within the repair product's thickness range
Depth measured across the cavity against the minimum and maximum placement thickness in the product data, with the tape in the shot.

Reinforcement

Exposed reinforcement cleaned and coated
Bars cleaned of rust and scale, undercut where required for clearance behind them, coated per the product instructions after cleaning.
Exposed bars checked for section loss and logged
Each bar with visible loss of section measured and logged by area; supplemental bars or splices wait for the engineer's direction.
No photo
Corrosion at the cavity edge followed along the bar
Where a bar is still corroded where it enters the cavity edge, removal extended along it to clean steel or the condition reported to the engineer.
No photo

Surface condition

Surface profile and saturation state correct at placement
Substrate roughened to the specified profile, cleaned of dust and debris, brought to the required saturated state without standing water in the cavity.
Bonding coat applied per the product where required
Where the repair mortar calls for a scrub or bonding coat, it is worked into the prepared substrate and the repair placed while it is still active, not dried out.
No photo

Release for placement

Repair material bag labels match the approved submittal
Product name, lot number and shelf-life date on the bags or pails on site read against the approved product data before mixing starts.
Air and substrate temperature read against the product data
Air and surface temperature at the repair read and logged before mixing, within the placement range the manufacturer's instructions give.
Prepared cavities reviewed where the engineer requires it
Where the repair documents call for the engineer or inspector to see cavities before placement, the review date and any comments recorded by area.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Removal stopped at the first hard surface instead of carrying down to sound concrete, so the patch bonds to material that is already failing.
Cavity edges feathered to a thin taper instead of saw-cut square, leaving a knife edge that spalls off within the first season.
Reinforcement exposed but left with rust scale, or coated in a rush before it was cleaned, so the coating traps corrosion under it.

Verified against

Common questions

6 answers

What does this concrete repair and restoration rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering survey and layout, removal, reinforcement, surface condition, 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 restoration foreman with the GC's superintendent, releasing prepared cavities before any repair mortar is placed.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After removal and cleaning, immediately before placement, while the cavity, reinforcement and saturation state are all still open to inspect.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 15 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 concrete repair and restoration rough-in inspection?: Removal stopped at the first hard surface instead of carrying down to sound concrete, so the patch bonds to material that is already failing. Cavity edges feathered to a thin taper instead of saw-cut square, leaving a knife edge that spalls off within the first season. Reinforcement exposed but left with rust scale, or coated in a rush before it was cleaned, so the coating traps corrosion under it.
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.

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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.