Checklists by trade
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) inspection checklists
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) inspection checklists for the rough-in, pre-cover, final and punch walks: 4 free lists, 49 items and 49 photo requirements, each item naming what to look for and the photo evidence it needs.
The EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) walks, in build order
Where each walk sits in the schedule
01rough-in
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) rough-in inspection checklist
After the substrate is up and the barrier and flashing are on, before the first insulation board is set and everything behind it is hidden.
Run by: The EIFS foreman checking the wall behind the crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing elevations before board goes up.
02pre-cover
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) pre-cover inspection checklist
After insulation board, base coat and mesh are on and edges are back-wrapped, before the finish coat goes over it all.
Run by: The EIFS foreman walking behind the base-coat crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing each elevation for finish.
03final
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) final inspection checklist
After the finish coat and joint sealants are complete and cured, before lifts come down and turnover walks begin.
Run by: The GC's superintendent with the EIFS foreman, walking finished elevations before turnover.
04punch
EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) punch checklist
During closeout, after other trades have worked against the wall and the first weather has revealed sealant misses.
Run by: The EIFS foreman on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing envelope punch items.
What most often sends EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) work back
- Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal transition, so it channels water into the wall instead of shedding it.
- Flashing terminated short at a window head or missing an end dam, found only after a leak inside.
- Barrier holidays and fastener overdrives left unsealed because board was going up the same day.
- Reinforcing mesh laid on the wall and skimmed over on top, sitting on the surface instead of embedded in the base coat.
- Board edges at openings not back-wrapped, leaving raw insulation exposed at a reveal or terminus.
- Aesthetic reveals cut after the base coat and left with bare foam in the groove instead of a wrapped, coated edge.
- Expansion and control joints skipped at a floor line or dissimilar-substrate change, so the wall cracks along that line.
- Sealant at a penetration tooled against the finish coat, or unprimed base coat where primer is required, so it pulls away with the finish instead of holding to the base coat.
Categories and trades on the same jobs
Common questions
4 answers
- Which EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) inspections do these checklists cover?
- EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) rough-in inspection checklist (rough-in): After the substrate is up and the barrier and flashing are on, before the first insulation board is set and everything behind it is hidden. EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) pre-cover inspection checklist (pre-cover): After insulation board, base coat and mesh are on and edges are back-wrapped, before the finish coat goes over it all. EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) final inspection checklist (final): After the finish coat and joint sealants are complete and cured, before lifts come down and turnover walks begin. EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) punch checklist (punch): During closeout, after other trades have worked against the wall and the first weather has revealed sealant misses.
- Who runs an EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) inspection?
- The EIFS foreman checking the wall behind the crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing elevations before board goes up. The EIFS foreman walking behind the base-coat crew, or the GC's superintendent releasing each elevation for finish. The GC's superintendent with the EIFS foreman, walking finished elevations before turnover. The EIFS foreman on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing envelope punch items.
- What most often sends EIFS (exterior insulation and finish) work back?
- Water-resistive barrier lapped the wrong way at a horizontal transition, so it channels water into the wall instead of shedding it. Flashing terminated short at a window head or missing an end dam, found only after a leak inside. Barrier holidays and fastener overdrives left unsealed because board was going up the same day. Reinforcing mesh laid on the wall and skimmed over on top, sitting on the surface instead of embedded in the base coat.
- Can I run these checklists in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace and load any of the 4 lists (49 items in total). The Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached, and approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run these lists with the Photo Gate.
Tag one area, scan it, and the submit stays locked until the photos exist.
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