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Landscaping and irrigationLandscaping and irrigation rough-in inspection checklist
Landscaping and irrigation 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 project specifications, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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.
Mainline and laterals
Mainline and lateral routing and depth per plan
Pipe run where the plan shows it, trench depth and cover checked against the specified burial depth for mainline versus laterals.
Mainline pressure-tested before backfill
Charged line held at the specified test pressure with joints exposed and dry, gauge and glued joints photographed before any cover goes in.
Pipe markings match the approved submittal
Printed marking on the pipe photographed showing material, class or schedule and size, matched to the submittal for mainline and for laterals.
Glued joints primed and cemented all the way around
Pipe cut square and deburred, primer visible at each joint, cement bead continuous around the fitting per the manufacturer's instructions; no dry-fit joints.
Trench bottom free of rock with the pipe evenly bedded
No stones, roots or debris under or against the pipe, pipe resting on smooth soil or the bedding the spec calls for rather than bridging high spots.
Sleeves and crossings
Sleeves placed under all paving and hardscape crossings
Sleeve at every walk, drive and curb crossing per plan, sized larger than the pipe and wire it carries, ends marked and capped so they aren't paved over.
Sleeve depth and extension past the paving edge per detail
Each sleeve set below the paving section at the depth the detail shows and running past the edge of walk or curb far enough to be found and joined later.
Valves and control wiring
Valve boxes set to grade with valves accessible
Boxes level and set to finish grade, valve and its wiring reachable, gravel sump under the valve, no soil packed around the bonnet.
Control wiring run, spliced and slack left at turns
Wire bundled below or beside the mainline, waterproof splices only at valves, an expansion loop at each box and at direction changes, spare wire pulled where the plan calls for it.
Backflow assembly roughed in and supported
Assembly set at the specified height above grade, isolation on the correct side, supported so it doesn't hang on the piping, ready for the certified test.
Control wire gauge and colors match the spec
Jacket print photographed showing gauge and the direct-burial rating, with common and station wires in the colors the spec assigns.
Controller location and power coordinated with the electrician
Controller mounting spot per plan confirmed with the electrician's circuit and a conduit or sleeve path for station wire into the enclosure.
No photo
Backfill release
Backfill placed in lifts with rock-free soil at the pipe
First lift of screened or rock-free soil placed around the pipe by hand, the rest in lifts compacted per the spec so the trench line won't settle.
Laterals flushed before heads and emitters go on
Each zone run open-ended with its valve on until water runs clear, so trench debris doesn't end up in nozzles, screens or emitters.
No photoSleeve, valve and wire routes recorded for the as-builts
Each sleeve end, valve box and wire route dimensioned from two fixed points and marked on the record set before the trench or paving covers it.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A sleeve under a walk or drive forgotten, so a lateral has to be bored or the paving cut open after the fact.
- Trench backfilled before the mainline held pressure, hiding a glued joint that weeps once the system is charged.
- Control wire run loose in the trench with splices left unmarked, so a dead zone can't be traced later.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this landscaping and irrigation rough-in checklist cover?
- 15 items across 4 sections, covering mainline and laterals, sleeves and crossings, valves and control wiring, backfill release. 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 irrigation foreman walking open trenches, or the GC's superintendent releasing the site for backfill.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After trenching and before backfill, and before paving or hardscape covers any sleeve crossings, so a missed sleeve or a nicked line is still reachable.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 landscaping and irrigation rough-in inspection?
- A sleeve under a walk or drive forgotten, so a lateral has to be bored or the paving cut open after the fact. Trench backfilled before the mainline held pressure, hiding a glued joint that weeps once the system is charged. Control wire run loose in the trench with splices left unmarked, so a dead zone can't be traced later.
- 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
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 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.