What does this rainscreen cladding pre-cover checklist cover?

14 items across 5 sections, covering drainage cavity, flashings and terminations, weeps and venting, fire-rated cavity barriers, 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 cladding foreman with the GC's superintendent, at the hold point right before the panels close the cavity.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After sub-framing and flashings are complete and before panel install starts, the last moment the cavity and barrier are visible.

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 rainscreen cladding pre-cover inspection?

The drainage cavity blocked by insulation, sealant or debris so water can not drain or the wall can not vent behind the panels. Head, sill and base flashings lapped backward or left short, so the flashing sheds water into the cavity instead of out of it. Weep and vent openings at the base and heads left blocked, trapping water and moisture behind the panel skin.

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

Rainscreen cladding

Rainscreen cladding pre-cover inspection checklist

A rainscreen cladding pre-cover inspection is the hold point before concealed work disappears behind the next layer. This checklist is built for that walk: verify, photograph, then release the cover, not the other way around. Work is commonly verified against the applicable building/energy 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.

Drainage cavity

Cavity open, vented and clear behind the sub-framing
Continuous air gap behind the panel line, cavity free of sealant, insulation and debris, path for water to drain and air to move confirmed.
Cavity depth held to the wall section at its tightest point
Gap from the insulation or backup face to the panel line measured at bowed boards, girt splices and corners; depth matches the wall section with no pinch points.
Insulation dry, fastened and undamaged before panels close it
No wet, crushed or wind-torn boards; loose boards re-fastened and damaged pieces replaced while the insulation is still in reach.
No photo

Flashings and terminations

Head, sill and base flashings lapped to drain outward
Flashings integrated with the WRB, lapped so water sheds to the exterior, end dams where required, no reverse laps at openings or transitions.
Subframe and insulation stopped short at opening returns
Girts, clips and insulation end where the opening detail shows, leaving room for the sill flashing slope and the jamb and head trims.
Base termination set at the wall section's height above grade or roof
Base flashing or starter track set at the clearance above finished grade, paving or roof the wall section shows, so splash and snow cannot bridge into the cavity.

Weeps and venting

Weep and vent openings clear at base and heads
Base track weeps and vent openings open and unobstructed so the cavity drains and breathes once the panels are on.
Insect screen closed at the base, top and heads of the cavity
Perforated closure or mesh run full length at the base and at the parapet or soffit and opening heads, lapped at corners, with openings clear so the cavity drains and vents.

Fire-rated cavity barriers

Cavity barrier locations checked against the code plan
Where the code plan shows cavity fire barriers at floor lines or compartment lines, each location is marked on the elevation before panels go on.
No photo
Cavity barrier type and orientation match the approved submittal
Where barriers are required, the product, its ventilated or solid type and the up-side orientation match the submittal the design team approved.
No photo
Cavity barriers tight to wall and girts with no gaps
Where barriers are shown, they run continuous through girts, splices and corners on the brackets the manufacturer lists, with no open gaps around clips.
No photo
Ventilated barriers keep the air gap their listing needs
Where intumescent barriers vent the cavity, the gap to the panel back matches the manufacturer's value and nothing plugs it before panels close.
No photo

Panel-ready hold point

Girt lines match the panel joint layout before panels start
Girts or rails sit under every panel's fastening edge or clip line shown on the shop drawings, so no panel edge lands between supports.
Open-cavity walk released by gridline before panels go on
Superintendent and cladding foreman walked the open cavity, listed open items by gridline and elevation, and panels start only on the bays released.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

The drainage cavity blocked by insulation, sealant or debris so water can not drain or the wall can not vent behind the panels.
Head, sill and base flashings lapped backward or left short, so the flashing sheds water into the cavity instead of out of it.
Weep and vent openings at the base and heads left blocked, trapping water and moisture behind the panel skin.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this rainscreen cladding pre-cover checklist cover?: 14 items across 5 sections, covering drainage cavity, flashings and terminations, weeps and venting, fire-rated cavity barriers, 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 cladding foreman with the GC's superintendent, at the hold point right before the panels close the cavity.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After sub-framing and flashings are complete and before panel install starts, the last moment the cavity and barrier are visible.
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 rainscreen cladding pre-cover inspection?: The drainage cavity blocked by insulation, sealant or debris so water can not drain or the wall can not vent behind the panels. Head, sill and base flashings lapped backward or left short, so the flashing sheds water into the cavity instead of out of it. Weep and vent openings at the base and heads left blocked, trapping water and moisture behind the panel skin.
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 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.