What does this fencing and gates rough-in checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering submittals and materials, layout and alignment, post holes and footings, post spacing and plumb. 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 fence crew foreman setting posts, or the GC's superintendent checking the line before concrete sets.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

As posts are set and before the footing concrete takes its set, so a hole that's short or a post out of plumb can still be reset.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 15 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 fencing and gates rough-in inspection?

Fence line laid off a property assumption rather than the survey, so the run crowds a setback or drifts off the plan. Post holes dug to a habit depth instead of the specified embedment, leaving gate and corner posts to work loose later. Concrete allowed to set before posts were checked plumb and on line, locking a lean or a dogleg into the run.

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

Fencing and gates

Fencing and gates rough-in inspection checklist

Fencing and gates 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 project specifications, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

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.

Submittals and materials

Fence shop drawings and post schedule approved before setting
Approved shop drawings on site showing post sizes, spacing, footing detail and gate hardware, the crew working from the current revision.
No photo
Post material tagged or stamped to the approved submittal
Bundle tag or stamped marking on the posts photographed, size, wall thickness and coating matched to the submittal before any post is set.

Layout and alignment

Fence line and gate openings set to the survey and plan
Line pulled off survey control, offsets from property lines and setbacks confirmed, gate openings measured to the specified rough width before posts go in.
Underground utilities located and marked along the fence line
Locate marks visible and current along the run, locate ticket on file, post holes shifted off any marked line rather than dug through it.
Grade along the run checked for stepping or racking
Slope sighted post to post, sections planned to step or rack within the manufacturer's limits, bottom clearance to grade held at dips and rises.
Gate swing arc or slide path clear of grade and obstructions
Full leaf path checked for rising grade, curbs, valve boxes and bollards, including the run-back area behind a slide gate, before gate posts are set.
Gate operator location coordinated with its pad and conduit
Where a powered gate is shown, operator position, pad and conduit sleeve locations confirmed with the electrician and GC against the gate post layout.
No photo

Post holes and footings

Post-hole depth and diameter meet the specified embedment
Hole depth and width checked against the spec, deeper and wider footings at gate, corner and end posts, bottoms clean and not caved.
Footing concrete placed and crowned to shed water
Concrete filling the hole with no voids around the post, top crowned above grade to drain away, embedded post depth confirmed before the set.
Footing concrete mix matches the specification
Bag label or delivery ticket photographed and matched to the specified mix, water added only as the product label allows.

Post spacing and plumb

Post spacing matches panel or fabric runs
On-center spacing checked against panel length or the fabric stretch, so no field-cut short panel or over-stretched run is forced at the end.
Posts plumb and on line before the set
Each post checked plumb two ways and sighted down the run, gate posts braced against the pull of the leaf, corrected while the concrete is still workable.
Terminal posts set at every corner, end and grade break
Heavier corner, end, gate and pull posts at each change in direction or slope as the shop drawings show, no line post standing in for a terminal.
Post tops set to the fence height on the drawings
Post height above grade checked against the drawings along the run, tops stringlined so rails and caps will land level or follow the planned step.
No rails, fabric or gates hung before the footing cure time
Sequence confirmed with the foreman: posts left braced and unloaded for the cure time the concrete product or spec lists before anything pulls on them.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Fence line laid off a property assumption rather than the survey, so the run crowds a setback or drifts off the plan.
Post holes dug to a habit depth instead of the specified embedment, leaving gate and corner posts to work loose later.
Concrete allowed to set before posts were checked plumb and on line, locking a lean or a dogleg into the run.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this fencing and gates rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering submittals and materials, layout and alignment, post holes and footings, post spacing and plumb. 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 fence crew foreman setting posts, or the GC's superintendent checking the line before concrete sets.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: As posts are set and before the footing concrete takes its set, so a hole that's short or a post out of plumb can still be reset.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 15 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 fencing and gates rough-in inspection?: Fence line laid off a property assumption rather than the survey, so the run crowds a setback or drifts off the plan. Post holes dug to a habit depth instead of the specified embedment, leaving gate and corner posts to work loose later. Concrete allowed to set before posts were checked plumb and on line, locking a lean or a dogleg into the run.
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 15 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.