Free checklist
Retaining wallsRetaining walls final inspection checklist
Retaining walls final inspection is where the punch list is either short or expensive. This checklist walks the finished work the way an owner or AHJ will see it: devices on, systems running, everything labeled. Each item gets the photo that closes it instead of reopening it. Work is commonly verified against the project geotechnical report and specifications, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 9
- Built for
- General contractors
Who runs it
The GC's superintendent with the wall foreman, and the geotech or surveyor where the design calls for monitoring.
When in the schedule
After the wall is topped out, capped and the site is graded, before the area is released and any survey or settlement monitoring baseline is closed out.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Alignment and batter
- 2 photos
Wall face to line, grade and design batter
Face sighted along its length for bulges or dishing, batter checked against the design, no course stepped out of alignment.
- 1 photo
Survey or monitoring points read where required
Any specified survey or movement-monitoring points established and baselined, readings recorded against the design tolerance.
Caps and top of wall
- 2 photos
Cap units set, adhered and aligned
Caps continuous along the top, bonded with the specified adhesive, joints tight and top edge to a straight line.
Drainage and condition
- 2 photos
Drainage outlets located and flowing
Outlets and cleanouts daylighting where shown, clear of graded fill, water able to leave the drainage zone.
- 2 photos
Overall wall condition sound
No cracked, spalled or displaced units, no separation at corners or steps, grading directing surface water away from the top.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Drainage outlets buried or graded over during site finishing, so the wall drains nowhere and heads pressure up behind it.
- Cap units set dry and never adhered, then walked loose by foot traffic along the top of the wall.
- Alignment eyeballed as straight while a section has crept out of batter under the first backfill and is never surveyed.
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 9 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this retaining walls final checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering alignment and batter, caps and top of wall, drainage and condition. 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 GC's superintendent with the wall foreman, and the geotech or surveyor where the design calls for monitoring.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After the wall is topped out, capped and the site is graded, before the area is released and any survey or settlement monitoring baseline is closed out.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. 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 retaining walls final inspection?
- Drainage outlets buried or graded over during site finishing, so the wall drains nowhere and heads pressure up behind it. Cap units set dry and never adhered, then walked loose by foot traffic along the top of the wall. Alignment eyeballed as straight while a section has crept out of batter under the first backfill and is never surveyed.
- 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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