Checklists by trade
3 lists · 14 items · 24 photosStructural steel inspection checklists
Structural steel inspection checklists for the rough-in, final and punch walks: 3 free lists, 14 items and 24 photo requirements, each item naming what to look for and the photo that proves it. Work is commonly verified against AISC and AWS D1.1; the edition in force is the AHJ's call on each project.
The structural steel walks, in build order
Structural steel Rough-in· Structural steelStructural steel rough-in inspection checklistAnchorage, plumb and connections checked as the frame goes up, before decking and fireproofing bury them6 items11 photosStructural steel Final· Structural steelStructural steel final inspection checklistThe completed frame verified — every connection finished, welds sound, deck attached — before fireproofing goes on5 items8 photosStructural steel Punch· Structural steelStructural steel punch checklistCloseout walk for touch-up coating, missed bolts and welds, and damage from following trades3 items5 photos
Where each walk sits in the schedule
- Structural steel rough-in inspection checklistrough-in
- As each tier or bay is erected and while the crane is still on the connections, before metal deck is laid and long before fireproofing goes on. Run by: The GC's superintendent walking the erection with the steel foreman, often alongside the special inspector on bolting and welding.
- Structural steel final inspection checklistfinal
- After the frame is topped out and all connections are made, before the fireproofing crew mobilizes and covers the steel. Run by: The GC's superintendent with the steel foreman, closing out the structure with the special inspector's connection reports in hand.
- Structural steel punch checklistpunch
- During closeout, after fireproofing and other trades have worked around the steel and exposed touch-up and missed items. Run by: The steel foreman on a punch callback, or the GC's superintendent clearing structural items before the area is released.
What most often sends structural steel work back
- Base plate grout skipped or packed only at the edges because the erector moved on before the grout crew caught up, leaving voids under the plate.
- Bolted connections left snug-tight where the drawings call them out as pretensioned, and no one can tell later which is which without loosening them.
- A column racked out of plumb early gets chased up the frame, so the misalignment shows up floors later where it is expensive to pull back.
- Fireproofing starts on a floor before the connection log confirms every bolt-up and weld on that floor is complete, sealing in an unfinished joint.
- Deck puddle welds or fasteners come up short at the perimeter and interior supports, found only when the concrete crew starts laying reinforcement.
- Shear studs or deck attachment missed at a few beams and never caught because the frame reads finished from a distance.
- Shop coating scraped by other trades and never touched up, so bare steel starts rusting in exposed or exterior locations.
- A single missed bolt or unfinished weld flagged earlier gets lost between the punch list and the connection log and is never actually closed.
Common questions
- Which structural steel inspections do these checklists cover?
- Structural steel rough-in inspection checklist (rough-in): As each tier or bay is erected and while the crane is still on the connections, before metal deck is laid and long before fireproofing goes on. Structural steel final inspection checklist (final): After the frame is topped out and all connections are made, before the fireproofing crew mobilizes and covers the steel. Structural steel punch checklist (punch): During closeout, after fireproofing and other trades have worked around the steel and exposed touch-up and missed items.
- Who runs a structural steel inspection?
- The GC's superintendent walking the erection with the steel foreman, often alongside the special inspector on bolting and welding. The GC's superintendent with the steel foreman, closing out the structure with the special inspector's connection reports in hand. The steel foreman on a punch callback, or the GC's superintendent clearing structural items before the area is released.
- What most often sends structural steel work back?
- Base plate grout skipped or packed only at the edges because the erector moved on before the grout crew caught up, leaving voids under the plate. Bolted connections left snug-tight where the drawings call them out as pretensioned, and no one can tell later which is which without loosening them. A column racked out of plumb early gets chased up the frame, so the misalignment shows up floors later where it is expensive to pull back. Fireproofing starts on a floor before the connection log confirms every bolt-up and weld on that floor is complete, sealing in an unfinished joint.
- Which standards is structural steel work verified against?
- AISC, published by the American Institute of Steel Construction; AWS D1.1, published by the American Welding Society. Adoption varies by jurisdiction. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces before you run a walk against it.
- Can I run these checklists in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace and load any of the 3 lists (14 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.