Free checklist
PlumbingPlumbing rough-in inspection checklist
Plumbing 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 IPC / UPC family. 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.
Drain, waste and vent
Slope on horizontal drain lines
Level held against the pipe showing consistent fall toward the direction of flow, no bellies or reverse pitch.
Cleanouts placed and accessible
Cleanout location marked and photographed before it's buried in slab or wall, plug seated and accessible.
Vent terminations sized and routed correctly
Vent stack diameter matches the fixture unit load, no vents tied into a return air path.
Drain fittings suited to each change of direction
Wyes, long sweeps or combination fittings where horizontal drains turn or join; no sanitary tee laid on its back.
Drain joints made up the way the pipe manufacturer requires
Plastic joints primed where required and bottomed in the socket, no-hub couplings tightened to the listed torque; no dry, cocked or gapped joints.
Piping support and protection
Pipe supported at the required intervals
Hangers or strapping at the spacing appropriate to the pipe material, no sagging between supports.
Nail plates and sleeves at framing penetrations
Steel plates over pipe within the setback from the stud edge, sleeves at slab and wall penetrations.
Underground piping bedded and free of debris before backfill
Pipe resting on clean bedding material, no rocks or construction debris in the trench.
Supply pipe isolated from framing and hangers
Grommets or isolators where pipe passes through metal studs, copper kept off bare steel straps, and no pipe rubbing or rattling against framing.
Water piping and pressure test
Supply piping sized and material matches the design
Pipe diameter and material stamp match the plan set at each run and branch.
Pressure test gauge held for the full duration
Gauge reading recorded at the start and again at the end of the hold period, no visible drop.
Backflow and shutoff valve locations set per plan
Valves installed at the marked locations, accessible and oriented for correct operation.
Hot and cold supplies on the correct side of each fixture
Hot on the left and cold on the right at every stub-out as you face the fixture, unless the fixture's rough-in sheet shows otherwise.
Test method and pressure agreed before the system is charged
Water or air test and the test pressure confirmed with the AHJ, and within the pipe manufacturer's limits, before filling or pressurizing.
No photoWalls with pipe under test flagged so no one screws into them
Walls and ceilings holding charged piping marked on the framing and called out to the electricians and board hangers until the test hold ends.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Drain lines photographed dry with no level or slope reading to prove the fall.
- Pressure test gauges photographed at the start of the hold, not at the end when the drop actually shows.
- Cleanouts buried in the slab or wall with no location recorded before cover.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this plumbing rough-in checklist cover?
- 15 items across 3 sections, covering drain, waste and vent, piping support and protection, water piping and pressure test. 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 plumbing foreman walking their own rough-in ahead of the pressure test and the AHJ inspection.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After underground and in-wall drain, waste, vent and supply piping is run, before backfill or wall closure and before the pressure test is called.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 13 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 18 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 plumbing rough-in inspection?
- Drain lines photographed dry with no level or slope reading to prove the fall. Pressure test gauges photographed at the start of the hold, not at the end when the drop actually shows. Cleanouts buried in the slab or wall with no location recorded before cover.
- 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 18 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.