What does this metal wall panels rough-in checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering panels on site and layout, substrate and framing, weather barrier and flashing, clips and fasteners. 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 panel foreman checking each elevation ahead of the setting crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing walls before panels go up.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After girts or subgirts, the water-resistive barrier and flashing are in, before panels start. Once the wall is covered, a barrier lap or a missed flashing can't be seen or fixed.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 metal wall panels rough-in inspection?

Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal joint, shingling water behind the barrier instead of over it. Counterflashing and end dams skipped at a head or a transition because the panel delivery was already staged. Clips fastened to a bowed or out-of-plane girt line, so the finished panels telegraph the waviness and oil-can along the run.

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

Metal wall panels

Metal wall panels rough-in inspection checklist

Metal wall panels 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 manufacturer's published instructions, the applicable building code. 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.

Panels on site and layout

Panel bundle tags match the approved submittal
Bundle tag or crate label photographed showing profile, gauge, finish and color, matched to the approved submittal before panels go up.
Panels stored sloped, off the ground and covered
Bundles on dunnage with one end raised to drain, covered with a breathable tarp, no wet-storage stain or water trapped between nested sheets.
Current shop drawings on site for the elevation being set
The approved panel shop drawings for this elevation (layout, clip spacing and trim details) on site at the current revision, open review comments resolved.
No photo
Starting line and module layout marked on the wall
Plumb and level control lines snapped per the shop drawings, module worked out to corners and openings so cut panels land where the layout shows them.

Substrate and framing

Girts or subgirts straight, plumb and in plane
Girt and subgirt lines checked with a string or level across the elevation, plane consistent so panels lie flat, shims added where the line is out.
Girts and subgirts fastened to the structure at every support
Each girt or subgirt attached at the spacing and with the fastener the approved drawings show, no skipped studs or connections left loose for later.

Weather barrier and flashing

Water-resistive barrier continuous and correctly lapped
Barrier continuous over the substrate, laps shingled to shed water downward, seams and penetrations sealed per the manufacturer.
Flashing and counterflashing installed at transitions
Head, sill, jamb and transition flashing in place with end dams and correct laps, integrated with the barrier to drain to the exterior face.
Barrier and flashing tape labels match the approved submittal
Roll labels for the water-resistive barrier, flashing membrane and tape photographed and matched to the submittal, all from the compatible system the manufacturer lists.
Base flashing lapped under the barrier at the bottom of the wall
Base or starter flashing set along the foundation or sill line, barrier lapped over its vertical leg, drip projecting past the face below.
Barrier exposure time within the manufacturer's limit
Date the barrier went up noted for each elevation and compared with the UV exposure limit the manufacturer publishes, so panels cover it in time.
No photo

Clips and fasteners

Clip layout and fasteners match the approved pattern
Clip spacing and fastener type per the approved layout, fasteners into the framing and set to the right tension, no missed or spun fasteners along the line.
Clip and fastener metals compatible with the panel
Clip material and fastener coating as the manufacturer lists for this panel metal, isolators in place wherever dissimilar metals would touch.
Base starter trim set level on the layout line
Starter or base trim fastened straight and level along the bottom of the wall, so the first course of panels starts true and the module holds.
Other trades' wall penetrations in before panels start
Super confirms pipes, ducts, conduits and supports that pass through this elevation are roughed in at their final location, so panels are not cut and patched later.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal joint, shingling water behind the barrier instead of over it.
Counterflashing and end dams skipped at a head or a transition because the panel delivery was already staged.
Clips fastened to a bowed or out-of-plane girt line, so the finished panels telegraph the waviness and oil-can along the run.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this metal wall panels rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering panels on site and layout, substrate and framing, weather barrier and flashing, clips and fasteners. 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 panel foreman checking each elevation ahead of the setting crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing walls before panels go up.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After girts or subgirts, the water-resistive barrier and flashing are in, before panels start. Once the wall is covered, a barrier lap or a missed flashing can't be seen or fixed.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 metal wall panels rough-in inspection?: Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal joint, shingling water behind the barrier instead of over it. Counterflashing and end dams skipped at a head or a transition because the panel delivery was already staged. Clips fastened to a bowed or out-of-plane girt line, so the finished panels telegraph the waviness and oil-can along the run.
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 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.