What does this spray polyurethane foam insulation final checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering before entry, thickness and coverage, adhesion and trim, barriers. 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 applicator, walking sprayed bays before they're closed with board or cladding.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the foam has fully risen and cured and been trimmed, before any face is installed over it, while a depth probe can still reach every cavity.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 11 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 polyurethane foam insulation final inspection?

Depth eyeballed and one thin bay carries the whole assembly below its rated value. Foam pulled away from a stud or plate as it cured, leaving a gap that never shows once board is on. Ignition or thermal barrier coordination missed, so exposed foam is left where a covering is required.

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 polyurethane foam insulation

Spray polyurethane foam insulation final inspection checklist

Spray polyurethane foam insulation 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 the applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

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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.

Before entry

Re-occupancy time elapsed before the walk party enters
The manufacturer's re-occupancy time counted from the end of spraying, with exhaust kept running, before the super, other trades or the walk party go into the area.
No photo
Applicator's daily log on file with lots, readings and depths
Daily record gives the time spraying ended in each area, drum lots, substrate and ambient readings, rig settings and probe depths by bay, and is filed with the super.
No photo

Thickness and coverage

Applied thickness verified by depth probe
Foam depth probed at multiple points across each bay and compared to the specified thickness, thin spots marked for a second lift.
Full coverage with no voids or missed areas
Every cavity, corner and penetration filled, no bare framing, gaps or skips where a pass was missed.
Cut section shows each lift within the maximum pass
A core or cut sample at a probe location shows separate lifts no thicker than the manufacturer's maximum pass, with no scorching, charring or dark center from overheating.
Foam continuous at wall-to-floor and wall-to-roof transitions
Foam carried unbroken from the wall into the rim, band or plate area and up to the roof or floor deck, so the air seal has no break where the plane changes.

Adhesion and trim

No pull-away at framing
Foam bonded tight to studs, plates and sheathing with no shrinkage cracks or pull-away gaps at the edges.
Foam trimmed flush and cut back at electrical boxes
Overfill shaved flush to the framing where board must sit flat, foam cut clear of electrical boxes and device openings.
Cured foam firm, not tacky, crumbly or discolored
Foam pressed by hand across each area: firm and fully cured, with no sticky surface, friable or brittle spots, or color change that points to an off-ratio mix.
Wiring and piping in foamed bays undamaged by trimming
Cables, tubing and pipe in trimmed bays free of saw or blade cuts, still secured to the framing and not pushed out of position by the foam.

Barriers

Ignition or thermal barrier coordination noted
Where the foam is left exposed, the required ignition or thermal barrier is confirmed as coming and the location noted, so no exposed foam is left uncovered where a barrier is called for.
No photo
Barrier coating matches the listed assembly where used
Where the code plan uses a sprayed coating as the barrier, the coating product and its applied thickness match the listed assembly for this foam, per the coating manufacturer.
No photo
Foam held back from flues and heat-producing fixtures
Dams and boxes set out before spraying still in place, with no foam inside the clearance the manufacturer and the fixture listing require.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Depth eyeballed and one thin bay carries the whole assembly below its rated value.
Foam pulled away from a stud or plate as it cured, leaving a gap that never shows once board is on.
Ignition or thermal barrier coordination missed, so exposed foam is left where a covering is required.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this spray polyurethane foam insulation final checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering before entry, thickness and coverage, adhesion and trim, barriers. 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 applicator, walking sprayed bays before they're closed with board or cladding.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the foam has fully risen and cured and been trimmed, before any face is installed over it, while a depth probe can still reach every cavity.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 11 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 polyurethane foam insulation final inspection?: Depth eyeballed and one thin bay carries the whole assembly below its rated value. Foam pulled away from a stud or plate as it cured, leaving a gap that never shows once board is on. Ignition or thermal barrier coordination missed, so exposed foam is left where a covering is required.
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

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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.