What does this public address and paging system annual checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering audibility survey, amplifier and stations, backup, interfaces and close-out. 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 low-voltage service lead on the annual system service.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, scheduled after hours so a full-volume survey can run through every zone without disturbing occupants.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

7 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 8 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 public address and paging system annual inspection?

Audibility checked from the amplifier rack instead of walked in the spaces, so dead speakers and dead pockets go unfound. Backup power confirmed only by its indicator and never load-tested, so it fails to carry the amplifier when it is actually needed.

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

Public address and paging system annual maintenance checklist

The annual public address and paging system service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against the applicable building code, 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.

Audibility survey

Owner and occupants told before the after-hours survey
Owner and anyone working late told when full-volume paging will run in each zone, security and night staff included, so the survey is not mistaken for a real page.
No photo
Full audibility and intelligibility survey walked zone by zone
Every zone paged and confirmed audible and intelligible throughout the area it covers, dead pockets and weak spots logged for correction.
Page level read on a sound level meter in noisy areas
Level read in the loudest occupied areas with a page running and again with ambient only, compared with last year's readings, low margins logged by zone.
Speaker lines and drivers checked for opens and shorts
Each speaker line checked for continuity and load, no failed drivers, taps set correctly for the space they serve.
Speaker mounting, backboxes and pendant supports checked
Each speaker secured to its tile bridge, backbox or support, pendant speakers hung from their own support, no speaker resting loose in the ceiling.

Amplifier and stations

Rack power locked and tagged before amplifier covers come off
Every rack feed and any UPS output locked and tagged; for a powered test, covers on and locks removed by whoever hung them, then re-locked before hands go back in.
Amplifier and paging stations serviced and terminations checked
Amplifier cleaned and free of fault, terminations tight, paging and mic stations keying and releasing correctly with clean audio.
Amplifier gain and output settings recorded against the baseline
Gain, limiter and output levels per channel read from the front panel or software and compared with the commissioning settings, changes noted and explained.
Speaker line fault detection tested and its indication seen
Where lines are supervised, a speaker line opened at the head end brings up its fault for the right zone, then clears when the line is restored.
No photo
Page priority and all-call override tested between stations
Where there is more than one station, a higher-priority page or all-call takes over a lower one as programmed, and the lower page resumes or drops cleanly.
No photo

Backup

Backup batteries or UPS checked for date, swelling and leaks
Where the PA has backup, battery date codes within the manufacturer's service life, cases not swollen or leaking, terminals clean and the charger showing normal.
No photo
Backup power load-tested with utility power removed
Utility power dropped and the amplifier confirmed carrying a page on backup for its rated interval, with no dropout or distortion and the result documented.
No photo

Interfaces and close-out

Fire alarm or mass notification interface test observed
Where interfaced, the fire alarm contractor tests the interface under its own notices, and the PA is seen to mute or hand over, then restore. No fire alarm test is repeated here.
No photo
Utility power restored and the system left in normal operation
Utility power back on, backup recharging, rack covers on, zones, music and volumes at normal settings, and the owner told paging is back in service.
No photo
Annual survey report filed with dead pockets and deficiencies
Report lists sound level readings, faulted lines, failed speakers and station defects by zone, and is kept as next year's baseline for the survey.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Audibility checked from the amplifier rack instead of walked in the spaces, so dead speakers and dead pockets go unfound.
Backup power confirmed only by its indicator and never load-tested, so it fails to carry the amplifier when it is actually needed.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this public address and paging system annual checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering audibility survey, amplifier and stations, backup, interfaces and close-out. 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 low-voltage service lead on the annual system service.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, scheduled after hours so a full-volume survey can run through every zone without disturbing occupants.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 7 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 8 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 public address and paging system annual inspection?: Audibility checked from the amplifier rack instead of walked in the spaces, so dead speakers and dead pockets go unfound. Backup power confirmed only by its indicator and never load-tested, so it fails to carry the amplifier when it is actually needed.
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

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