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Free checklist

Masonry inspection checklist

Masonry hides two things: what is inside the cells and what is behind the veneer. Grout, reinforcement, flashing and weeps all have to be photographed as the wall goes up, because there is no opening it later.

Items
12
Photos required
25

Who runs it

Masonry foreman; the GC and a special inspector where the structure requires one.

When in the schedule

Continuously as the wall rises — grout lifts and flashing courses cannot be inspected retroactively.

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

Materials and mortar

  • Units and mortar type match the specification

    Correct unit strength and mortar type for the assembly, stored off the ground and covered.

    2 photos
  • Mortar joints full, tooled and consistent

    No furrowed bed joints, head joints filled, tooling profile as specified.

    2 photos
  • Mortar batched and retempered within the allowable time

    Mixing recorded; no boards of dead mortar going into the wall.

    1 photo
02

Reinforcement and grout

  • Vertical and horizontal reinforcement placed and positioned

    Bars centred in the cell with positioners, laps as detailed.

    3 photos
  • Cells clean with cleanouts at the base of the lift

    Mortar droppings removed; cleanouts photographed open before they are closed.

    2 photos
  • Grout placed in lifts and consolidated

    Lift height within the limit, vibrated or puddled, reconsolidated after settlement.

    2 photos
03

Moisture management

  • Through-wall flashing continuous with sealed laps and end dams

    Every course of flashing photographed before the next course covers it.

    3 photos
  • Weeps open at the required spacing

    Clear at the flashing line; check again after the course above is laid.

    2 photos
  • Cavity clear of mortar droppings with drainage material in place

    Cavity kept clean as the wall rises, not cleaned out at the end.

    2 photos
04

Tolerances and protection

  • Wall plumb, level and within dimensional tolerance

    Check plumb and coursing at each lift; correct before the next one.

    2 photos
  • Anchors, ties and control joints installed per the design

    Tie spacing measured, joints at the designed locations with the correct backing.

    2 photos
  • Wall protected from weather at the end of each day

    Tops covered; cold- and hot-weather measures in place when conditions require them.

    2 photos

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Weeps mortared shut during the course above, so the cavity never drains.
  • Grout lift heights exceeded with no cleanouts, leaving voids nobody can see.
  • Flashing terminated without end dams, dumping water back into the wall.

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 25 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Submission state

Mandatory items answered12 of 12
Photos attached22 of 25
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.