Free checklist
Flooring final inspection checklist
Flooring final inspection is where the punch list is either short or expensive. This checklist walks the finished work the way an owner or AHJ will see it — devices on, systems running, everything labeled — with the photos that close the item instead of reopening it. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions — confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 11
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The GC's superintendent with the flooring foreman, walking finished areas before protection comes off and the owner walks them.
When in the schedule
After the floor is complete and cleaned, before base and transition punch and before the area is opened to other trades unprotected.
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.
Surface quality
- 2 photos
Tile bond sounded across the field
Random tap or chain-drag check across each area, hollow units marked and replaced, not just noted.
- 2 photos
Lippage within tolerance at joints
Feel and straightedge check at a sample of joints per room, including at doorways and transitions.
- 2 photos
Seams, welds and pattern alignment consistent
Heat welds smooth and fully bonded, seams tight, pattern lines straight through openings.
Edges and transitions
- 2 photos
Transitions and reducers secure and flush
Every threshold and reducer strip fastened, flush, and matched to the floor heights on both sides.
- 1 photo
Perimeter gaps and base condition correct for the system
Expansion gap consistent at walls and columns where the system requires it, base or shoe ready to cover it.
Protection
- 2 photos
Finished floor protected before other trades return
Protection coverage photographed edge to edge, seams taped, with the area logged as protected.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Hollow-sounding tile found by the owner's rep on their first walk, not by the installer on theirs.
- Seams and transitions checked in the middle of the room but not at doorways where everyone looks first.
- Protection removed before adjacent trades finished, and the damage lands on the flooring ticket.
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 11 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.
Common questions
- What does this flooring final checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections — surface quality, edges and transitions, protection. 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 with the flooring foreman, walking finished areas before protection comes off and the owner walks them.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After the floor is complete and cleaned, before base and transition punch and before the area is opened to other trades unprotected.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 6 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 flooring final inspection?
- Hollow-sounding tile found by the owner's rep on their first walk, not by the installer on theirs. Seams and transitions checked in the middle of the room but not at doorways where everyone looks first. Protection removed before adjacent trades finished, and the damage lands on the flooring ticket.
- 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.