Free checklist
FlooringFlooring rough-in inspection checklist
Flooring 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 manufacturer's published instructions. 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.
Moisture and condition
Moisture tests performed at the required density
Test locations spread across the slab per the testing method, each result recorded and photographed with its location.
Substrate sound, clean and free of contaminants
No curing compound, oil, dust or old adhesive where the system requires bare substrate; cracks documented.
Moisture results compared to the flooring manufacturer's limit
Each reading checked against the limit in the installation instructions for the product and adhesive actually going down, with failing areas flagged to the super.
No photoPermanent HVAC running and floor surface temperature read
HVAC at occupancy settings for the period before install the flooring manufacturer lists, with a reading taken on the floor itself, not the air, within the product's range.
Substrate firm underfoot with no bounce or loose areas
Area walked for deflection, rocking panels, squeaks or hollow-sounding toppings that would open seams, click joints or board ends once the finish is down.
No photo
Flatness and prep
Flatness checked with a straightedge across traffic paths
Highs and lows marked and corrected to the tolerance the finish material requires, not a generic assumption.
Underlayment or leveling work cured and sound
Patch and self-leveler edges feathered, no debonding sound on a chain drag, cure time documented.
Transition profile fits the height difference at each doorway
Underlayment, pad and finish buildup measured against the neighboring floor, and the reducer, T-molding or carpet edge on the finish plan confirmed to span that difference.
Substrate joints marked with the treatment the details show
Joints located and marked before cover: expansion joints brought through with the cover assembly the details show; control and saw-cut joints filled under resilient and wood.
No photo
Materials on site
Adhesive, pad or underlayment on site is the warranted one
Pail or roll label photographed and checked against the approved submittal and the adhesives, pads or underlayments the flooring manufacturer lists for this product's warranty.
Flooring cartons stored flat, dry and off the traffic path
Cartons stacked flat to the height the manufacturer allows, off wet slabs, away from exterior openings and direct sun, not staged in corridors.
Roll, dye-lot and run numbers logged by room
Roll tags or carton ends photographed; sheet and carpet rolls from one dye lot laid in roll sequence, plank cartons from one run or mixed as the manufacturer directs.
Layout
Starting layout snapped and approved
Control lines photographed showing the pattern is centered and square to the main sightlines of the space.
Material acclimated per the manufacturer's requirement
Acclimation start logged with space temperature and humidity, material on site long enough before install.
Pattern direction and edge cuts dry-laid against the finish plan
Plank, sheet or carpet pile direction, seam placement and cut sizes at walls, doorways and thresholds laid out per the finish plan, no seams in doorways or slivers at edges.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Moisture tests run in one corner of a big slab and extrapolated to the whole pour.
- Flatness checked by eye instead of with a straightedge, and the telegraphing starts after the finish is down.
- Adhesive or underlayment installed over a substrate that was never cleaned to the manufacturer's requirement.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this flooring rough-in checklist cover?
- 15 items across 4 sections, covering moisture and condition, flatness and prep, materials on site, layout. 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 flooring foreman testing and prepping each area, or the GC's superintendent releasing slab or sheathing to the flooring crew.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Before material is staged on an area, with moisture testing early enough that a failed slab can still be remediated without moving the finish date.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 flooring rough-in inspection?
- Moisture tests run in one corner of a big slab and extrapolated to the whole pour. Flatness checked by eye instead of with a straightedge, and the telegraphing starts after the finish is down. Adhesive or underlayment installed over a substrate that was never cleaned to the manufacturer's requirement.
- 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 16 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.