Free checklist

Drywall inspection checklist

The drywall walk is really two walks: the one before board goes up, which is the last chance to see everything behind it, and the one after finishing, which decides whether paint will look right. Both belong in the record.

Items: 12
Photos required: 23
Built for: Residential builders

Who runs it

Drywall foreman and the GC superintendent; the pre-cover sign-off usually needs each rough-in trade to confirm.

When in the schedule

Pre-cover immediately before hanging. Finish inspection after final sanding, under the lighting the space will actually use.

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.

Before board goes up

All rough-in trades signed off in writing
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, low voltage and fire protection each confirmed complete.
2 photos
Insulation installed, complete and unfaced areas covered
No gaps at plates, corners and around boxes; batts not compressed behind wiring.
2 photos
Blocking and backing verified against the finish plan
Last chance to add blocking for anything hanging on this wall.
2 photos

Hang

Board type correct for the location
Moisture- and abuse-resistant types where specified; correct thickness for the framing spacing.
1 photo
Fastener spacing and depth correct
Screws dimpled but not breaking paper; no missed studs; no fasteners in the field of a floating corner.
2 photos
Joints staggered and gaps within tolerance
End joints offset, cutouts tight to boxes, no gaps that will need filling with compound alone.
2 photos

Rated assemblies

Rated walls built full height and continuous
Board carried to deck where required, no interruptions above the ceiling line.
2 photos
Penetrations firestopped with the listed system
Photograph each penetration with the applied material before the ceiling closes.
3 photos
Rated walls identified above the ceiling
Permanent labelling at the required intervals so a future trade knows what it is cutting.
1 photo

Finish

Finish level matches the specification for each area
Agree the level per space up front; check with a light held close to the surface.
2 photos
Corners, beads and transitions straight and tight
No crowning, no bead exposed through the compound, consistent reveals at openings.
2 photos
Surface ready for finish under final lighting
Walk with the actual fixtures on; document what is accepted and what is on the punch list.
2 photos

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Board hung over an unsigned rough-in, so a later defect means cutting open finished wall.
Rated assemblies missing firestopping at penetrations that were photographed after the board went up.
Finish level disputed at paint because nobody agreed on it in writing beforehand.

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

Start free Try the gate first

Submission state

Mandatory items answered12 of 12

Photos attached20 of 23

Submit locked — 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Related checklists

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See all 69 checklists — 614 items and 1031 photo requirements in total.