What does this segmental pavers and hardscape final checklist cover?

15 items across 4 sections, covering pattern and laying course, joints and restraint, surface and drainage, closeout records. 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 hardscape foreman, walking the completed area before turnover.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After pavers are laid, jointed and compacted, before the area is opened to foot or vehicle traffic.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 segmental pavers and hardscape final inspection?

Joint sand swept in but never compacted and topped off, so joints wash out and pavers start to rock in the first season. Pattern drifting out of line across a long run because string lines weren't reset, leaving a visible taper at the edge course. A low area that ponds after rain signed off dry because it was never checked with water on the surface.

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

Segmental pavers and hardscape

Segmental pavers and hardscape final inspection checklist

Segmental pavers and hardscape 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 ICPI guidance, the project specifications. 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.

Pattern and laying course

Paver pattern and joint lines true
Laying pattern matches the drawings, joint lines straight and consistent, cut pavers at edges clean and uniform.
Laying-course consistency across the field
Joint widths even throughout, no wandering courses or wide gaps where the field was closed out against the edge.
No undersized cut pieces at edges, drains and castings
Cut pieces no smaller than the minimum the specification or manufacturer lists; slivers against a structure replaced by re-cutting the adjoining units.
Color blend even with no banding from single pallets
Shade and color read blended across the field, no stripes or patches where one pallet or lot was laid on its own.

Joints and restraint

Joint sand filled and compacted
Joints filled full, sand compacted into them and the surface re-swept, no empty or partially filled joints.
Edge restraint secure at the perimeter
Restraint tight against the outer course with no gaps or movement, edge pavers held firmly in line.
Joint material bags or tickets match the approved submittal
Joint sand, polymeric sand or permeable joint aggregate checked by bag label or ticket against the approved submittal for product and gradation.
Polymeric joint sand activated per the manufacturer
Where polymeric sand is used, faces swept clean before wetting and the sand activated as the manufacturer's instructions describe, with no haze left on the units.
No photo

Surface and drainage

Surface plane free of trip lips and rocking pavers
Surface even across the field, no individual pavers proud or low, none rocking underfoot.
Positive drainage with no ponding
Surface sheds to the drainage points, checked after rain or a hose run for standing water.
Pavers flush at thresholds, walks, drains and castings
Finished units meet each tie-in at the relationship the drawings detail, with no lip at doors or along the accessible route.
Finished-surface slopes read with a digital level
Running and cross slopes measured on the laid pavers against the drawings, with walking routes read against the values on the accessibility plan.
Faces cleaned of joint sand, cutting slurry and stains
Excess joint material swept off and saw slurry, mortar and tire marks cleaned per the manufacturer's recommendations before the area is turned over.

Closeout records

Extra pavers from the same lot turned over to the owner
Attic stock in the quantity the specification lists, stacked and labeled with product, color and lot, and the handoff logged.
No photo
Paver, bedding and joint product data filed
Product data with color and lot numbers for pavers, bedding and joint material placed in the closeout file with the approved submittals.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Joint sand swept in but never compacted and topped off, so joints wash out and pavers start to rock in the first season.
Pattern drifting out of line across a long run because string lines weren't reset, leaving a visible taper at the edge course.
A low area that ponds after rain signed off dry because it was never checked with water on the surface.

Verified against

ICPI segmental paver standards

Common questions

6 answers

What does this segmental pavers and hardscape final checklist cover?: 15 items across 4 sections, covering pattern and laying course, joints and restraint, surface and drainage, closeout records. 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 hardscape foreman, walking the completed area before turnover.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After pavers are laid, jointed and compacted, before the area is opened to foot or vehicle traffic.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 segmental pavers and hardscape final inspection?: Joint sand swept in but never compacted and topped off, so joints wash out and pavers start to rock in the first season. Pattern drifting out of line across a long run because string lines weren't reset, leaving a visible taper at the edge course. A low area that ponds after rain signed off dry because it was never checked with water on the surface.
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

Segmental pavers and hardscape Rough-inSegmental pavers and hardscape rough-in inspection checklistSubgrade, base, edge restraint and bedding layer verified before pavers go down over them15 items15 photos Segmental pavers and hardscape PunchSegmental pavers and hardscape punch checklistCloseout walk for settled or rocking pavers, joint-sand loss and edge movement9 items2 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 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.