Free checklist
Sheet metal flashing and trimSheet metal flashing and trim rough-in inspection checklist
Sheet metal flashing and trim 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 SMACNA architectural sheet metal, NRCA roofing guidance, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The sheet metal foreman setting cleats and nailers, with the GC's superintendent walking the substrate before the cover metal hides it.
When in the schedule
As nailers, cleats and starter conditions are fastened at parapets, gravel stops and wall lines, before coping and counterflashing cover the anchorage and the laps.
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.
Nailers and substrate
- 2 photos
Wood nailers set solid and to height
Nailers fastened to structure at the specified height above the membrane turn-up, level and continuous so the cap and cleat have solid backing to hook and fasten.
Cleats and anchorage
- 2 photos
Continuous and fixed cleats fastened before cover
Cleat gauge and spacing matched to the run and the wind edge, fasteners driven home into solid backing, hemmed edge sized to hook the metal, not tack-set.
- 1 photo
Fastener pattern correct for the condition
Fastener type and spacing per the detail at seams, edges and corners, no over- or under-driven fasteners that would dimple the face or leave the edge loose.
Laps, joints and sealant conditions
- 2 photos
Laps shingled with the flow and joints backed
End laps and step conditions lapped so water sheds over, not into, coping and counterflashing joints backed with cover plates and sealant seated before the cover closes access.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Continuous cleats nailed short or spaced wide so the coping oil-cans and the windward edge lifts, discovered only when a gust peels the cap and no one can see how it was cleated.
- Wood nailers set below the membrane turn-up or left loose, so the coping has nothing solid to hook and the fasteners chase a moving target.
- Laps run against the flow of water or left without a cover plate at coping joints, so every seam becomes an inlet once the cover is on and the joint is buried.
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 7 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 sheet metal flashing and trim rough-in checklist cover?
- 4 items across 3 sections, covering nailers and substrate, cleats and anchorage, laps, joints and sealant conditions. 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 sheet metal foreman setting cleats and nailers, with the GC's superintendent walking the substrate before the cover metal hides it.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- As nailers, cleats and starter conditions are fastened at parapets, gravel stops and wall lines, before coping and counterflashing cover the anchorage and the laps.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 4 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 sheet metal flashing and trim rough-in inspection?
- Continuous cleats nailed short or spaced wide so the coping oil-cans and the windward edge lifts, discovered only when a gust peels the cap and no one can see how it was cleated. Wood nailers set below the membrane turn-up or left loose, so the coping has nothing solid to hook and the fasteners chase a moving target. Laps run against the flow of water or left without a cover plate at coping joints, so every seam becomes an inlet once the cover is on and the joint is buried.
- 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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