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Tile and stone

Tile and stone final inspection checklist

Tile and stone 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 ANSI A108 / A118, TCNA guidance. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Items
6
Photos required
10
Built for
Subcontractors

Who runs it

The GC's superintendent with the tile foreman, walking finished rooms before the owner's punch walk.

When in the schedule

After grouting and initial cleaning, once grout has set enough to walk, before turnover walks and before sealer is applied on stone.

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.

01

Surface and joints

  • Lippage within tolerance under raking light

    Edges of adjacent tiles checked by feel and under grazing light along the run, lippage within the tolerance for the tile size and joint width.

    2 photos

  • Grout joints full, uniform and consistent in color

    Joints packed full with no voids or pinholes, consistent width and depth, no color variation from inconsistent mixing or early washing.

    2 photos

  • Layout and cuts match the approved plan

    Module and pattern carry through as laid out, perimeter cuts balanced, cuts at outlets and fixtures clean and not chipped.

    1 photo
02

Movement and penetrations

  • Movement joints honored as soft joints

    Soft joints left open of grout at perimeters, plane changes and marked substrate joints, filled with the specified sealant rather than grout.

    2 photos

  • Penetrations sealed at changes of plane and fixtures

    Sealant instead of grout where the tile meets tubs, curbs, thresholds and pipe penetrations, tooled and continuous.

    1 photo
03

Bond

  • Hollow-sound spot check across the field

    Field sounded with a tap tool on a sample per area, hollow or drummy tiles marked for repair rather than left in place.

    2 photos

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Lippage acceptable in good light but obvious under grazing light along a corridor, caught only after the owner points at it.
  • Movement joints grouted solid instead of left as soft joints, so the field cracks at the first thermal cycle.
  • Hollow-sounding tiles noted but never opened, so the debond spreads under foot traffic after occupancy.

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 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Start freeTry the live demoDownload as PDF

Submission state

Mandatory items answered6 of 6
Photos attached7 of 10
Submit locked, 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Verified against

Common questions

What does this tile and stone final checklist cover?
6 items across 3 sections, covering surface and joints, movement and penetrations, bond. 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 tile foreman, walking finished rooms before the owner's punch walk.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?
After grouting and initial cleaning, once grout has set enough to walk, before turnover walks and before sealer is applied on stone.
Why does every item ask for a photo?
10 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 tile and stone final inspection?
Lippage acceptable in good light but obvious under grazing light along a corridor, caught only after the owner points at it. Movement joints grouted solid instead of left as soft joints, so the field cracks at the first thermal cycle. Hollow-sounding tiles noted but never opened, so the debond spreads under foot traffic after occupancy.
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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