What does this concrete rough-in checklist cover?

14 items across 4 sections, covering formwork, reinforcement, embeds, sleeves and blockouts, placement readiness. 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 concrete superintendent walking the deck with the placing crew foreman before the pump truck arrives.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

The morning of placement, after the rebar and embed installers have signed off and before the first truck is released to pour.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

12 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 20 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 rough-in inspection?

Chairs and bolsters crushed flat under foot traffic, dropping the top mat before the pour starts. Sleeves and blockouts shown in a wide shot with no tape measure proving location or size. Formwork bracing loosened by other trades staging material against it overnight.

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

Concrete rough-in inspection checklist

Concrete 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 ACI guidance. 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.

Formwork

Forms plumb, braced and tight at the joints
No visible gaps at panel joints or the base, bracing spaced to resist the expected pour rate.
Form release applied evenly
Coated surface even, no pooling on the deck or runs onto rebar.
Edge forms and screeds set to the correct elevation
Grade stakes or laser check at multiple points, screed rails secure and true.
Shoring and reshores in place under elevated deck forms
On elevated decks, posts plumb and bearing on sills or the slab below, layout matching the shoring drawings, no shores pulled by other trades.
No photo
Bulkheads set at the construction joint locations shown
Bulkhead where the joint layout places it, keyway or dowel holes in place, bars passing through without being bent to fit.

Reinforcement

Cover maintained on all faces with chairs and bolsters
Chairs at the spacing called for, not crushed or displaced, correct cover measured with a cover meter or tape at several spots.
Bar size, spacing and laps match the placing drawings
Tape measure on bar spacing and lap lengths at a sample of locations, size stamped on the bar tag matches the schedule.
Ties intact and mat rigid enough to walk without shifting
No loose or missing ties at intersections, mat does not rock or spring when pressed.

Embeds, sleeves and blockouts

Anchor bolts, embed plates and dowels set at the correct location and elevation
Measured location against the layout drawing, elevation checked with a level or laser, item braced so it cannot shift during placement.
Sleeves and blockouts sized and located for the trades that need them
Tape measure showing size and offset from a fixed reference point, item capped or braced against float during the pour.
Waterstops and joint materials continuous where called for
No gaps or unspliced ends at waterstop joints, keyway forms centered and secure.
Cover zone clear, with in-slab runs tied to the mat
Nothing sitting in the bottom cover under the steel; any conduit or pipe in the pour tied to the mat so it cannot float, separation between runs kept.

Placement readiness

Runways laid so the placing crew stays off the mat
Walk boards or hose supports set over the reinforcement so the pump hose and boots do not crush chairs or push bars down.
Trades with work in the pour have signed off
Electrical, plumbing and any other trade with embeds in this pour have walked it and recorded their release before placement starts.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Chairs and bolsters crushed flat under foot traffic, dropping the top mat before the pour starts.
Sleeves and blockouts shown in a wide shot with no tape measure proving location or size.
Formwork bracing loosened by other trades staging material against it overnight.

Verified against

ACI concrete practice

Common questions

6 answers

What does this concrete rough-in checklist cover?: 14 items across 4 sections, covering formwork, reinforcement, embeds, sleeves and blockouts, placement readiness. 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 concrete superintendent walking the deck with the placing crew foreman before the pump truck arrives.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: The morning of placement, after the rebar and embed installers have signed off and before the first truck is released to pour.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 12 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 20 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 rough-in inspection?: Chairs and bolsters crushed flat under foot traffic, dropping the top mat before the pour starts. Sleeves and blockouts shown in a wide shot with no tape measure proving location or size. Formwork bracing loosened by other trades staging material against it overnight.
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

Concrete Pre-pourConcrete pre-pour inspection checklistThe hold-point walk before the pour buries reinforcement, embeds and vapor barrier14 items20 photos Concrete FinalConcrete final inspection checklistStripped concrete walked for surface defects, curing and joint work before turnover13 items18 photos

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 20 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.