Free checklist
Portland cement plaster (stucco)Portland cement plaster (stucco) rough-in inspection checklist
Portland cement plaster (stucco) 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 ASTM C926 / C1063 guidance, the applicable building code. 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.
Substrate and readiness
Sheathing and framing received flat and nailed off
No bowed studs, proud sheathing edges, or swollen or delaminated panels that would force thick spots or telegraph through the plaster; sheathing nailed to the framing.
Barrier, lath and accessory labels match the submittal
Barrier rolls, lath bundles and bead cartons at the wall carry the product, weight or gauge and material shown on the approved submittal.
Weather protection and cure water arranged before scratch
Tenting, heat or shade and a water source for moist curing set up with the super ahead of the scratch coat, based on the forecast and the product's temperature limits.
No photo
Water-resistive barrier
Barrier layers and shingle laps verified
Required number of barrier layers present, horizontal laps shingled over the course below, vertical laps offset, tape or seams intact behind where the lath will sit.
Barrier integrated with flashings and openings
Barrier lapped over sill flashing and under head flashing at openings, penetrations sealed, no reverse laps that would channel water into the wall.
Barrier walked for tears and fastener damage before lath
Wind tears, staple pull-throughs and scaffold scrapes in each layer patched and lapped shingle-fashion so the drainage plane is whole before lath covers it.
WRB left uncovered no longer than its UV exposure rating
Days the barrier has sat uncovered in sun and weather checked against the manufacturer's exposure limit, faded or brittle sections replaced before lath.
No photo
Lath and furring
Lath type, orientation and self-furring confirmed
Correct lath for the assembly, cups facing up so the scratch coat keys, self-furring dimples or separate furring holding the lath off the barrier for full embedment.
Fastening and lath laps checked
Fasteners into framing at the specified spacing, lath side and end laps overlapped and tied, no loose or drumming panels.
Lath cut at every control joint
Lath broken behind each control and expansion joint accessory, not run continuous or tied across it, so the joint is free to move as designed.
Interior plaster base matched to the substrate
Interior work: gypsum or metal lath, veneer base, or a bonding agent on concrete and masonry matched to the plaster system in the approved submittal.
No photo
Accessories
Casing beads, weep screed and corner beads placed
Weep screed continuous at the base holding its clearance above grade and paving, casing beads at all terminations, corner beads plumb and straight.
Control and expansion joints located
Joints placed to break up large panel areas and to land at openings and floor lines, accessories lapped to the barrier so joints do not become leak paths.
Grounds and screeds set to the finished plaster plane
Bead and screed grounds set out from the lath to the total plaster thickness the drawings and system call for, straight and in plane so the crew can rod to them.
Accessory ends and intersections spliced or fitted
Bead and screed ends butted with splice pieces or lapped as the manufacturer shows, joint intersections made with the fitting pieces, no open gaps at the meets.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A single layer of barrier where the substrate calls for two, so there is no drainage plane behind the plaster.
- Weep screed set tight to the slab or below grade instead of holding the required clearance above earth and paving.
- Lath run continuous across the sheathing joints and window corners with no control or casing bead, guaranteeing a crack there later.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this portland cement plaster (stucco) rough-in checklist cover?
- 15 items across 4 sections, covering substrate and readiness, water-resistive barrier, lath and furring, accessories. 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 plastering foreman walking the wall ahead of the scratch crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing elevations before lath is buried.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After lath and accessories are up and before any scratch coat goes on, while a missed lap or a wrong bead can still be pulled and reset.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 17 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 portland cement plaster (stucco) rough-in inspection?
- A single layer of barrier where the substrate calls for two, so there is no drainage plane behind the plaster. Weep screed set tight to the slab or below grade instead of holding the required clearance above earth and paving. Lath run continuous across the sheathing joints and window corners with no control or casing bead, guaranteeing a crack there later.
- 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
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 17 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.