Skip to content
RTI

Free checklist

Painting inspection checklist

Paint failures are almost always preparation failures, and preparation is invisible under the first coat. Capture the substrate and the conditions before the sprayer starts and the argument about who owns a peeling wall is already settled.

Items
12
Photos required
21
Built for
Subcontractors

Who runs it

Painting contractor; the GC verifies preparation before the first coat and finish at acceptance.

When in the schedule

Preparation before priming, conditions on each coating day, and acceptance under final lighting.

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

Surface preparation

  • Substrate clean, dry and sound

    No dust, grease or efflorescence; moisture within range for the substrate.

    2 photos

  • Patches, repairs and caulking complete and sanded

    Repairs feathered and spot-primed so they do not flash through.

    2 photos

  • Protection and masking in place

    Floors, hardware, glazing and finished surfaces covered before any spraying.

    2 photos
02

Conditions and materials

  • Temperature and humidity within the product range

    Record the readings on each coating day — a photo of the meter beats a memory.

    1 photo

  • Products match the approved submittal

    Photograph the can label; confirm sheen and system against the schedule.

    2 photos

  • Approved mock-up or sample available for comparison

    Colour and sheen compared against the accepted sample, not a chip.

    1 photo
03

Application

  • Primer appropriate to the substrate and fully applied

    Correct primer for drywall, masonry, metal or wood — not one primer for the job.

    2 photos

  • Coats applied at the specified thickness with recoat times observed

    Wet or dry film readings where specified; recoat windows respected.

    2 photos

  • Coverage uniform with no holidays, runs or lap marks

    Check at a low angle with a light; corners and cut lines are where it shows.

    2 photos
04

Acceptance

  • Cut lines straight and edges clean

    No bleed at trim, ceiling or colour changes.

    2 photos

  • Finish inspected under final lighting

    Walk with the installed fixtures on; document what is accepted.

    2 photos

  • Attic stock delivered and labelled

    Correct quantity, labelled by room and colour, stored where the owner will find it.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Painted over dust or an unprimed patch, then blamed on the product.
  • Applied outside the temperature or humidity range with no record of conditions.
  • Finish accepted under work lights, rejected the day the real fixtures go on.

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

Start freeTry the gate first

Submission state

Mandatory items answered12 of 12
Photos attached18 of 21
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.

Related checklists

DrywallDrywall inspection checklistPre-cover sign-off, hang, rated assemblies and finish level.12 items23 photosPunch listPunch list templateRoom-by-room closeout items with the before-and-after that closes them.15 items21 photosFinal inspectionFinal inspection checklist for constructionThe handover walk: systems, life safety, finishes and documentation.15 items25 photos

See all 69 checklists — 614 items and 1031 photo requirements in total.