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Foundation inspection checklist

Everything above the foundation depends on decisions that get buried within a week. This walk follows the sequence from open excavation to backfill so each stage is photographed while it is still open.

Items
12
Photos required
28
Built for
General contractors

Who runs it

Concrete or foundation contractor with the GC; a geotechnical or special inspector where required.

When in the schedule

At open excavation, before each pour, and again before backfill. Three short walks, not one long one.

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.

01

Excavation and bearing

  • Excavation to design depth and dimension

    Measure to the benchmark and photograph the reading, not just the hole.

    2 photos

  • Bearing material as anticipated and approved

    No fill, no organics, no soft or disturbed material at the bearing plane.

    2 photos

  • Excavation dry, protected and safely sloped or shored

    No water in the bottom; sides stable for anyone who has to work in it.

    2 photos
02

Footings

  • Footing dimensions and step locations as designed

    Width, depth and step heights measured against the plan.

    2 photos

  • Reinforcement size, spacing, lap and cover correct

    Bars supported off the ground; measure cover and photograph the tape.

    3 photos

  • Dowels for walls and columns placed and secured

    Correct location and projection; not pushed in after placement.

    2 photos
03

Walls and anchorage

  • Wall forms to line, plumb and dimension

    Diagonals checked, top of wall at the design elevation.

    2 photos

  • Wall reinforcement and openings as detailed

    Bars at the correct face, added reinforcement at openings, sleeves in place.

    3 photos

  • Anchor bolts and hold-downs placed to spacing and embedment

    Set with a template before the pour and photographed with a tape in frame.

    3 photos
04

Protection and backfill

  • Damp-proofing or waterproofing applied and continuous

    Full coverage to the required height, detailed at the footing joint.

    2 photos

  • Foundation drain installed with filter fabric and free-draining stone

    Pipe sloped to discharge, fabric lapped, stone clean and to the required depth.

    3 photos

  • Wall braced and cured before backfill, backfill placed in lifts

    Floor framing or bracing in place; no dumping the pile against a green wall.

    2 photos

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Bearing conditions accepted verbally with no photo of the open excavation.
  • Anchor bolt spacing checked after the pour, when it can only be repaired.
  • Backfill placed before the wall is braced or cured, cracking the wall.

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 28 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Start freeTry the gate first

Submission state

Mandatory items answered12 of 12
Photos attached25 of 28
Submit locked — 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Related checklists

Pre-pourPre-pour concrete checklistSubgrade, formwork, rebar, embeds and cover before the truck arrives.13 items23 photosWaterproofingWaterproofing inspection checklistSubstrate, detailing, membrane, terminations and the flood test.12 items26 photosExcavationExcavation and trench inspection checklistLocates, protective systems, access, spoil and daily re-inspection.12 items23 photos

See all 69 checklists — 614 items and 1031 photo requirements in total.