Free checklist
Deep foundationsDeep foundations rough-in inspection checklist
Deep foundations 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, the project geotechnical report and specifications. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 11
- Built for
- General contractors
Who runs it
The GC's superintendent or a geotechnical field rep observing installation pier by pier, with the pile crew foreman.
When in the schedule
As each pile is driven or each shaft is drilled and reinforced, before concrete is placed or the excavation is backfilled — once it's covered the record is all that's left.
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.
Layout and location
- 2 photos
Pile head location checked against the plan before installation
Each pile or shaft center measured against the layout, offset from plan location within the specified tolerance and recorded.
- 2 photos
Tip or founding elevation reconciled with the bearing criteria
Founding elevation surveyed and compared against the depth and bearing stratum called for in the geotechnical report, not just the driving record.
Driven piles
- 2 photos
Driving record matched to the acceptance criteria
Blow count, set and final penetration logged against the specified refusal or capacity criteria for each pile, hammer energy noted.
- 1 photo
Pile condition checked before and during driving
Pile straight and undamaged before pickup, head not brooming or splitting, no visible deviation or heave of adjacent piles.
Drilled shafts and augercast
- 2 photos
Hole cleanliness and slurry condition verified before concrete
Base cleaned of cuttings, slurry properties within the specified range where used, sidewalls stable and free of caving before the pour.
- 2 photos
Reinforcement cage placement, cover and support checked
Cage centered with spacers holding the specified cover all around, dowels and hoops per the drawings, cage supported so it doesn't rack during concreting.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A driven pile called to refusal on blow count while the founding elevation is short of what the geotech report requires, and nobody reconciles the two.
- A drilled shaft concreted before the base is cleaned, leaving slurry and cuttings trapped under the tip.
- Rebar cage set against the shaft wall on one side with no spacers, so the cover disappears where it matters.
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 11 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 deep foundations rough-in checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering layout and location, driven piles, drilled shafts and augercast. 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 or a geotechnical field rep observing installation pier by pier, with the pile crew foreman.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- As each pile is driven or each shaft is drilled and reinforced, before concrete is placed or the excavation is backfilled — once it's covered the record is all that's left.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 6 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 deep foundations rough-in inspection?
- A driven pile called to refusal on blow count while the founding elevation is short of what the geotech report requires, and nobody reconciles the two. A drilled shaft concreted before the base is cleaned, leaving slurry and cuttings trapped under the tip. Rebar cage set against the shaft wall on one side with no spacers, so the cover disappears where it matters.
- 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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