Free checklist
Sump pump quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly sump pump round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 9
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The plumbing or building maintenance tech on the quarterly mechanical round.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, and moved up ahead of the wet season so a stuck float is found before the first storm loads the pit.
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.
Float and cycling
- 2 photos
Float raised by hand to start and stop the pump
Float lifted manually to prove it energizes the pump and cuts out on the way down, with clearance from the pit wall and discharge pipe so it can't hang up.
- 1 photo
On/off levels look sane for the basin
Cut-in and cut-out points leave freeboard below the inlet and don't run the pump down to a dry pit and snort air.
Basin and intake
- 2 photos
Basin checked for silt, debris and standing sludge
Bottom of the pit clear of gravel and grit, intake screen not fouled, no rag or wipe wrapped on the impeller inlet.
- 1 photo
Check valve holding on the discharge
No audible run-back after the pump stops and no repeated re-start from water draining back down the riser.
Discharge and alarm
- 2 photos
Discharge line and any weep hole flowing freely
Water leaves through the discharge on a test run, no leaks at the union or wall penetration, weep hole clear so the pump can prime.
- 1 photo
High-water alarm proven where fitted
Alarm float or probe lifted to confirm the horn and any remote signal actually annunciate, not just that the panel light is on.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Pump assumed working because the basin is dry, when in fact the float has hung on the pit wall and never called.
- Check valve leaking back, so the pump short-cycles on the same few inches of water it just pushed out.
- Silt and gravel washed into the basin choking the intake screen, with no one lifting the pump to look.
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 9 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.
Common questions
- What does this sump pump quarterly checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering float and cycling, basin and intake, discharge and alarm. 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 plumbing or building maintenance tech on the quarterly mechanical round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, and moved up ahead of the wet season so a stuck float is found before the first storm loads the pit.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 9 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 sump pump quarterly inspection?
- Pump assumed working because the basin is dry, when in fact the float has hung on the pit wall and never called. Check valve leaking back, so the pump short-cycles on the same few inches of water it just pushed out. Silt and gravel washed into the basin choking the intake screen, with no one lifting the pump to look.
- 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.