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Free checklist

Electrical rough-in inspection checklist

Rough-in is a photograph problem. Everything an inspector or a future electrician will ever want to see is visible for about a week, and then it's behind drywall for thirty years. Work this list before the rock truck shows up.

Items
13
Photos required
21

Who runs it

Electrical foreman on their own rough-in; GC verifies before requesting the inspection.

When in the schedule

After framing and before insulation and drywall, with all other trades' rough-in complete so conflicts are visible.

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.

01

Boxes and mounting

  • Boxes set to finished wall depth and level

    Correct setback for the finish material, square to the stud, secure without racking.

    2 photos
  • Box fill appropriate for conductors and devices

    Count conductors, devices and clamps; oversize the box rather than force the make-up.

    1 photo
  • Boxes located per plan and coordinated with casework

    Check outlets against the millwork and appliance layout before the wall closes.

    1 photo
02

Conductors and raceway

  • Cable supported and secured at required intervals

    Staples within the required distance of each box, no over-driven staples pinching the jacket.

    2 photos
  • Conductors protected where they pass through framing

    Nail plates at every bore near the face; adequate setback everywhere else.

    2 photos
  • No damaged jackets, sharp bends or overfilled raceway

    Walk each home run; anything nicked gets replaced, not taped.

    2 photos
  • Circuit identification legible at each box and at the panel

    Permanent marking that will still be readable at trim-out.

    1 photo
03

Grounding and bonding

  • Equipment grounding conductor present and made up in every box

    Continuous through the box, pigtailed correctly, nothing left loose in the back.

    2 photos
  • Grounding electrode system installed and accessible

    Connections visible, listed clamps, no paint or coating in the contact area.

    2 photos
  • Metallic systems bonded where required

    Water piping, gas piping and structural steel bonded per the design.

    1 photo
04

Panel and service

  • Panel set plumb, accessible, with working clearance maintained

    Clearance in front of the panel unobstructed by later work — check the furniture plan.

    2 photos
  • Conductors dressed and terminated to torque spec

    Neat make-up, correct lug sizes, torque marked where required.

    2 photos
  • Panel schedule posted and legible

    Filled out at rough-in and corrected at trim, not written from memory at closeout.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Box fill and stud protection fine at the panel, missed in the back bedroom nobody photographed.
  • Grounding and bonding shot after the cover went on.
  • Conductors damaged by a later trade with no post-damage record of who did it.

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

Submission state

Mandatory items answered13 of 13
Photos attached18 of 21
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.