What does this polished concrete final checklist cover?

13 items across 5 sections, covering aggregate exposure and cut, densify and polish sequence, sheen and clarity, joints and edges, and more. 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 polishing crew lead with the GC's superintendent, walking the finished floor before protection goes down and before turnover.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the full grind, densify and polish sequence is finished, before the floor is covered for protection and before the owner's walk.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 12 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 polished concrete final inspection?

Sheen and clarity that vary between passes or between crews, so the floor reads blotchy under raking light even though every area was polished. A grit step skipped to save time, leaving swirl marks and haze that no amount of the final burnish removes. Aggregate exposure inconsistent across the floor, cream finish in one bay and salt-and-pepper in the next, because the first cut depth wandered.

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

Polished concrete

Polished concrete final inspection checklist

Polished concrete 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 concrete floor test methods, manufacturer's published instructions. 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.

Aggregate exposure and cut

Aggregate exposure consistent and to the approved look
Exposure matches the approved mock-up across the whole floor, no bays cut deeper than others, edges worked to the same exposure as the field.
Floor walked at final sheen for color breaks at patches and joints
Patches, filled joints and repairs viewed at the finished sheen for color and gloss difference from the slab, compared against the mockup, with any that stand out logged.
No grinder chatter, gouges or pad lines in the cut
Surface looked at low and with a light for chatter marks, edge grinder gouges and lines where pads overlapped between passes.

Densify and polish sequence

Densifier applied and full grit sequence completed
Densifier applied per the product and allowed to react, every grit step run in order with no skipped passes, swirl and haze polished out.
Guard applied at the listed coverage and burnished
Guard from the approved submittal applied at the manufacturer's coverage with no puddles, streaks or roller marks, burnished to the finish the mockup shows.
Crew log shows every grit step and product by area
Daily log lists the grits run, densifier and guard application times and products by area, matching the written sequence from the spec and mockup.
No photo

Sheen and clarity

Sheen and clarity uniform across the floor
Specified gloss level reached and even under raking light, reflection clear and consistent field to edge, no dull or blotchy areas.
Gloss or clarity reading taken against the spec's target
Readings or the finish class check taken at spread locations the spec calls for, each recorded with its location against the target and the mockup.

Joints and edges

Joints finished as specified, filler flush where filled
Filler shaved flush with the polished surface, color per the spec and mockup, no voids, pull-away or overfill smeared on the floor; open joints clean.
Dried slurry cleaned off wall bases, frames and drains
No slurry or grinding dust left at wall bases, door frames, floor drains or in joints, so residue does not track back onto the polished floor.

Protection and handover

Protection laid over the cured guard before trades return
Covering the guard manufacturer allows laid after the guard's cure time, taped with a tape that will not mark the finish, seams closed on cart routes.
Cleaner, pads and burnish schedule for the floor given to the owner
Owner has the cleaner type, scrubber pads and burnishing frequency the guard manufacturer lists, and the cleaners that would etch or dull the floor.
No photo
Densifier and guard product data and readings in the closeout file
Product data, lot numbers, the grit sequence and the recorded gloss or clarity readings filed by area for the turnover package.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Sheen and clarity that vary between passes or between crews, so the floor reads blotchy under raking light even though every area was polished.
A grit step skipped to save time, leaving swirl marks and haze that no amount of the final burnish removes.
Aggregate exposure inconsistent across the floor, cream finish in one bay and salt-and-pepper in the next, because the first cut depth wandered.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this polished concrete final checklist cover?: 13 items across 5 sections, covering aggregate exposure and cut, densify and polish sequence, sheen and clarity, joints and edges, and more. 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 polishing crew lead with the GC's superintendent, walking the finished floor before protection goes down and before turnover.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the full grind, densify and polish sequence is finished, before the floor is covered for protection and before the owner's walk.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 12 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 polished concrete final inspection?: Sheen and clarity that vary between passes or between crews, so the floor reads blotchy under raking light even though every area was polished. A grit step skipped to save time, leaving swirl marks and haze that no amount of the final burnish removes. Aggregate exposure inconsistent across the floor, cream finish in one bay and salt-and-pepper in the next, because the first cut depth wandered.
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

Polished concrete Rough-inPolished concrete rough-in inspection checklistSlab read, cleaned and repaired so the surface is flat, sound and ready to grind before the polishing sequence starts14 items10 photos Polished concrete PunchPolished concrete punch checklistCloseout callbacks for haze, scratches and traffic damage on a polished floor that is also the finished surface9 items6 photos

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