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Free checklist

Insulation inspection checklist

Insulation performs to the quality of its installation, not the number on the bag. Gaps, compression and missing air sealing cost more performance than a grade change ever recovers — and all three are obvious in a photograph taken before the wall closes.

Items
12
Photos required
26
Built for
Residential builders

Who runs it

Insulation contractor, with the builder or GC verifying before drywall is delivered.

When in the schedule

After all rough-in is signed off and before board goes up.

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

Air sealing first

  • Penetrations through the envelope sealed

    Plumbing, electrical, mechanical and low-voltage holes at top and bottom plates.

    3 photos

  • Rim joist and band sealed and insulated

    Continuous seal at the sill and rim before the cavity is filled.

    2 photos

  • Attic access, chases and dropped soffits sealed and blocked

    Air barrier continuous across every dropped ceiling and chase before insulating over it.

    2 photos
02

Batt and blown installation

  • Full cavity contact with no gaps, voids or compression

    Six-sided contact; batts split around wiring and plumbing rather than stuffed behind it.

    3 photos

  • Correct product and thickness for each assembly

    Verify against the energy design — walls, ceilings and floors may all differ.

    2 photos

  • Blown depth uniform with markers installed

    Depth markers visible and readable; photograph a marker at the design depth.

    2 photos
03

Spray foam

  • Thickness verified with a depth gauge

    Multiple readings across the assembly, photographed with the gauge in frame.

    3 photos

  • Substrate temperature and conditions within the product range

    Record conditions at application; poor adhesion is usually a temperature story.

    1 photo

  • Ignition or thermal barrier applied where required

    Coverage complete in every space the barrier applies to, including attics and crawls.

    2 photos
04

Rated and specialty assemblies

  • Acoustic assemblies built to the tested detail

    Correct insulation type, and joints sealed where the rating depends on it.

    2 photos

  • Vapor control layer on the correct side for the climate

    Confirm against the design before it is covered — this is not a field decision.

    2 photos

  • Clearances maintained at heat-producing equipment

    Flues, recessed fixtures and appliance vents kept clear per their listing.

    2 photos

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Batts compressed behind wiring instead of split around it.
  • Air sealing skipped at top plates and rim joists, where it matters most.
  • Spray foam thickness claimed but never measured or photographed with a depth gauge.

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 26 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 attached23 of 26
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

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