Free checklist
FirestoppingFirestopping pre-cover inspection checklist
A firestopping pre-cover inspection is the hold point before concealed work disappears behind the next layer. This checklist is built for that walk: verify, photograph, then release the cover, not the other way around. Work is commonly verified against the applicable building code, listed system documentation. 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.
Re-walk before close
No new penetrations since the rough-in walk
Every sleeve and opening compared against the logged map; new penetrants sealed and labeled before close.
Existing seals undamaged by follow-on work
No crushed, cut or displaced sealant where other trades ran late lines or worked lifts against the assembly.
No unlisted foam or caulk added over the seals by others
Seals checked for canned foam, acoustical caulk or batt stuffed in by other trades, which voids the listed system and has to be cut out and redone.
Seal and joint condition
Close-up of each seal with its label taken before cover
Each seal shot square-on with its label legible in the same frame, the last proof of that penetration before the ceiling or liner hides it.
Head-of-wall joints still bonded along their full run
Spray or sealant still adhered to both the deck and the wall top with no tears or pull-away where the deck deflected or framing moved after install.
Sealant cured and firm before the ceiling closes
Sealant past the cure time in the manufacturer's instructions, firm to a light press, not skinned over a wet core that other trades can still dent.
No photo
Assemblies around the seals
Rated wall layers complete to the deck at sealed head joints
Gypsum layers carried up to the deck on both faces where the joint system depends on them, with no missing board above the ceiling line; gaps reported to the framing trade.
Fire damper sleeves left to the damper's installation instructions
Where ducts pass through with fire dampers, the sleeve and retaining angles are not packed or sealed rigid with firestop material unless the damper instructions allow it.
No photoOutlet boxes in rated walls protected or spaced per the listing
Back-to-back or closely spaced boxes checked for the putty pads, wraps or separation the membrane-penetration listing calls for before the wall is closed.
No photo
Release
Every ceiling and shaft area released individually
Wide photos per area showing sealed penetrations in place, tagged to that area's close release.
Failed or repaired seals re-verified
Corrections photographed in place and tied back to the original item, not just marked done.
Above-ceiling firestopping inspection requested and result logged
The AHJ or third party inspection the project requires called before the area closes, with the date, inspector and result recorded against the area.
No photoReseal responsibility for late penetrations agreed with the super
Who seals, labels and logs any pipe, cable or duct added after release is settled with the super and the trades before the ceiling goes up.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Late cable or pipe added through a sealed penetration after the walk, with the seal never restored.
- Seals above hard ceilings assumed done because the corridor ones passed.
- Damaged seals from other trades' lifts and ladders never re-checked before close.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this firestopping pre-cover checklist cover?
- 13 items across 4 sections, covering re-walk before close, seal and joint condition, assemblies around the seals, release. 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 GC's superintendent releasing ceiling close or shaft liner, with the firestopping installer walking the same area.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- The day before ceiling grid is loaded or shaft walls are closed on each area, the last time the seals are visible without demolition.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 firestopping pre-cover inspection?
- Late cable or pipe added through a sealed penetration after the walk, with the seal never restored. Seals above hard ceilings assumed done because the corridor ones passed. Damaged seals from other trades' lifts and ladders never re-checked before close.
- 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 13 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.