What does this foundation checklist cover?

12 items across 4 sections, covering excavation and bearing, footings, walls and anchorage, protection and backfill. 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?

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

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

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

Why does every item ask for a photo?

All 12 items call for photo evidence, 28 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 foundation inspection?

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.

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.

Free checklist

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.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

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.

Excavation and bearing

Excavation to design depth and dimension
Measure to the benchmark and photograph the reading, not just the hole.
Bearing material as anticipated and approved
No fill, no organics, no soft or disturbed material at the bearing plane.
Excavation dry, protected and safely sloped or shored
No water in the bottom; sides stable for anyone who has to work in it.

Footings

Footing dimensions and step locations as designed
Width, depth and step heights measured against the plan.
Reinforcement size, spacing, lap and cover correct
Bars supported off the ground; measure cover and photograph the tape.
Dowels for walls and columns placed and secured
Correct location and projection; not pushed in after placement.

Walls and anchorage

Wall forms to line, plumb and dimension
Diagonals checked, top of wall at the design elevation.
Wall reinforcement and openings as detailed
Bars at the correct face, added reinforcement at openings, sleeves in place.
Anchor bolts and hold-downs placed to spacing and embedment
Set with a template before the pour and photographed with a tape in frame.

Protection and backfill

Damp-proofing or waterproofing applied and continuous
Full coverage to the required height, detailed at the footing joint.
Foundation drain installed with filter fabric and free-draining stone
Pipe sloped to discharge, fabric lapped, stone clean and to the required depth.
Wall braced and cured before backfill, backfill placed in lifts
Floor framing or bracing in place; no dumping the pile against a green wall.

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.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this foundation checklist cover?: 12 items across 4 sections, covering excavation and bearing, footings, walls and anchorage, protection and backfill. 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?: Concrete or foundation contractor with the GC; a geotechnical or special inspector where required.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: At open excavation, before each pour, and again before backfill. Three short walks, not one long one.
Why does every item ask for a photo?: All 12 items call for photo evidence, 28 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 foundation inspection?: 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.
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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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.