Free checklist
Site utilitiesSite utilities rough-in inspection checklist
Site utilities 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 IPC / UPC plumbing codes, the project specifications. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 11
- Built for
- General contractors
Who runs it
The GC's superintendent with the utility foreman, walking the open trench before any pipe gets covered.
When in the schedule
With the trench open and the pipe laid, before bedding is covered and backfill goes in, since nothing below can be checked once the trench is filled.
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.
Pipe and bedding
- 2 photos
Pipe material and class match the design
Pipe type, size and pressure class or wall confirmed against the utility plan for storm, sanitary and water, markings read on the pipe itself.
- 2 photos
Bedding material and depth correct
Specified bedding placed and shaped under and around the pipe, no rock bearing on the barrel, haunches supported.
Grade and joints
- 2 photos
Invert elevations and slope on gravity lines verified
Inverts shot at structures and along the run against the profile, continuous fall with no belly or backfall on storm and sanitary.
- 2 photos
Joints made up correctly
Gaskets seated and pipe home to the mark, joints clean and gapped per the maker's instruction, no cocked or pushed-past joints.
Restraint and separation
- 2 photos
Thrust blocking or restraint at fittings on pressure mains
Bends, tees and valves on the water main blocked against undisturbed soil or mechanically restrained per the detail before backfill.
- 1 photo
Separation between water and sewer maintained
Horizontal and vertical separation between the water main and sewer lines checked against the requirement at parallels and crossings.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Gravity sewer laid to a bellied grade so a low spot holds water and solids between two structures.
- Water and sewer run in the same trench or crossing without the required separation, caught only if someone shoots the inverts.
- A pressure main's fittings backfilled with no thrust blocking or restraint, so a bend blows apart at test.
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 11 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.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this site utilities rough-in checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering pipe and bedding, grade and joints, restraint and separation. 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 utility foreman, walking the open trench before any pipe gets covered.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- With the trench open and the pipe laid, before bedding is covered and backfill goes in, since nothing below can be checked once the trench is filled.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 6 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 site utilities rough-in inspection?
- Gravity sewer laid to a bellied grade so a low spot holds water and solids between two structures. Water and sewer run in the same trench or crossing without the required separation, caught only if someone shoots the inverts. A pressure main's fittings backfilled with no thrust blocking or restraint, so a bend blows apart at test.
- 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
2642 items and 4211 photo requirements in total.