What does this structural steel final checklist cover?

14 items across 4 sections, covering connections complete, frame members and attachments, decking, ready for fireproofing. 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 steel foreman, closing out the structure with the special inspector's connection reports in hand.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After the frame is topped out and all connections are made, before the fireproofing crew mobilizes and covers the steel.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 14 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 structural steel final inspection?

Fireproofing starts on a floor before the connection log confirms every bolt-up and weld on that floor is complete, sealing in an unfinished joint. Deck puddle welds or fasteners come up short at the perimeter and interior supports, found only when the concrete crew starts laying reinforcement. Shear studs or deck attachment missed at a few beams and never caught because the frame reads finished from a distance.

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

Structural steel

Structural steel final inspection checklist

Structural steel 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 AISC, AWS D1.1, the applicable building code. 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.

Connections complete

All bolted connections final and verified
Every joint completed to its specified condition, pretensioned joints confirmed tensioned, no snug-tight bolts remaining where pretension is required, no open holes.
All structural welds complete and accepted
Welds finished at every location, visual and any required NDT results accepted, temporary erection aids removed and their scars ground smooth.
Special inspection reports for the floor in hand before cover
Bolting and welding reports for each floor received, rejected joints shown corrected and re-inspected, before the GC releases the steel to following trades.
No photo
As-built plumb and elevation survey recorded after bolt-up
Surveyor's as-built readings for column plumb and top of steel filed by column line, deviations outside the erection tolerance referred to the engineer of record.
No photo

Frame members and attachments

Permanent bracing, kickers and bridging connected at both ends
Vertical and horizontal bracing, kickers and any bridging shown landed and fully connected at each end per the drawings, none left tacked or loose.
Temporary guys and bracing removed only after the frame is stable
Cables, guys and erection bracing taken down once deck and permanent bracing are complete per the erector's plan, and none left tangled in the finished frame.
Attachments for other trades installed on the steel before cover
Clips, angles and plates the drawings show for cladding, stairs, elevators and curtain wall welded or bolted on, so nobody welds through finished fireproofing later.
No holes, notches or copes cut by other trades
Beams, columns and braces walked for field-torched or drilled holes from MEP trades; anything found photographed and reported to the engineer of record.

Decking

Metal deck attachment complete at all supports
Deck welded or fastened at supports and side-laps at the specified pattern, no loose sheets, deck bearing and butt-joints landed on steel.
Deck openings, closures and pour stops in place
Edge pour stops, column closures and deck openings framed and secured before the deck is signed off for concrete.
Deck sheets free of crushed flutes and dents
No crushed ribs, bent edges or dented sheets from bundle landings and foot traffic; damaged panels marked for repair or replacement before concrete or roofing.
Shear stud count and condition checked on composite beams
Where beams are composite, studs counted per beam against the drawings, fully fused at the base, none missing, bent flat or broken off.
No photo

Ready for fireproofing

Steel clean and complete before fireproofing
Surfaces free of loose material, connection log closed for the area, nothing left to weld or bolt on the steel once fireproofing covers it.
Steel surface condition matched to the fireproofing submittal
Primed or bare steel confirmed against the fireproofing manufacturer's compatibility requirements; oil, loose mill scale or rust reported to the GC before spray starts.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Fireproofing starts on a floor before the connection log confirms every bolt-up and weld on that floor is complete, sealing in an unfinished joint.
Deck puddle welds or fasteners come up short at the perimeter and interior supports, found only when the concrete crew starts laying reinforcement.
Shear studs or deck attachment missed at a few beams and never caught because the frame reads finished from a distance.

Verified against

Common questions

6 answers

What does this structural steel final checklist cover?: 14 items across 4 sections, covering connections complete, frame members and attachments, decking, ready for fireproofing. 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 steel foreman, closing out the structure with the special inspector's connection reports in hand.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After the frame is topped out and all connections are made, before the fireproofing crew mobilizes and covers the steel.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 14 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 structural steel final inspection?: Fireproofing starts on a floor before the connection log confirms every bolt-up and weld on that floor is complete, sealing in an unfinished joint. Deck puddle welds or fasteners come up short at the perimeter and interior supports, found only when the concrete crew starts laying reinforcement. Shear studs or deck attachment missed at a few beams and never caught because the frame reads finished from a distance.
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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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.