What does this pre-pour checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering subgrade and preparation, formwork, reinforcement and embeds, placement readiness. 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?

Concrete foreman and the GC superintendent, with the special inspector where one is required.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

The day before placement, and again immediately before the first truck. Conditions change overnight.

Why does every item ask for a photo?

All 13 items call for photo evidence, 23 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-pour inspection?

Rebar cover verified by eye, with no photo of a chair or a measurement. Embeds and sleeves confirmed against an outdated drawing revision. Subgrade wet or disturbed by weather between the walk and the pour, with no second look.

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

Pre-pour concrete checklist

There is no re-inspection after a pour. Everything on this list is either photographed before concrete covers it or it is gone. Run this walk with enough lead time that a correction does not cost you the truck.

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.

Subgrade and preparation

Subgrade compacted, proof-rolled and free of standing water
Uniform bearing, no soft spots, no frozen or saturated ground.
Vapor barrier installed, lapped and sealed at penetrations
Laps at the required width, tears repaired, sealed at pipes and at the perimeter.
Base material to the correct depth
Measure it and photograph the measurement, not just the surface.

Formwork

Forms to line, grade and dimension
Check diagonals for square, elevations against the benchmark, and the top of form against finish elevation.
Forms braced, tight and released
Bracing adequate for the placement rate; joints tight enough to prevent paste loss; release agent applied.
Joint locations laid out as designed
Construction, control and isolation joints marked before the pour, not decided during it.

Reinforcement and embeds

Bar size, spacing and lap lengths match the drawings
Spot-measure spacing and lap length; photograph a tape in frame.
Cover maintained on all faces
Chairs and spacers at the correct height and frequency; no bars resting on the vapor barrier.
Dowels, anchor bolts and embeds set, located and secured
Verify against the current drawing revision; templates used where accuracy matters.
Sleeves and blockouts installed for other trades
Walk it with the MEP drawings. A missed sleeve becomes a core drill.

Placement readiness

Mix design approved and matched to the ticket
Check the delivered ticket against the approved mix before discharge.
Access, equipment and crew ready for the placement rate
Pump or chute access clear, vibrators on site and working, finishing crew staffed.
Weather conditions and curing plan confirmed
Hot- or cold-weather measures ready before placement, not improvised after.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Rebar cover verified by eye, with no photo of a chair or a measurement.
Embeds and sleeves confirmed against an outdated drawing revision.
Subgrade wet or disturbed by weather between the walk and the pour, with no second look.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this pre-pour checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering subgrade and preparation, formwork, reinforcement and embeds, placement readiness. 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?: Concrete foreman and the GC superintendent, with the special inspector where one is required.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: The day before placement, and again immediately before the first truck. Conditions change overnight.
Why does every item ask for a photo?: All 13 items call for photo evidence, 23 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-pour inspection?: Rebar cover verified by eye, with no photo of a chair or a measurement. Embeds and sleeves confirmed against an outdated drawing revision. Subgrade wet or disturbed by weather between the walk and the pour, with no second look.
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 23 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.