Free checklist
Rooftop unit (RTU) annual maintenance checklist
The annual rooftop unit service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against ASHRAE guidance, the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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.
Lockout and cabinet
Every energy source locked out before the teardown
Disconnect locked and tagged, gas cock locked closed on gas units; charge, flame and amp checks run under the procedure's temporary release, people and tools clear, then the unit is re-locked.
Blower assembly cleaned and balance checked
Deeper than the quarterly look: caked dirt cleaned off the wheel blades and motor, then wheel balance and shaft set screws checked.
Cabinet liner and insulation inspected
Liner intact with no delamination, mold or wet insulation downstream of the coil, and panel seams sealed against air and water.
Coils and refrigeration
Condenser and evaporator coils cleaned from the correct side
Before and after photos through the fins; fins straight, no matting left at the corners.
Refrigerant charge verified by measurement
Pressures and superheat/subcool readings logged against the unit's targets, not topped off blind.
Evidence of leaks investigated, not just recharged
Oil residue at joints traced; leak location documented if found.
Refrigerant work done and logged by a certified technician
Gauges, recovery and any charge change handled by a certified refrigerant technician, and the pounds added or recovered written on the unit's refrigerant record.
No photoCondensate pan scrubbed and drain line flushed
Pan cleaned and treated, the full drain line flushed to its discharge and the trap refilled, which the quarterly visual check does not reach.
Electrical and combustion
Electrical connections inspected and re-torqued
With power locked out, contactors, lugs and terminals checked for heat marks, torque verified per the manufacturer, and re-torqued only where found loose.
Heat exchanger and burners inspected (gas units)
Flame pattern steady and correct, no cracks or rust-through visible in the exchanger.
No photoAmp draws recorded against nameplate
Compressor and fan motor draws logged; any reading outside range flagged with the number.
Return to service
Panels and guards refitted, locks removed by whoever hung them
Every panel fastened with its full set of screws, guards and door gaskets seated, then each lock and tag removed by its owner and the gas cock reopened on gas units.
Temperature sensors checked against a reference thermometer
Supply, return and outdoor air sensors compared with a calibrated reference on the running unit, and any offset corrected in the controller.
Closeout
Unit run-tested through a full call cycle
Starts, stages and satisfies without short-cycling or unusual noise.
Findings and readings entered against the unit's record
All readings attached to the asset, so next year's tech sees the trend, not a blank page.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Coils 'cleaned' from the dirty side, driving debris deeper into the fins. The damage is visible only in the after photo nobody took.
- Electrical connections never re-torqued until one fails hot.
- Refrigerant topped off without finding the leak, year after year.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this rooftop unit (rtu) annual checklist cover?
- 15 items across 5 sections, covering lockout and cabinet, coils and refrigeration, electrical and combustion, return to service, and more. 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 HVAC service lead, often with a helper for coil cleaning and electrical checks.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, ahead of the dominant season: cooling-dominant units in spring, heating checks before first frost.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 13 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 17 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 rooftop unit (rtu) annual inspection?
- Coils 'cleaned' from the dirty side, driving debris deeper into the fins. The damage is visible only in the after photo nobody took. Electrical connections never re-torqued until one fails hot. Refrigerant topped off without finding the leak, year after year.
- 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
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 17 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.