Free checklist
Lightning protection system quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly lightning protection system round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 780, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 8
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The facilities or roofing maintenance tech on the quarterly roof round, after other roof work has come and gone.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, run with the roof and rooftop-equipment walk since it's roof work by other trades that most often knocks a conductor or terminal loose.
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.
Air terminals and conductors
- 2 photos
Air terminals present, secure and plumb
Each terminal in place at its location, standing plumb, base secured to the roof, tip and fittings intact and not corroded through.
- 2 photos
Conductor routing and clips intact
Cable runs following their path, held by clips at intervals, no loose spans, sharp bends, breaks or lengths lying in ponding water.
Bonding
- 1 photo
Bonding connections at fittings observed
Bonding jumpers and connectors tight, no loose or missing hardware, dissimilar-metal fittings not showing heavy corrosion.
- 1 photo
Roof-mounted metal bonded into the system
Rooftop units, rails, ladders and metal curbs bonded where required, any new equipment since the last round checked for a connection.
Downleads and grounds
- 1 photo
Down-conductor routing and protection checked
Down conductors held to the wall, guard protecting the lower run, no loose clips, splices pulled apart or missing sections.
- 1 photo
Ground connections and test wells accessible
Ground connections and test wells located, lids intact and reachable, connections not buried, flooded or corroded away.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- An air terminal knocked off plumb or missing entirely after a roof repair, its base adhesive let go and never re-secured.
- A run of conductor pulled loose from its cable clips and left lying across the membrane where foot traffic or ponding will chew it.
- New rooftop metal, a curb or a rail added by another trade and never bonded into the system.
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 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this lightning protection system quarterly checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering air terminals and conductors, bonding, downleads and grounds. 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 or roofing maintenance tech on the quarterly roof round, after other roof work has come and gone.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, run with the roof and rooftop-equipment walk since it's roof work by other trades that most often knocks a conductor or terminal loose.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. 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 quarterly inspection?
- An air terminal knocked off plumb or missing entirely after a roof repair, its base adhesive let go and never re-secured. A run of conductor pulled loose from its cable clips and left lying across the membrane where foot traffic or ponding will chew it. New rooftop metal, a curb or a rail added by another trade and never bonded into the system.
- 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.
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