What does this roofing pre-cover checklist cover?

14 items across 4 sections, covering base and step flashing, valleys and crickets, penetration prep, laps, walls and transitions. 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 roofing foreman with the GC's superintendent, releasing sections for field material to be loaded.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After flashing, valleys and cricket underlayment are complete, before the finish layer (shingle, tile, panel or membrane cap) covers them.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

7 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 roofing pre-cover inspection?

Base flashing lapped under the underlayment instead of over it, sending water behind the flashing. Valley metal or membrane cut short of the required width, only visible before the field material lands on top. Cricket built too shallow to shed water around the back of a curb or chimney.

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

Roofing

Roofing pre-cover inspection checklist

A roofing 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 NRCA guidance, manufacturer installation requirements. 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.

Base and step flashing

Base flashing laps over underlayment, not under it
Flashing edge visible on top of the underlayment course below it at every wall and curb intersection.
Step flashing set at every course along sidewalls
One piece per shingle or panel course, each piece lapped by the course above.
Kickout flashing at the bottom of every sidewall run
Where a sidewall run ends above an eave, a diverter at its lower end turns water into the gutter and away from the wall cladding.
No photo
Wall weather barrier lapped over the flashing's vertical leg
Where the roof meets a wall, housewrap or wall membrane laid over step, apron and headwall flashing, not tucked behind it, taped where the detail shows.
No photo
Flashing metal and accessories match the approved submittal
Bundle tag or stamped marking photographed showing metal type, gauge and finish, matched to the submittal and the warranty's accessory list before cover.

Valleys and crickets

Valley lining continuous and at the required width
Metal or membrane centered in the valley, width measured against the spec at several points along its length.
Crickets built to divert water around chimneys, curbs and skylights
Cricket ridge height and slope sufficient to shed water to both sides, underlayment and flashing wrapped over it.
Valley centerline kept clear of fasteners
Where the roof has valleys, no nails or screws inside the fastener-free zone the manufacturer sets, lining held only at its outer edges.
No photo

Penetration prep

Pipe boots and curb flashing set before the field material covers the base
Boot or flashing collar sealed to the deck, storm collar or counterflashing ready to receive the finish layer.
Skylight and hatch flashing kits installed in sequence
Where skylights or hatches are set, kit pieces go in their listed order: sill apron first, head flashing lapping over the side pieces.
No photo

Laps, walls and transitions

Laps in the layer about to be covered checked full length
Welded or taped membrane seams probed, or underlayment and base sheet laps checked for fishmouths, before cap, coating, ballast or field material covers them.
Parapet and wall base flashing carried to the detailed height
Where the roof meets a parapet or wall, membrane or flashing runs up to the height on the details, terminated with bar or under the counterflashing receiver.
No photo
Low-slope to steep-slope transitions flashed per the detail
Where the roof changes slope, low-slope membrane carried up under the steep-slope underlayment, transition metal lapped shingle-fashion.
No photo
Manufacturer's in-progress inspection on file where required
Rep's visit or report recorded before details are covered, for systems whose warranty depends on an in-progress review.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Base flashing lapped under the underlayment instead of over it, sending water behind the flashing.
Valley metal or membrane cut short of the required width, only visible before the field material lands on top.
Cricket built too shallow to shed water around the back of a curb or chimney.

Verified against

NRCA roofing guidance

Common questions

6 answers

What does this roofing pre-cover checklist cover?: 14 items across 4 sections, covering base and step flashing, valleys and crickets, penetration prep, laps, walls and transitions. 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 roofing foreman with the GC's superintendent, releasing sections for field material to be loaded.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After flashing, valleys and cricket underlayment are complete, before the finish layer (shingle, tile, panel or membrane cap) covers them.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 7 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 roofing pre-cover inspection?: Base flashing lapped under the underlayment instead of over it, sending water behind the flashing. Valley metal or membrane cut short of the required width, only visible before the field material lands on top. Cricket built too shallow to shed water around the back of a curb or chimney.
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

Roofing Rough-inRoofing rough-in inspection checklistDeck condition, fastening and underlayment verified before the finish layer goes on14 items18 photos Roofing FinalRoofing final inspection checklistCompleted roof walked for field workmanship, edge detailing and drainage before turnover13 items15 photos Roofing PMRoofing preventive maintenance checklistRecurring roof walk to catch debris, drainage and membrane problems before they leak15 items12 photos

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