What does this glazing rough-in checklist cover?

14 items across 4 sections, covering materials and documents, opening condition, anchorage, weep and drainage. 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 glazing foreman checking openings ahead of the setting crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing openings floor by floor.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Before frames or units are set in each opening, and early enough that an out-of-square opening can still be corrected by the framer or mason.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 glazing rough-in inspection?

Openings measured at one point and assumed plumb, discovered out of square when the frame won't seat. Perimeter flashing and end dams skipped at sills because the frame delivery was waiting. Anchors substituted in the field without checking the engineered anchor schedule.

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

Glazing

Glazing rough-in inspection checklist

Glazing 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 the applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. 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.

Materials and documents

Frame and glass deliveries match the approved shop drawings
Crate labels, unit marks and frame finish photographed and checked against the approved shop drawings and glass schedule before anything is set.
Current approved shop drawings and anchor schedule with the crew
The setting crew works from the latest approved shop drawings, glass schedule and engineered anchor schedule, with superseded sets marked void.
No photo
Sealant compatibility review on file for the perimeter materials
The sealant manufacturer's compatibility or adhesion review covers the flashing, wall membrane and frame finish actually used on this job.
No photo

Opening condition

Opening dimensions, plumb and square verified
Width, height and diagonals measured at multiple points per opening, compared against the unit's requirements.
Sill flashing and end dams installed
Flashing continuous with sealed upturned end dams, lapped to drain to the exterior face.
Perimeter substrate solid and dry where anchors land
Framing, blocking, steel or masonry at jambs, head and sill sound and continuous at each anchor point, no wet or damaged sheathing behind the frame line.
Sill substrate level end to end before the frame sits on it
Sill checked with a level or laser along its full length, high and low points noted so shims can take out the difference without twisting the frame.
Wall barrier tie-in at the opening perimeter coordinated
Where the wall has a membrane or wrap, it is returned into the opening or left with a lap the frame's perimeter seal can bond to, per the envelope details.
No photo

Anchorage

Anchor type, spacing and embedment per the schedule
Anchor model matches the engineered schedule, spacing and edge distances within tolerance, embedment verified.
Shims and setting blocks placed per the system
Setting blocks at the specified quarter points or per the system detail, shims solid and non-compressible.
Sill flashing left unbroken or its penetrations sealed
Anchors kept outside the sill pan, or every fastener through the flashing sealed per the system detail before the frame covers it.
Dissimilar metals separated at clips and fasteners
Isolator pads, coatings or separators in place wherever aluminum frames or clips touch steel, fresh concrete or treated lumber, per the system detail.
No photo

Weep and drainage

Weep paths clear through sill and frame
Weep slots open, internal drainage path unobstructed, no sealant bridging the weeps.
Sill pan water-checked once its anchor penetrations are sealed
A short flood or hose check on the first sill of each opening type after its fasteners are sealed, interior edge and end dams dry before the frame covers the pan.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Openings measured at one point and assumed plumb, discovered out of square when the frame won't seat.
Perimeter flashing and end dams skipped at sills because the frame delivery was waiting.
Anchors substituted in the field without checking the engineered anchor schedule.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this glazing rough-in checklist cover?: 14 items across 4 sections, covering materials and documents, opening condition, anchorage, weep and drainage. 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 glazing foreman checking openings ahead of the setting crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing openings floor by floor.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Before frames or units are set in each opening, and early enough that an out-of-square opening can still be corrected by the framer or mason.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 glazing rough-in inspection?: Openings measured at one point and assumed plumb, discovered out of square when the frame won't seat. Perimeter flashing and end dams skipped at sills because the frame delivery was waiting. Anchors substituted in the field without checking the engineered anchor schedule.
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

Glazing FinalGlazing final inspection checklistGlass, sealant and operation checked, with water testing on a sample of openings14 items16 photos Glazing PunchGlazing punch checklistCloseout walk for scratched glass, failed seals and hardware adjustments9 items8 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 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.