Who should run this inspection?

The access floor foreman checking the understructure ahead of the panel crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing the room once the grid is set.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the slab is clean and the understructure is set, before panels drop and before the under-floor MEP and cabling are closed in over the pedestals.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 15 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 raised access flooring rough-in inspection?

Pedestals adhered to a dusty or unsealed slab, so the adhesive lets go under lateral load and the whole grid shifts. Understructure set to the slab instead of to a shot laid finished-floor line, so the grid follows every dip in the slab and panels rock. Grounding of the understructure left for later and then buried under panels and cable tray, never actually bonded.

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

Raised access flooring

Raised access flooring rough-in inspection checklist

Raised access flooring 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 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.

Submittals and room conditions

Panel and pedestal markings match the approved submittal
Panel, pedestal and stringer cartons or stamped markings checked against the approved submittal for system, panel type and finished-height range.
Panel load ratings matched to each zone on the drawings
Panel type planned for each room or zone carries the rolling-load and point-load ratings the drawings and manufacturer's data call for; heavier panels flagged for their zones.
No photo
Room enclosed and within the installation conditions
Room closed in, dry and held within the temperature and humidity range in the manufacturer's instructions, confirmed with the super before panels are brought in.
No photo

Subfloor preparation

Slab cleaned and sealed before pedestals
Slab swept and vacuumed free of dust and debris, sealed or primed per the adhesive requirement, dry before any pedestal is set.
Finished floor height and pedestal layout established
Pedestal grid laid out to the panel module from control lines, finished height shot to a benchmark, not eyeballed off the slab.
Slab high and low spots within the pedestal adjustment range
Slab surveyed against the finished-floor line; the highest and lowest points fall inside the pedestal's adjustment range, with grinding or other pedestal heights noted where they don't.
No photo

Pedestals and understructure

Pedestals adhered and heads locked at height
Full adhesive footprint under each base, pedestals plumb, head nuts locked so heights can't drift, no rocking base.
Stringers seated and grid level across the room
Stringers fastened into every head, grid checked level and square across the room and diagonally, corners not high or low.
Pedestal adhesive or anchor matches the approved submittal
Adhesive container label or anchor type on site matches the system's approved submittal and is applied the way the manufacturer's instructions show.
Perimeter pedestals set so cut panels bear on all sides
Extra pedestals placed along walls, columns and door frames per the shop drawings, so every cut panel at the perimeter is carried on its edges and not on the wall.
Bracing installed where the drawings show it
Stringer bracing, braced pedestals or anchored bases at the locations and spacing the drawings and manufacturer's details show; where none is shown, noted as not required.
No photo

Grounding and under-floor access

Understructure grounded and bonded
Grounding straps or bonding jumpers landed on the grid per the system, connections tight, before panels cover them.
Under-floor space clear before panels go on
MEP, cabling and any under-floor devices in and inspected, floor cavity clean, before the crew starts dropping panels.
Grid ground connection points match the drawings
Number and location of grounding connections on the pedestal grid match the drawings, and the electrical trade's conductor to the building ground is identified before panels close it.
No photo
Under-floor cabling and conduit clear of the understructure
Cable, conduit and pathways run by other trades don't bear on or tie to pedestals and stringers, and no pedestal was moved off its layout point to make room.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Pedestals adhered to a dusty or unsealed slab, so the adhesive lets go under lateral load and the whole grid shifts.
Understructure set to the slab instead of to a shot laid finished-floor line, so the grid follows every dip in the slab and panels rock.
Grounding of the understructure left for later and then buried under panels and cable tray, never actually bonded.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this raised access flooring rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering submittals and room conditions, subfloor preparation, pedestals and understructure, grounding and under-floor access. 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 access floor foreman checking the understructure ahead of the panel crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing the room once the grid is set.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the slab is clean and the understructure is set, before panels drop and before the under-floor MEP and cabling are closed in over the pedestals.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 15 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 raised access flooring rough-in inspection?: Pedestals adhered to a dusty or unsealed slab, so the adhesive lets go under lateral load and the whole grid shifts. Understructure set to the slab instead of to a shot laid finished-floor line, so the grid follows every dip in the slab and panels rock. Grounding of the understructure left for later and then buried under panels and cable tray, never actually bonded.
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 15 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.