What does this masonry rough-in checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering base and materials, layout and coursing, mortar and joints, reinforcement and cells. 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 mason foreman checking their own first courses, or the GC's superintendent verifying layout before the wall climbs.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the first course or two is set and before the wall gains enough height to make correcting layout or bond pattern disruptive.

Why does every item ask for a photo?

All 15 items call for photo evidence, 20 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 rough-in inspection?

Wall lines started off the survey control point, discovered only after several courses are up. Reinforcing bar and dowels placed off the drawn spacing, with no photo taken before mortar covers the cell. Mortar joints tooled inconsistently from the start, locking in a visible seam once the wall is finished.

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.

Free checklist

Masonry

Masonry rough-in inspection checklist

Masonry 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 TMS standards. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

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.

Base and materials

Bearing surface clean and true for the first bed joint
Footing or slab top free of laitance, debris and ice; high and low spots small enough for the bed joint the spec allows.
First course lands on its dowels or bearing ledge as drawn
Dowels land in cells to be grouted without field bending, or veneer bears on the ledge or angle with the overhang the detail allows; misses flagged to the engineer of record.
Units and mortar on site match the approved submittals
Pallet tags and mortar bag labels photographed: unit type, size and color and the mortar type match the approved submittal, not a substitute.

Layout and coursing

Wall lines and corners set to the layout
String lines and corner poles match the control points; wall thickness and offsets match the plan.
Coursing height and bond pattern consistent
Unit heights and running or stack bond pattern hold true across the wall, no drifting joint lines.
Units sound and free of defects before they're set
No chipped, cracked or spalled units placed at exposed faces or corners.
Wall plumb, level and in plane at corners and midspan
Level held on the face and top of the lift at corners, jambs and midspan, no lean or bow outside the spec'd tolerance.
Rough openings and lintel bearing set to the drawings
Door and window openings sized and located as drawn, lintel bearing length at each jamb matching the detail.

Mortar and joints

Mortar mixed and placed within workable time
Batch consistency uniform, no retempered mortar used past its working window.
Head and bed joints filled full
No voids visible at joint faces before tooling; furrowing not excessive at the bed joint.
Joints tooled to a consistent profile
Concave, weathered or struck profile matches the spec and is uniform course to course.
Fresh work covered and protected at the end of the shift
Tops of walls covered against rain, with blankets, enclosure, heat or wind screens added when the cold or hot weather plan calls for them.

Reinforcement and cells

Vertical bar placed and positioned before cells are built up around it
Bar size and spacing match the schedule, held centered in the cell with positioners.
Horizontal joint reinforcement set at the specified courses
Ladder or truss reinforcement present at every required course, lapped at splices.
Cleanout openings left at the base of cells to be grouted
Openings sized to allow debris removal, mortar droppings not blocking the cell below.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Wall lines started off the survey control point, discovered only after several courses are up.
Reinforcing bar and dowels placed off the drawn spacing, with no photo taken before mortar covers the cell.
Mortar joints tooled inconsistently from the start, locking in a visible seam once the wall is finished.

Verified against

TMS masonry standards

Common questions

6 answers

What does this masonry rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering base and materials, layout and coursing, mortar and joints, reinforcement and cells. 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 mason foreman checking their own first courses, or the GC's superintendent verifying layout before the wall climbs.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the first course or two is set and before the wall gains enough height to make correcting layout or bond pattern disruptive.
Why does every item ask for a photo?: All 15 items call for photo evidence, 20 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 rough-in inspection?: Wall lines started off the survey control point, discovered only after several courses are up. Reinforcing bar and dowels placed off the drawn spacing, with no photo taken before mortar covers the cell. Mortar joints tooled inconsistently from the start, locking in a visible seam once the wall is finished.
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

Masonry Pre-coverMasonry pre-cover inspection checklistThe hold-point walk before grouting and insulation seal cells, ties and weeps out of view14 items15 photos Masonry FinalMasonry final inspection checklistCompleted veneer or CMU walk checking finish, movement joints and cleaning before turnover15 items14 photos

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