Free checklist
Fire alarmFire alarm punch checklist
Fire alarm punch is where small misses become callbacks after the crew has demobilized. This checklist walks the finished work the way the owner and the next trade will see it, with the photo that closes each item instead of a note that reopens it. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 72, 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.
Labeling and coverage
Mislabeled devices corrected and re-annunciated
Each corrected point actuated again and confirmed annunciating with the right room and address at the panel.
Coverage gaps identified and closed
Spaces short of audible or visual coverage documented and the added appliance observed operating before the item is closed.
Devices rechecked for damage from late trade work
Detectors, strobes and pulls checked for paint, bumped housings, lifted plates or dust covers put back on, with repairs made by the fire alarm contractor.
Devices and appliances left unobstructed after move-in
No furniture, casework, signage or displays placed in front of pull stations or blocking strobes; obstructions reported to the GC for relocation.
Punch corrections retested by the installer and logged
Each device or circuit touched during punch retested by the licensed installer, with the retest noted on the test record rather than assumed from the earlier pass.
No photo
Trouble signals and signoff
Every trouble signal traced and cleared, not silenced
Panel returned to a normal state with no standing trouble, each fault traced to its cause and the clearance photographed.
No remaining fire alarm items before life-safety signoff
All punch items closed with photos and the panel confirmed normal before the system is released to turnover.
Turnover to the owner
Panel keys and access codes turned over to the owner's designee
Keys for the panel, annunciators and pull stations delivered with the operating-level access codes, and who received them logged.
No photoRecord drawings show every added or moved device
Devices added or relocated during punch drawn on the as-built plans with their addresses, so the drawings match the panel programming.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A device labeled to the wrong room at the panel, so responders are sent to the wrong location when it eventually alarms.
- A standing trouble signal silenced instead of cleared, leaving a fault on the circuit that no longer annunciates.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this fire alarm punch checklist cover?
- 9 items across 3 sections, covering labeling and coverage, trouble signals and signoff, turnover to the owner. 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 fire alarm technician on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing life-safety punch items.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- During closeout, after the acceptance walk turns up wrong labels, thin coverage and standing trouble conditions on the panel.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 6 of the 9 items call for photo evidence, 8 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 fire alarm punch inspection?
- A device labeled to the wrong room at the panel, so responders are sent to the wrong location when it eventually alarms. A standing trouble signal silenced instead of cleared, leaving a fault on the circuit that no longer annunciates.
- 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 8 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.