What does this polished concrete rough-in checklist cover?

14 items across 5 sections, covering spec, mockup and products, slab condition and flatness, repairs and crack treatment, surface cleaned and open, 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 assessing the slab, or the GC's superintendent walking the floor before grinding begins.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the slab has cured and other trades are largely off the floor, before the first grind cut and before repairs get polished over.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 10 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 rough-in inspection?

Cracks, spalls and pop-outs filled with a patch that grinds to a different color and sheen than the slab, leaving a visible scar in the finished floor. Curing compound, adhesive or paint over-spray left on the surface, so the densifier will not penetrate evenly where it is contaminated. Floor flatness never checked, so low spots and high spots that the grinder can not correct show as an uneven finish once the sheen comes up.

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 rough-in inspection checklist

Polished concrete 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 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.

Spec, mockup and products

Approved mockup identified as the reference for the floor
Mockup location and its approval record known, with the grits, densifier and guard used on it written down before production grinding starts.
No photo
Grind and polish sequence written out from the spec and mockup
Starting grit, each grit step, where the densifier goes in the sequence and the final grit listed per the spec and the approved mockup for every crew.
No photo
Densifier, guard and filler labels match the approved submittal
Container labels for the densifier, guard and joint filler where used show the product, color and lot the approved submittal lists.
Target gloss or finish class confirmed from the specification
Specified gloss target or finish class, and the aggregate exposure class, confirmed from the spec and the approved mockup so the final walk has a target to read against.
No photo

Slab condition and flatness

Slab flatness and levelness assessed before grinding
Floor checked for flatness and low spots, high and low areas identified, exposure of aggregate agreed with the owner before the first cut sets the look.
Stains, trowel burns and surface marks mapped on the floor plan
Existing stains, rust marks, trowel burns and embedded debris located and logged by area, so the owner sees what will show before the first cut.
Slab protection kept in place from placement onward
Floor covered or kept clear of lift tires, pipe cutting oil, hydraulic leaks and rusting steel stored on it; no fresh staining under the protection.

Repairs and crack treatment

Cracks, spalls and joints repaired with matched material
Cracks and spalls routed and filled, control joints filled where specified, repair material chosen to take polish and color close to the slab.
Joint filler timing set in the grind sequence
Point in the sequence where joints get filled and shaved, and the slab age the filler needs, taken from the spec, the mockup and the filler manufacturer.
No photo
Embedded pins, nails and anchors pulled or cut below grind depth
Layout pins, shot pins, tie wire and abandoned anchors removed or cut below the planned cut depth so they do not tear pads or leave rust spots.
No photo

Surface cleaned and open

Contaminants removed so the surface will accept densifier
Curing compound, coatings, adhesive and stains removed, the surface clean and open so the densifier can penetrate uniformly.

Dust and slurry control

Wet grinding or vacuum extraction set up before the first pass
Grinders run wet with slurry contained, or dry with the shroud connected to a vacuum extractor per the project's dust control plan; no dry grinding without extraction.
Slurry and dust disposal route agreed with the super
Where slurry is squeegeed and collected, how drains and doorways are dammed, and how bagged dust leaves the building settled before grinding starts.
No photo
Walls, frames and adjacent finishes protected from slurry
Wall bases, door frames and finished surfaces next to the floor masked or shielded so slurry and edge grinder spray do not reach them.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Cracks, spalls and pop-outs filled with a patch that grinds to a different color and sheen than the slab, leaving a visible scar in the finished floor.
Curing compound, adhesive or paint over-spray left on the surface, so the densifier will not penetrate evenly where it is contaminated.
Floor flatness never checked, so low spots and high spots that the grinder can not correct show as an uneven finish once the sheen comes up.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this polished concrete rough-in checklist cover?: 14 items across 5 sections, covering spec, mockup and products, slab condition and flatness, repairs and crack treatment, surface cleaned and open, 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 assessing the slab, or the GC's superintendent walking the floor before grinding begins.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the slab has cured and other trades are largely off the floor, before the first grind cut and before repairs get polished over.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 10 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 rough-in inspection?: Cracks, spalls and pop-outs filled with a patch that grinds to a different color and sheen than the slab, leaving a visible scar in the finished floor. Curing compound, adhesive or paint over-spray left on the surface, so the densifier will not penetrate evenly where it is contaminated. Floor flatness never checked, so low spots and high spots that the grinder can not correct show as an uneven finish once the sheen comes up.
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.

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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.