Free checklist
Pre-drywall inspection checklist
The pre-drywall walk is the single most valuable inspection on a residential job, because it is the last time the whole assembly is visible at once. Run it as one list across all trades rather than four separate signoffs that never line up.
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.
Structure
Framing corrections from the structural walk completed
Close out every open framing item with a correction photo before covering.
No unauthorised notching or boring by rough-in trades
Walk each MEP run and check the members it passes through.
Rough-in
Electrical rough-in complete and boxes at finish depth
Devices located against the final furniture and cabinet plan.
Plumbing tested and still under test at the walk
Gauge readable in the photo, with the time noted.
Mechanical duct sealed and condensate trapped
Seals visible before insulation covers them.
Low voltage and future runs pulled
Data, AV and security runs in place. Retrofitting these after finish is the expensive kind of change order.
Envelope and insulation
Air sealing complete at plates, penetrations and rim
Every hole through the envelope sealed before insulation hides it.
Insulation installed without gaps or compression
Full contact at all six sides of the cavity; batts split around wiring, not compressed behind it.
Window and door flashing visible and correct
Sill pan and lapping visible from inside where the assembly allows.
Blocking and buyer selections
Blocking installed for every wall-hung item
Cabinets, grab bars, handrails, mounted displays, shelving.
Buyer-selected changes reflected in rough-in
Walk the current selection sheet against the wall in front of you.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Trades sign off on different days, so the last one covers a defect created by the second-to-last.
- Photos taken of the pretty wall and not the mechanical chase.
- Buyer-selected changes not reflected in blocking, discovered at trim.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this pre-drywall checklist cover?
- 11 items across 4 sections, covering structure, rough-in, envelope and insulation, blocking and buyer selections. 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?
- Builder's superintendent, with each trade foreman available to correct on the spot.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After every rough-in is complete and insulation is in, immediately before board is delivered.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- All 11 items call for photo evidence, 20 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 pre-drywall inspection?
- Trades sign off on different days, so the last one covers a defect created by the second-to-last. Photos taken of the pretty wall and not the mechanical chase. Buyer-selected changes not reflected in blocking, discovered at trim.
- 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 20 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.