Free checklist
Tile and stoneTile and stone rough-in inspection checklist
Tile and stone 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 ANSI A108 / A118, TCNA guidance. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The tile foreman checking each room ahead of the setters, or the GC's superintendent releasing wet areas floor by floor.
When in the schedule
After the substrate is in and cured, before any thinset goes down, while a flatness problem can still be corrected with a patch or float coat.
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.
Substrate readiness
- 2 photos
Substrate flatness checked for the tile size being set
Straightedge run across the floor and walls, gaps measured against the flatness the tile size requires, high and low spots marked for correction.
- 2 photos
Backer board or subfloor fastening and joints verified
Fastener type and spacing per the board manufacturer, board joints staggered and set off the framing joints, subfloor solid with no springy spots underfoot.
Setting-bed system
- 1 photo
Mortar bed or bonded system matches the specified assembly
Setting method matches the specified assembly for the location, uncoupling or crack-isolation layer where called for, no mixing of incompatible products.
Layout
- 2 photos
Dry layout struck from control lines, cuts balanced
Working lines snapped square to the space, tile dry-laid to balance perimeter cuts and carry the module across thresholds and into adjacent rooms.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Substrate accepted for a small mosaic tolerance, then a large-format tile is set on it and every edge lippage shows.
- Backer board fastened on the wrong spacing or over a subfloor that still deflects, so grout joints crack within a season.
- Layout started off a wall that isn't square, pushing all the cuts to one corner where they read worst.
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 7 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.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this tile and stone rough-in checklist cover?
- 4 items across 3 sections, covering substrate readiness, setting-bed system, layout. 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 tile foreman checking each room ahead of the setters, or the GC's superintendent releasing wet areas floor by floor.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After the substrate is in and cured, before any thinset goes down, while a flatness problem can still be corrected with a patch or float coat.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 4 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 rough-in inspection?
- Substrate accepted for a small mosaic tolerance, then a large-format tile is set on it and every edge lippage shows. Backer board fastened on the wrong spacing or over a subfloor that still deflects, so grout joints crack within a season. Layout started off a wall that isn't square, pushing all the cuts to one corner where they read worst.
- 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.