What does this structural steel rough-in checklist cover?

15 items across 5 sections, covering anchorage and base plates, members and field changes, plumb and alignment, bolted connections, 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 GC's superintendent walking the erection with the steel foreman, often alongside the special inspector on bolting and welding.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

As each tier or bay is erected and while the crane is still on the connections, before metal deck is laid and long before fireproofing goes on.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

11 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 rough-in inspection?

Base plate grout skipped or packed only at the edges because the erector moved on before the grout crew caught up, leaving voids under the plate. Bolted connections left snug-tight where the drawings call them out as pretensioned, and no one can tell later which is which without loosening them. A column racked out of plumb early gets chased up the frame, so the misalignment shows up floors later where it is expensive to pull back.

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 rough-in inspection checklist

Structural steel 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 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.

Anchorage and base plates

Anchor bolts, base plates and leveling set correctly
Anchor bolt pattern and projection match the drawings, base plates bearing on the leveling nuts or shims as detailed, no bent or field-cut anchors.
Grout placed solid under base plates
Non-shrink grout packed full under the plate with no edge-only dams or voids, plates set to the correct elevation.
Anchor rod survey reviewed before columns are set
Surveyed rod locations, projections and top-of-concrete elevations compared with the drawings; out-of-tolerance rods referred to the engineer of record for a repair detail before erection.
No photo
Anchor rod nuts and plate washers tight at every column base
Nuts run down on every anchor rod with the plate washers detailed, none left finger-tight or missing once the column is released from the crane.

Members and field changes

Delivered members checked for shipping and rigging damage
Flanges, stiffeners, connection plates and shop coat looked over at shake-out; any bent, gouged or bare piece tagged and reported before it is set.
Members set match the piece marks on the erection drawings
Piece marks read against the erection drawings for size, bay and orientation, no member swapped or substituted without an approved RFI response.
Erector's field fixes covered by an engineer's detail
Any cut, cope, added plate, reamed or burned hole, or relocated connection the fit-up needs is backed by an RFI response or revised detail before the erector makes it.
No photo

Plumb and alignment

Columns plumb and frame aligned before lockup
Columns checked for plumb and the frame surveyed for line and elevation, guys and temporary bracing holding it in position before connections are finalized.
Erection sequence and bracing plan current at the crane
The erector's erection plan and temporary bracing drawings on site and current, and the bays going up follow the sequence it shows.
No photo
Beams set at their top-of-steel elevation and oriented as marked
Top of steel shot at beam ends against the drawings, piece marks facing the way the erection drawings show, any camber set crown-up.

Bolted connections

Bolted joints installed and tightened per the joint type
Correct bolt, washer and nut assemblies in place, snug-tight joints drawn tight and pretensioned joints tensioned by the specified method, match-marked so completion is visible.
Faying surfaces and connection material correct
Slip-critical faying surfaces prepared as specified, plies drawn into firm contact, no missing bolts or open holes at the connection.
Bolt kegs on the floor labeled to match the approved submittal
Keg or box label photographed showing grade, type and lot, matched to the approved submittal; containers kept closed and dry, no rusted or mixed assemblies in use.
Special inspector scheduled ahead of bolt-up in each area
Observation booked for the connections the statement of special inspections lists, so the special inspector sees them before the joints are tensioned and covered.
No photo

Welded connections

Field welds visually inspected before they are covered
Complete welds at the size and length shown, no undercut, porosity or cracks visible, arc strikes ground out, before deck or fireproofing hides the joint.

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Base plate grout skipped or packed only at the edges because the erector moved on before the grout crew caught up, leaving voids under the plate.
Bolted connections left snug-tight where the drawings call them out as pretensioned, and no one can tell later which is which without loosening them.
A column racked out of plumb early gets chased up the frame, so the misalignment shows up floors later where it is expensive to pull back.

Verified against

Common questions

6 answers

What does this structural steel rough-in checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering anchorage and base plates, members and field changes, plumb and alignment, bolted connections, 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 GC's superintendent walking the erection with the steel foreman, often alongside the special inspector on bolting and welding.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: As each tier or bay is erected and while the crane is still on the connections, before metal deck is laid and long before fireproofing goes on.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 11 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 16 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 rough-in inspection?: Base plate grout skipped or packed only at the edges because the erector moved on before the grout crew caught up, leaving voids under the plate. Bolted connections left snug-tight where the drawings call them out as pretensioned, and no one can tell later which is which without loosening them. A column racked out of plumb early gets chased up the frame, so the misalignment shows up floors later where it is expensive to pull back.
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 16 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.