Free checklist
Elevator installationElevator installation rough-in inspection checklist
Elevator installation 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 ASME A17.1 safety code for elevators and escalators, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 8
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The elevator installer's mechanic leading the rough, with the GC's superintendent documenting hoistway conditions floor by floor.
When in the schedule
As the hoistway is built out, before walls, doors and fascia enclose the shaft and cover the rail brackets and pit.
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.
Rails and brackets
- 2 photos
Rail brackets anchored and rails plumb
Brackets fastened into sound structure at the correct spacing, guide rails checked plumb over their run before the shaft is closed.
Pit and overhead
- 2 photos
Pit and overhead clearances verified
Pit depth and overhead runby measured against the layout for this car, pit clean and dry with the ladder and stop switch located.
Entrances and machine space
- 2 photos
Entrance framing and sills set to the landing
Entrance struts and sills plumb and level at each opening, sill line referenced to the finished floor elevation.
- 2 photos
Machine-room or machine-room-less rough in place
Machine space, controller location, disconnect and hoistway rough observed and photographed before enclosure covers them.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Rail brackets fastened to blockouts that were never grouted, discovered when the rails won't hold plumb.
- Pit depth or overhead clearance short because the slab poured to the wrong elevation, found after the shaft is closed.
- Entrance sills set before the finished floor elevation is confirmed, leaving the sill high or low at the landing.
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 8 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 elevator installation rough-in checklist cover?
- 4 items across 3 sections, covering rails and brackets, pit and overhead, entrances and machine space. 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 elevator installer's mechanic leading the rough, with the GC's superintendent documenting hoistway conditions floor by floor.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- As the hoistway is built out, before walls, doors and fascia enclose the shaft and cover the rail brackets and pit.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 4 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 elevator installation rough-in inspection?
- Rail brackets fastened to blockouts that were never grouted, discovered when the rails won't hold plumb. Pit depth or overhead clearance short because the slab poured to the wrong elevation, found after the shaft is closed. Entrance sills set before the finished floor elevation is confirmed, leaving the sill high or low at the landing.
- 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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