Free checklist
MasonryMasonry pre-cover inspection checklist
A masonry pre-cover inspection is the hold point before concealed work disappears behind the next layer. This checklist is built for that walk: verify, photograph, then release the cover, not the other way around. Work is commonly verified against TMS standards. 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.
Cell and cavity condition
Cells clear of mortar droppings and debris before grouting
Cleanout photo showing bare cell bottom at every cleanout opening along the run.
Reinforcement still centered and tied after cleanout
Bar has not shifted or been knocked loose during cleanout; positioners still holding.
Grout consistency and lift height match the pour plan
Grout slump appropriate for the cell, lift heights match the low-lift or high-lift plan being used.
Bond beam bar placed and continuous around corners
Horizontal bar in the bond beam courses shown, carried around corners with the bent bars or laps the detail calls for.
Anchor bolts, embeds and sleeves set before the pour
Bolts, plates and sleeves at the drawn locations and projection, held by templates so grout will not shift them.
Grout stop in place where only some cells are grouted
In partially grouted walls, mesh or grout screen under bond beams and beside grouted cells, so grout stays where drawn.
No photoCleanouts closed and braced after the cell photos
Face shells or forms replaced at every cleanout and braced so the pour cannot blow them out.
Ties, flashing and weeps
Veneer ties placed at the required spacing before cavity insulation
Tie spacing and embedment match the plan, corrosion-resistant ties used at the specified locations.
Flashing continuous and turned up behind the veneer
Flashing laps sealed, end dams present, no gaps at corners before the cavity is closed.
Weep holes open and unobstructed at the base of the wall
Weep spacing matches the plan, holes clear of mortar so water can drain from the cavity.
Flashing installed over lintels and at shelf angles
Head-of-opening and shelf angle flashing runs past the lintel bearing, with the drip edge projecting past the veneer face.
Air space behind the veneer open with no mortar bridging
Cavity clear of droppings on ties and flashing, drainage mat or mortar net in place where the spec calls for it.
Inspection and release
Special inspector or AHJ notified before the grout pour
Notice given per the project's inspection schedule, and the pour held until the required inspection walk is done.
No photoGrout or insulation crew told which sections may be filled
The grout foreman, or the crew placing cavity insulation, has the released sections marked on the wall or plan, with held sections flagged so nothing is closed early.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Cells grouted with mortar droppings still in the bottom, found only after the pour when the cell won't fill.
- Wall ties missing or spaced too far apart, discovered after the cavity insulation is already installed.
- Weep holes blocked by mortar or missing entirely at the base of the veneer before flashing is covered.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this masonry pre-cover checklist cover?
- 14 items across 3 sections, covering cell and cavity condition, ties, flashing and weeps, inspection and 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 GC's superintendent with the mason foreman, releasing wall sections for grout pour or cavity insulation.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After cells are cleaned out and reinforcement is tied off, immediately before the grout pour or before cavity insulation and the veneer tie system are covered.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 15 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 masonry pre-cover inspection?
- Cells grouted with mortar droppings still in the bottom, found only after the pour when the cell won't fill. Wall ties missing or spaced too far apart, discovered after the cavity insulation is already installed. Weep holes blocked by mortar or missing entirely at the base of the veneer before flashing is covered.
- 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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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 15 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.