Free checklist
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish)EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) rough-in inspection checklist
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) 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 manufacturer's published instructions, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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.
Substrate
Substrate sound, dry and fastened
Sheathing flat and secured, joints as required, no damaged, wet or bowed board left to receive the system.
Substrate type matches the system's approved substrates
Sheathing stamp, or the block or concrete wall itself, photographed and matched to the approved submittal and the substrates the EIFS manufacturer lists for this system.
Substrate flatness checked with a straightedge
Wall planes checked against the flatness the manufacturer allows; offsets at sheathing joints and proud fastener heads corrected before board.
Water-resistive barrier
Barrier continuous and correctly lapped
Barrier covering the full field, laps shingled to shed water, penetrations and fastener heads sealed per the system.
Barrier tied into openings and transitions
Barrier carried into rough openings and sealed to the drainage plane at every transition, no bare substrate at edges.
Barrier product label matches the approved submittal
Pail or roll label photographed showing product and lot, matched to the barrier the approved system submittal names.
Barrier dry time and weather logged before board
Application date, temperatures and the manufacturer's dry time recorded so board isn't set over a green or rain-washed barrier.
No photo
Flashing and drainage
Flashing and drainage plane at openings and terminations
Head, jamb and sill flashing lapped correctly with end dams, drainage track or exit clear at the base per the system.
Base of the system laid out with the clearance to grade shown
Bottom termination line marked at the clearance above finished grade and paving that the details show, so the system will not sit in soil or water.
Penetrations flashed or sleeved and sealed to the barrier
Pipes, vents, light boxes and hose bibs sleeved or flanged and sealed to the barrier before board is cut around them.
Layout and handoff
Expansion joint lines marked from the drawings
Floor-line, substrate-change and building-joint locations laid out on the wall so board breaks line up with the joints shown.
Windows, doors and louvers set and sealed before board
Units the openings trades install are in and sealed to the barrier per their details, released by the super before the EIFS crew covers the jambs.
No photoApproved system submittal and job details on site
The approved EIFS system, drainage type and detail sheets for this project on site and matching what the crew is building.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal transition, so it channels water into the wall instead of shedding it.
- Flashing terminated short at a window head or missing an end dam, found only after a leak inside.
- Barrier holidays and fastener overdrives left unsealed because board was going up the same day.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this eifs (exterior insulation and finish) rough-in checklist cover?
- 13 items across 4 sections, covering substrate, water-resistive barrier, flashing and drainage, layout and handoff. 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 EIFS foreman checking the wall behind the crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing elevations before board goes up.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After the substrate is up and the barrier and flashing are on, before the first insulation board is set and everything behind it is hidden.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 14 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 an eifs (exterior insulation and finish) rough-in inspection?
- Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal transition, so it channels water into the wall instead of shedding it. Flashing terminated short at a window head or missing an end dam, found only after a leak inside. Barrier holidays and fastener overdrives left unsealed because board was going up the same day.
- 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
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 14 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.