Skip to content
RTI

Free checklist

Portland cement plaster (stucco)

Portland cement plaster (stucco) final inspection checklist

Portland cement plaster (stucco) final inspection is where the punch list is either short or expensive. This checklist walks the finished work the way an owner or AHJ will see it: devices on, systems running, everything labeled. Each item gets the photo that closes it instead of reopening it. Work is commonly verified against ASTM C926 / C1063 guidance, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Items
6
Photos required
10

Who runs it

The GC's superintendent with the plastering foreman, walking finished elevations before turnover walks begin.

When in the schedule

After the finish coat is on and the wall has taken its cure, before staging comes down and the owner's punch walk.

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

Coat application

  • Scratch and brown coat thickness verified

    Scratch coat fully embedding the lath and scored, brown coat rodded straight and plumb, combined base thickness meeting the assembly before the finish coat.

    2 photos
  • Moist-cure observed between coats

    Evidence the base coats were kept damp and given time before the next coat, not stacked wet-on-green or dried out in the sun.

    1 photo
02

Finish coat

  • Finish texture consistent across the wall

    Chosen texture worked the same way over the whole elevation, no trowel-heavy or starved areas, edges kept wet so passes blend.

    2 photos
  • Color uniform with no cold joints

    Color even across and between elevations, no blotching or lap lines where work stopped and restarted, corners and returns matching the field.

    2 photos
03

Joints and terminations

  • Control joints honored, not plastered over

    Control and expansion joints left open and clean through the finish, not bridged by plaster, sealant where the detail calls for it.

    2 photos
  • Terminations and weep screed left working

    Finish stopped clean at casing beads, weep screed weeps and drainage slots not buried by finish or dropped mortar.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Brown coat rushed on top of a green scratch coat with no moist-cure, so the coats shrink at different rates and map-crack.
  • Total thickness short because the scratch and brown coats were thinned to stretch material, leaving the lath barely covered.
  • Finish coat color floated in patches on different days without a wet edge, leaving cold joints and blotchy color across the elevation.

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

Submission state

Mandatory items answered6 of 6
Photos attached7 of 10
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.

Common questions

What does this portland cement plaster (stucco) final checklist cover?
6 items across 3 sections, covering coat application, finish coat, joints and terminations. 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 plastering foreman, walking finished elevations before turnover walks begin.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?
After the finish coat is on and the wall has taken its cure, before staging comes down and the owner's punch walk.
Why does every item ask for a photo?
10 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. 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 portland cement plaster (stucco) final inspection?
Brown coat rushed on top of a green scratch coat with no moist-cure, so the coats shrink at different rates and map-crack. Total thickness short because the scratch and brown coats were thinned to stretch material, leaving the lath barely covered. Finish coat color floated in patches on different days without a wet edge, leaving cold joints and blotchy color across the elevation.
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.