Free checklist
Retaining wallsRetaining walls rough-in inspection checklist
Retaining walls 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 the project geotechnical report and specifications, the applicable building code. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 12
- Built for
- General contractors
Who runs it
The GC's superintendent walking the wall with the installing crew's foreman, releasing each lift before backfill covers it.
When in the schedule
As the wall is built — the leveling pad and base course before the second course goes on, then each geogrid or reinforcement layer and drainage detail before the lift above it is backfilled and lost.
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.
Foundation and base course
- 2 photos
Leveling pad on approved subgrade, to line and grade
Bearing soil at the design elevation and approved by the geotech, pad material and thickness per the plan, top screeded level.
- 2 photos
Base course level, aligned and seated
First course checked level end to end and front to back, units in full contact with the pad, alignment string set for the batter.
Reinforcement
- 2 photos
Geogrid or reinforcement layer at the correct elevation
Layer placed at the course called out on the design, correct grid strength and roll orientation for the section of wall.
- 2 photos
Embedment length into the backfill zone verified
Grid run back the full design length into the reinforced zone, pulled taut with no wrinkles, before any fill covers it.
Drainage
- 2 photos
Drainage aggregate and pipe placed behind the wall
Free-draining aggregate zone the specified width directly behind the units, perforated collector pipe laid to drain, wrapped or bedded per the detail.
Backfill and compaction
- 2 photos
Backfill placed and compacted in lifts as the wall rises
Fill built up in the specified lift thickness, compacted each lift, heavy equipment kept back off the reinforced zone near the face.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Geogrid or reinforcement embedment length short of the design, hidden the moment backfill goes over it and impossible to prove later.
- Base course set fast to grade instead of level, so every course above steps out of level and the batter walks off.
- Backfill placed in one deep lift and tracked with the loader rather than in the specified lifts, leaving the wall un-compacted behind the units.
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 12 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 rough-in checklist cover?
- 6 items across 4 sections, covering foundation and base course, reinforcement, drainage, backfill and compaction. 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 walking the wall with the installing crew's foreman, releasing each lift before backfill covers it.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- As the wall is built — the leveling pad and base course before the second course goes on, then each geogrid or reinforcement layer and drainage detail before the lift above it is backfilled and lost.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 12 of the 6 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 rough-in inspection?
- Geogrid or reinforcement embedment length short of the design, hidden the moment backfill goes over it and impossible to prove later. Base course set fast to grade instead of level, so every course above steps out of level and the batter walks off. Backfill placed in one deep lift and tracked with the loader rather than in the specified lifts, leaving the wall un-compacted behind the units.
- 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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