What does this terrazzo flooring final checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering ground surface, strips and edges, seal, protection and turnover. 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 terrazzo foreman, walking the finished floor before it's protected for turnover.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

After grinding, grouting and final polish and before floor protection goes down and adjacent trades traffic the surface.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

10 of the 13 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 terrazzo flooring final inspection?

Pinholes from the grout coat never filled, showing up as a rash of dark specks once the floor is sealed. Dull spots left where the polish sequence was cut short, obvious against the sheen under corridor lighting. Sealer applied over a floor that wasn't fully clean, locking in haze and grinding dust.

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

Terrazzo flooring

Terrazzo flooring final inspection checklist

Terrazzo flooring 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 NTMA guidance, 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.

Ground surface

Aggregate exposure even across the field
Consistent aggregate distribution and exposure panel to panel, no matrix-heavy patches or bald areas, edges ground in at walls and strips.
No pinholes, dull spots or grind marks
Surface tight with grout-coat pinholes filled, uniform polish with no swirl or dull patches, checked under raking light.
Each color field compared with the approved sample
Panels held against the approved sample under the room's lighting, with no shade shift from one pour or batch to the next.
Straightedge flat across pour joints and panel centers
Straightedge laid across each pour joint and panel center; no lippage between pours and no dished panels, the floor ground flat edge to edge.

Strips and edges

Divider strips clean, straight and flush
Strip tops exposed clean and level with the field, no matrix smeared over them, lines straight with no chips or bent sections.
Cove base and terminations complete
Terrazzo cove base coved and ground where specified, transitions to other flooring clean and set to the right height.
Control-joint strips finished so the joint can move
Control strips over slab joints left with their flexible filler or double strips as the layout details, not ground over solid with matrix.

Seal

Floor sealed after final cleaning
Surface fully cleaned of grinding residue before sealer, sealer even with no streaks or ponding, sheen consistent across the floor.
Sealer container label matches the approved product
The sealer used is the one on the approved submittal for this system, applied at the coverage rate the manufacturer lists.
Slip-resistance test report on file where the spec calls for one
Test results for the sealed floor recorded against the value in the contract documents, with the rooms tested listed.
No photo

Protection and turnover

Floor protection laid over a clean, cured surface
Breathable protection the terrazzo manufacturer allows, laid after the sealer cures and taped to itself or the edges, never to the sealed face.
Cleaning and resealing instructions in the closeout file
The manufacturer's maintenance method, allowed cleaners and resealing interval handed to the owner before the floor is in use.
No photo
Extra aggregate and binder labeled for future repairs
Where the spec requires attic stock, material from the installed lots labeled by color and location and turned over to the owner.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Pinholes from the grout coat never filled, showing up as a rash of dark specks once the floor is sealed.
Dull spots left where the polish sequence was cut short, obvious against the sheen under corridor lighting.
Sealer applied over a floor that wasn't fully clean, locking in haze and grinding dust.

Verified against

NTMA terrazzo standards

Common questions

6 answers

What does this terrazzo flooring final checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering ground surface, strips and edges, seal, protection and turnover. 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 terrazzo foreman, walking the finished floor before it's protected for turnover.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: After grinding, grouting and final polish and before floor protection goes down and adjacent trades traffic the surface.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 10 of the 13 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 terrazzo flooring final inspection?: Pinholes from the grout coat never filled, showing up as a rash of dark specks once the floor is sealed. Dull spots left where the polish sequence was cut short, obvious against the sheen under corridor lighting. Sealer applied over a floor that wasn't fully clean, locking in haze and grinding dust.
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 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.