Free checklist
Fire alarmFire alarm rough-in inspection checklist
Fire alarm 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 NFPA 72, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 8
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The fire alarm foreman walking their own rough-in, or the GC's superintendent at the pre-cover hold point.
When in the schedule
After back boxes and conduit are set and the circuits are pulled, before insulation, drywall and ceiling grid close in and before the rough-in inspection is called.
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.
Boxes and conduit
- 2 photos
Back boxes secured, square and at the correct depth
Box firmly mounted to framing and set to the finished wall or ceiling surface, no crushed or over-deep boxes at pulls, horns and strobes.
- 1 photo
Conduit and sleeves supported and roughed to the device layout
Raceway supported at the required intervals, stub-ups and sleeves landing at the device and panel locations on the plan.
Wire type and separation
- 1 photo
Circuit cable is the specified type and gauge
Cable jacket marking matches the type and gauge the design calls for on initiating, notification and signaling circuits.
- 2 photos
Fire alarm wiring separated from line-voltage circuits
Signaling conductors kept out of raceways and boxes shared with power, separation held where they run parallel.
Mounting heights
- 2 photos
Device rough-ins set to the required mounting heights
Strobe, horn, pull-station and manual-station boxes checked against the mounting height for that device before the finish covers them.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Device back boxes roughed to a stud line without checking the ceiling and reflected plan, so pulls and horns land off the required mounting height once the finish goes up.
- Initiating and notification wiring run in the same raceway as line-voltage circuits, with the separation never verified before the walls close.
- The wrong cable type pulled for the circuit, discovered after cover when it won't pass the acceptance walk.
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 fire alarm rough-in checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering boxes and conduit, wire type and separation, mounting heights. 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 foreman walking their own rough-in, or the GC's superintendent at the pre-cover hold point.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After back boxes and conduit are set and the circuits are pulled, before insulation, drywall and ceiling grid close in and before the rough-in inspection is called.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 5 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 fire alarm rough-in inspection?
- Device back boxes roughed to a stud line without checking the ceiling and reflected plan, so pulls and horns land off the required mounting height once the finish goes up. Initiating and notification wiring run in the same raceway as line-voltage circuits, with the separation never verified before the walls close. The wrong cable type pulled for the circuit, discovered after cover when it won't pass the acceptance walk.
- 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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