What does this spray-applied fireproofing rough-in checklist cover?

15 items across 5 sections, covering area release and materials, substrate condition, attachments before spray, conditions and enclosure, 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 fireproofing foreman walking the steel ahead of the spray crew, with the GC's superintendent releasing the area.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the steel is erected, bolted and welded off and before the spray crew mobilizes to a bay, early enough that a primer conflict or oily beam can still be corrected.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 spray-applied fireproofing rough-in inspection?

SFRM sprayed over a shop primer the manufacturer never approved for adhesion, so it lets go in sheets later. Mill scale, oil or standing dust left on the top flanges, killing the bond where nobody looks. Ductwork, hangers and threaded rod not masked, so the spray coats items that then can't be adjusted or connected.

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

Spray-applied fireproofing

Spray-applied fireproofing rough-in inspection checklist

Spray-applied fireproofing 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 AWCI guidance, the applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. 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.

Area release and materials

Bay released to the spray crew in writing by the GC
The superintendent's release names the floor and gridlines and confirms steel, decking and overhead attachments are ready, so the crew isn't spraying ahead of other trades.
No photo
Bag labels on the floor match the approved SFRM submittal
Product name, type and lot on the delivered bags match the approved submittal; bags dry, unopened and within the shelf life the manufacturer prints.
Special inspector told when spraying starts on this floor
The special inspection agency has the start date and area, so it can schedule the thickness, density and bond sampling it performs and reports on.
No photo

Substrate condition

Steel clean and primer compatibility confirmed
Beams and columns free of oil, loose scale and dust; where primed, the primer identified and confirmed compatible with the SFRM in writing.
Field bond test performed on the actual substrate
A sample sprayed and pulled or scraped on representative steel, adhesion observed before the crew commits to the bay.
Steel and deck dry, with no condensation or frost
Flanges, webs and the deck underside dry to the touch, no rainwater, frost or sweating on cold steel; wet members dried out before the gun starts.

Attachments before spray

Hanger clips and beam clamps installed ahead of spray
Clips, beam clamps and hanger tabs for duct, pipe, conduit and ceiling supports on the steel in this bay, so nobody clamps through cured material later.
Attachments that must follow the spray logged for patching
Any hanger or support a trade can't install before spray noted by trade and gridline with the super, so the patch walk works from a list.
No photo

Conditions and enclosure

Ambient temperature and ventilation within limits
Air and steel temperature within the manufacturer's spray and cure range, ventilation available to carry off moisture during set.
Enclosure and preceding work complete
Deck and roof watertight over the bay, welding and bolt-up signed off so nothing gets cut or torqued after the coating goes on.
Spray zone barricaded and closed to other trades
Bay roped off and signed while spraying, nobody working below the spray line, floor openings and shafts covered against fallout.
Mix water and pump settings set to the manufacturer's values
Water ratio and pump or nozzle settings match the manufacturer's instructions so the material reaches its density, noted at the start of each shift.
No photo

Masking and protection

Items not to be coated masked or covered
Sprinkler heads, threaded rod, hanger inserts, gauges and finished surfaces masked so overspray can be cleaned back to bare.
Slab and installed work below the spray zone covered
Poly or board over the slab, installed ductwork, electrical gear and window frames under the spray area, taped so fallout doesn't bond to them.
Members the drawings leave unprotected identified to the crew
Lintels, exposed architectural steel and any member the fire-resistance drawings leave bare marked or listed, so it isn't sprayed by habit.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

SFRM sprayed over a shop primer the manufacturer never approved for adhesion, so it lets go in sheets later.
Mill scale, oil or standing dust left on the top flanges, killing the bond where nobody looks.
Ductwork, hangers and threaded rod not masked, so the spray coats items that then can't be adjusted or connected.

Verified against

AWCI (fireproofing & interiors)

Common questions

6 answers

What does this spray-applied fireproofing rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering area release and materials, substrate condition, attachments before spray, conditions and enclosure, 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 fireproofing foreman walking the steel ahead of the spray crew, with the GC's superintendent releasing the area.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the steel is erected, bolted and welded off and before the spray crew mobilizes to a bay, early enough that a primer conflict or oily beam can still be corrected.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 13 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 spray-applied fireproofing rough-in inspection?: SFRM sprayed over a shop primer the manufacturer never approved for adhesion, so it lets go in sheets later. Mill scale, oil or standing dust left on the top flanges, killing the bond where nobody looks. Ductwork, hangers and threaded rod not masked, so the spray coats items that then can't be adjusted or connected.
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

Spray-applied fireproofing FinalSpray-applied fireproofing final inspection checklistApplied thickness, density and bond checked with full coverage confirmed at connections, decking and beams14 items14 photos Spray-applied fireproofing PunchSpray-applied fireproofing punch checklistCloseout walk for fireproofing knocked off or omitted by later trades at hangers, penetrations and above ceilings10 items8 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 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.