What does this rough carpentry rough-in checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering blocking and backing, nailers and furring, sheathing and treated lumber, parapets and edge metal. 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 rough-carpentry foreman installing backing, or the GC's superintendent walking each wall before the finish trades close it.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the framing is up and while the walls are still open, before insulation, drywall and the finish trades cover the studs.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 13 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 rough carpentry rough-in inspection?

Backing for grab bars, cabinets, handrails and wall-hung fixtures set at the wrong height or skipped entirely, discovered when the finish trade hits hollow drywall with a lag. Sheathing fastened with the wrong nail or an overdriven pattern that breaks the paper face, so the panel no longer holds its rated shear value. Fire-treated or preservative-treated lumber cut and left where it should be, and untreated stock substituted for a nailer in a wet or ground-contact location.

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

Rough carpentry

Rough carpentry rough-in inspection checklist

Rough carpentry 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 applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

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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.

Blocking and backing

Backing set at the right height for every wall-mounted item
Solid blocking behind grab bars, cabinets, handrails, TVs, casework and accessories at the mounting heights on the drawings, fastened to studs before the wall closes.
Fire and draft blocking in place at required locations
Blocking installed at floor and ceiling lines and at concealed vertical and horizontal runs so there are no open paths left for the drywall to cover.
Backing locations taken from the drawings and trade layouts
Blocking locations come from the current drawings and the plumbing, electrical, specialties and equipment layouts, with each trade's marks on the studs reviewed before blocking goes in.
No photo
Blocking faces flush with the stud plane
Blocking and backing set flush with the stud faces, not proud or recessed, so the board lies flat over it; in steel-stud walls secured with the screws or clips the detail shows.

Nailers and furring

Nailers and wood furring fastened flat and on layout
Furring straight, shimmed to a true plane, spaced to the finish it carries, and nailers anchored to the substrate with the specified fastener, not tacked.
Roof-edge and parapet nailers stacked to the detail height
Nailers at roof edges, parapets, curbs and roof openings built up to the height and width in the roofing and edge-metal details, so insulation and membrane finish flush with the top.
No photo
Roof nailer layers anchored and staggered per the details
Each nailer layer fastened to the deck, wall or layer below at the fastener type and spacing the drawings or roof system manufacturer list, joints staggered and tight at corners.
No photo

Sheathing and treated lumber

Sheathing panels gapped and fastened to the nailing pattern
Panels spaced at the edges, fasteners on the specified schedule, seated flush without breaking the face, no missed studs at the panel edges.
Treated lumber used where it contacts concrete, masonry or weather
Preservative-treated stock at sills, plates on slabs and any ground or moisture contact, with cut ends field-treated and correct fasteners for treated wood.
Sheathing grade stamps match the specified panel
Panel stamps show the grade, thickness and exposure rating the spec calls for, checked on the delivered stack and on installed panels before they are covered.
Treated-wood tags and fastener labels match the spec
End tags or stamps on treated lumber and plywood show the treatment and use the spec calls for, and fastener boxes carry the coating or stainless grade the spec and treater list.

Parapets and edge metal

Parapet sheathing run full height and over the top
Sheathing on the roof side and top of parapets continuous and fastened to the framing, so the roofing and coping have a solid, flat substrate at every corner and step.
No photo
Treated wood separated from aluminum and dissimilar metals
Where treated nailers or blocking meet aluminum flashing or edge metal, the separator the spec or the metal manufacturer lists is in place so the two do not touch.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Backing for grab bars, cabinets, handrails and wall-hung fixtures set at the wrong height or skipped entirely, discovered when the finish trade hits hollow drywall with a lag.
Sheathing fastened with the wrong nail or an overdriven pattern that breaks the paper face, so the panel no longer holds its rated shear value.
Fire-treated or preservative-treated lumber cut and left where it should be, and untreated stock substituted for a nailer in a wet or ground-contact location.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this rough carpentry rough-in checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering blocking and backing, nailers and furring, sheathing and treated lumber, parapets and edge metal. 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 rough-carpentry foreman installing backing, or the GC's superintendent walking each wall before the finish trades close it.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the framing is up and while the walls are still open, before insulation, drywall and the finish trades cover the studs.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 13 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 rough carpentry rough-in inspection?: Backing for grab bars, cabinets, handrails and wall-hung fixtures set at the wrong height or skipped entirely, discovered when the finish trade hits hollow drywall with a lag. Sheathing fastened with the wrong nail or an overdriven pattern that breaks the paper face, so the panel no longer holds its rated shear value. Fire-treated or preservative-treated lumber cut and left where it should be, and untreated stock substituted for a nailer in a wet or ground-contact location.
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 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.