Free checklist
Lightning protection system annual maintenance checklist
The annual lightning protection system service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 780, the applicable building code. 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.
Before the inspection
Inspector's qualification and the prior report on file
The inspector's lightning protection qualification recorded, and the last report and system drawings pulled so this visit is read against them.
No photoInspector escorted on the roof under the fall protection plan
Inspector briefed on the site's fall protection procedure, access route and edge controls agreed, and roof hazards from other trades pointed out first.
No photo
Inspection observed
Inspector's continuity checks observed and recorded
Watch the inspector check down-conductor continuity to ground, record which downleads were checked and the outcome the inspector reports.
Terminal, conductor and bond survey observed
Inspector's survey of terminals, runs and bonds observed across the roof, deficiencies the inspector calls out photographed and listed.
Rooftop equipment added since the last inspection reviewed
Each unit, antenna, rail or solar rack added since the last report listed for the inspector, and its bond into the system observed or noted missing.
No photoSystem compared against the as-built drawings
Terminals, runs and downleads on the drawing matched to the roof with the inspector, and anything added, removed or rerouted marked up for the record.
No photo
Grounds and connections
Ground connections and test wells opened and observed
Test wells opened with the inspector, connections examined for corrosion or looseness, condition the inspector reports recorded.
Inspector's ground readings recorded by location
Where the inspector measures ground resistance at the test joints, each reading and its downlead recorded against the last report for the inspector to judge.
No photoTie to the building grounding electrode system observed
The inspector's check of the interconnection between the system grounds and the building electrical ground observed at its accessible point and recorded.
No photoEvery downlead left connected to ground after the inspection
Each downlead seen connected to its ground, any test joint opened for the inspection remade with bolts tight and any well lid lifted seated again.
Findings and records
Inspection report filed and deficiencies assigned
Inspector's report attached to the maintenance record, each deficiency given a follow-up owner and the next inspection date noted.
Last report's deficiencies checked off on the roof
Each item on the prior report found repaired, or carried onto the new report with its original date so a repeat defect shows as repeated.
No photoListed installer's inspection status recorded
Where the system holds a UL or LPI certification, its status and the listed installer's inspection noted; renewal stays with the listing body and the installer.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Inspector's findings left on the inspection report and never turned into work orders, so the same loose terminal shows up year after year.
- Down-conductor continuity called good from a visual only, with the inspector's actual continuity check never observed or recorded.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this lightning protection system annual checklist cover?
- 13 items across 4 sections, covering before the inspection, inspection observed, grounds and connections, findings and records. 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 facilities lead documenting the visit while the qualified lightning protection inspector performs the periodic inspection.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- On the periodic cycle, scheduled with the inspector so the continuity checks and any findings are witnessed and recorded, especially after major roof work.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 5 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 7 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 lightning protection system annual inspection?
- Inspector's findings left on the inspection report and never turned into work orders, so the same loose terminal shows up year after year. Down-conductor continuity called good from a visual only, with the inspector's actual continuity check never observed or recorded.
- 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.
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 7 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.