What does this framing final checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering substrate flatness, backing for fixtures and cabinets, openings and trim readiness, stairs and guards. 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 walking framing-related punch items alongside the finish trades' first pass.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After drywall substrate is up but before cabinets, fixtures and trim are installed, catching framing issues that would otherwise show up as finish defects.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

9 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 12 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 framing final inspection?

Wavy or crowned studs discovered only after drywall is hung, showing as a bowed wall in the finished room. Backing for cabinets or grab bars missing entirely, found only when the installer can't find a stud. Door and window rough openings out of square, forcing shims and gaps at the finish trim.

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

Framing

Framing final inspection checklist

Framing 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. Each item gets the photo that closes it instead of reopening it. Work is commonly verified against the applicable building code, engineered drawings. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

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.

Substrate flatness

Wall and ceiling framing free of crowns or bows that telegraph through drywall
Straightedge held across studs and joists, any crown beyond the allowable tolerance planed or replaced.
Corners and intersections square and consistent
Square checked at inside and outside corners, no visible twist where walls meet.
Floors walked for squeaks, bounce and humps before finish flooring
High spots at joist lines, squeaks or loose subfloor fixed with fastening or shims before the flooring installer arrives.
Ceiling and soffit framing level at the planned height
Ceiling joists or furring and any soffit bottoms level and at the heights on the reflected ceiling plan, edges straight along their length.

Backing for fixtures and cabinets

Backing present at every marked cabinet and fixture location
Blocking located where the cabinet, TV mount or grab bar layout calls for it, marked so the installer can find it.
Backing height and width match the fixture being hung
Blocking width and vertical placement checked against the actual fixture's mounting pattern, not a generic assumption.
Framed cabinet and countertop dimensions sent to the supplier
Critical room dimensions for cabinet and countertop runs measured and sent to the cabinet supplier before fabrication.
No photo

Openings and trim readiness

Door and window rough openings square and sized correctly
Diagonal measurements equal, opening width and height match the unit's rough opening requirement.
No remaining framing punch items before trim starts
Prior punch list items re-checked and closed, with a photo of each corrected condition.
Door rough openings plumb and in plane with the wall
Level on both jambs and a straightedge across the opening show no lean or twist, so the door frame sets without being shimmed out of the wall.

Stairs and guards

Stair riser heights and tread depths uniform along the flight
On framed stairs, each rise and run measured before treads go on, consistent step to step and matching the drawings.
No photo
Stair stringers bearing and fastened at top and bottom
Where stairs are framed, stringers fully seated on the landing or header and the floor below, with the hangers or fasteners the drawings call for.
No photo
Handrail and guard blocking in place along stairs and landings
Wherever the drawings show stairs, landings or guards, continuous blocking at handrail height and solid framing at each guard post attachment.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Wavy or crowned studs discovered only after drywall is hung, showing as a bowed wall in the finished room.
Backing for cabinets or grab bars missing entirely, found only when the installer can't find a stud.
Door and window rough openings out of square, forcing shims and gaps at the finish trim.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this framing final checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering substrate flatness, backing for fixtures and cabinets, openings and trim readiness, stairs and guards. 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 walking framing-related punch items alongside the finish trades' first pass.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After drywall substrate is up but before cabinets, fixtures and trim are installed, catching framing issues that would otherwise show up as finish defects.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 9 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 12 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 framing final inspection?: Wavy or crowned studs discovered only after drywall is hung, showing as a bowed wall in the finished room. Backing for cabinets or grab bars missing entirely, found only when the installer can't find a stud. Door and window rough openings out of square, forcing shims and gaps at the finish trim.
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

Framing Rough-inFraming rough-in inspection checklistStud layout, plumb, headers and connectors verified during the erection walk15 items18 photos Framing Pre-coverFraming pre-cover inspection checklistThe hold-point walk before sheathing and drywall bury blocking, bracing and connectors13 items16 photos

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