Free checklist
Curtain wallCurtain wall final inspection checklist
Curtain wall 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 AAMA guidance, manufacturer's published instructions, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 8
- Photos required
- 16
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The GC's superintendent with the curtain wall foreman, walking finished elevations before the owner's punch walk.
When in the schedule
After units are set and glazed and perimeter sealant has cured, before the swing stage or lift comes down and before turnover walks begin.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Alignment and framing
- 2 photos
Mullions plumb, level and in plane across the elevation
Mullion lines checked for plumb and in-and-out plane, joint reveals consistent, no stepped units at floor lines.
- 2 photos
Pressure plates and cover caps seated and fastened
Plates continuous with fasteners set to the spacing the system calls for, caps snapped fully home, no sprung or short segments.
Gaskets, seals and drainage
- 2 photos
Gaskets continuous and compressed at the pressure plate
Gasket runs unbroken with corners cut and seated, visible compression against the glass edge, no rolled or pinched lengths.
- 1 photo
Weep paths open through the drained cavity
Weep holes and baffles clear at the horizontals, drainage path to the exterior face unobstructed, no sealant bridging the weeps.
- 2 photos
Perimeter sealant continuous and tooled to the adjacent construction
Full contact at the interface with backer rod at the correct depth, no voids or skips at heads, jambs and sills.
Water test and safing
- 3 photos
Field water test performed on an agreed sample of the wall
Test run per the specified method on the agreed sample including a corner and an intermediate floor line, interior side watched and photographed during the test.
- 2 photos
Any leaks traced, repaired and re-tested on the same area
Entry point identified rather than the interior symptom chased, repair photographed, re-test documented on the same panel.
- 2 photos
Perimeter safing and firestop complete at every floor line
Slab-edge safing and smoke seal confirmed continuous around the full perimeter, no lengths left open behind finished units.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Water test run on a convenient low bay while the upper floors and the corners that actually leak are never wetted.
- Pressure plates and cover caps torqued by feel, some left loose enough that the gasket never compresses across the joint.
- Weep paths bridged by perimeter sealant, so the drained cavity holds water the system was designed to shed.
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 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this curtain wall final checklist cover?
- 8 items across 3 sections, covering alignment and framing, gaskets, seals and drainage, water test and safing. 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 curtain wall foreman, walking finished elevations before the owner's punch walk.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After units are set and glazed and perimeter sealant has cured, before the swing stage or lift comes down and before turnover walks begin.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 16 of the 8 items call for photo evidence. 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 curtain wall final inspection?
- Water test run on a convenient low bay while the upper floors and the corners that actually leak are never wetted. Pressure plates and cover caps torqued by feel, some left loose enough that the gasket never compresses across the joint. Weep paths bridged by perimeter sealant, so the drained cavity holds water the system was designed to shed.
- 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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