Who should run this inspection?

The stone setting foreman anchoring the first courses, with the GC's superintendent walking the backup and flashing before the face conceals it.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

As anchors and relief supports are fastened to the backup and the first courses are hung, before the field of stone closes the cavity and buries the anchorage.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 dimension stone cladding rough-in inspection?

Anchors fastened into the sheathing or a soft grout pocket instead of the structural backup, so the connection carries the panel only until the first wind and freeze cycle works it loose. Kerf slots cut too deep or too shallow so the anchor tab does not seat in the slot, and the gap is packed with setting mortar that spalls out behind the closed face. Through-wall flashing at shelf angles and heads left short of the cavity or lapped backward, so water that reaches the back of the stone has no path to the weeps and sits on the relief angle.

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

Dimension stone cladding

Dimension stone cladding rough-in inspection checklist

Dimension stone cladding 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 the applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

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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.

Stone and anchor submittals on site

Delegated-design anchor drawings current at the wall
The revision on site is the one the engineer reviewed, with anchor type, spacing and embedment shown for each panel type and backup condition; superseded sheets pulled from the deck.
No photo
Crate tags and panel thickness match the approved sample
Crate tags show the stone, finish and piece marks on the shop drawings; thickness gauged at a panel edge from each crate and the face finish compared to the approved sample.
Anchor, dowel and shim labels match the shop drawings
Boxes on the deck carry the alloy, size and part number the shop drawings list, with no substitute or uncoated hardware mixed into the specified stock.

Anchorage to the backup

Anchors, dowels and relief supports fastened to structure
Anchor type and spacing matched to the panel and the backup, each anchor engaged in the kerf or drill hole and fastened to structural backup, not tack-set or resting in mortar alone.
Kerf and dowel fit correct
Kerf slots and dowel holes sized so the anchor seats fully, no packed-mortar shims carrying the load, relief supported at the specified courses so lower stone does not stack the weight of the wall.
Kerf legs and dowel holes sound at every anchor point
No cracked or spalled kerf legs and no dowel holes blown out at the back face; a cracked panel is set aside and reported, not hung with the crack at the anchor.
Anchor embedment into the backup checked at first installs
Embedment depth or bolt engagement measured on the first anchors of each backup type against the delegated-design drawings, holes cleaned as the anchor maker's instructions require.
Anchor pull tests run by the testing agency where specified
Where the specifications call for proof loading, the testing agency's results for the tested anchors are on file before that area closes; any failed location referred to the engineer.
No photo
Setting pads, kerf fill and dowel epoxy are non-staining
Labels on the kerf fill, epoxy, setting pads and shims show the non-staining products on the approved submittal for this stone, not a general-purpose adhesive or mortar.

Relieving angles and soft joints

Relieving angles or floor-line supports level and shimmed to detail
Each angle or support fastened at every connection on the detail, shim stacks and slots within what the detail allows, toe level so the course above bears evenly along its length.
Soft joint below each relieving angle or floor-line support left open
A clear gap between the top of the stone below and the underside of the angle or support at the width the shop drawings show, with no shims, mortar or setting wedges bridging it.
Soft-joint layout walked against the shop drawing elevations
Every horizontal and vertical soft joint on the elevations located on the wall before the field closes, none dropped or shifted to suit the coursing.
No photo

Flashing and cavity drainage

Through-wall flashing and end dams in place
Flashing continuous at shelf angles, heads and sills, turned up the backup and lapped shingle-fashion with end dams, carried out to the face so water sheds clear.
Weeps and cavity kept open
Weeps set at the flashing line at the specified spacing, cavity free of mortar droppings that would bridge to the backup and dam the drainage.

Backup and moisture barrier

Backup air/water barrier continuous behind the stone
Weather barrier on the backup lapped and sealed at penetrations and transitions, intact where anchors pierce it, before the face closes access to it.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Anchors fastened into the sheathing or a soft grout pocket instead of the structural backup, so the connection carries the panel only until the first wind and freeze cycle works it loose.
Kerf slots cut too deep or too shallow so the anchor tab does not seat in the slot, and the gap is packed with setting mortar that spalls out behind the closed face.
Through-wall flashing at shelf angles and heads left short of the cavity or lapped backward, so water that reaches the back of the stone has no path to the weeps and sits on the relief angle.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this dimension stone cladding rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering stone and anchor submittals on site, anchorage to the backup, relieving angles and soft joints, flashing and cavity drainage, 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 stone setting foreman anchoring the first courses, with the GC's superintendent walking the backup and flashing before the face conceals it.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: As anchors and relief supports are fastened to the backup and the first courses are hung, before the field of stone closes the cavity and buries the anchorage.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 dimension stone cladding rough-in inspection?: Anchors fastened into the sheathing or a soft grout pocket instead of the structural backup, so the connection carries the panel only until the first wind and freeze cycle works it loose. Kerf slots cut too deep or too shallow so the anchor tab does not seat in the slot, and the gap is packed with setting mortar that spalls out behind the closed face. Through-wall flashing at shelf angles and heads left short of the cavity or lapped backward, so water that reaches the back of the stone has no path to the weeps and sits on the relief angle.
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 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.