Checklists by trade
4 lists · 18 items · 31 photosTile and stone inspection checklists
Tile and stone inspection checklists for the rough-in, pre-cover, final and punch walks: 4 free lists, 18 items and 31 photo requirements, each item naming what to look for and the photo that proves it. Work is commonly verified against ANSI A108 / TCNA tile standards; the edition in force is the AHJ's call on each project.
The tile and stone walks, in build order
Tile and stone Rough-in· Tile and stoneTile and stone rough-in inspection checklistSubstrate, setting-bed system and dry layout confirmed before the first tile is set4 items7 photosTile and stone Pre-cover· Tile and stoneTile and stone pre-cover inspection checklistWaterproofing continuity, slope to drain and the flood test observed before tile hides them4 items9 photosTile and stone Final· Tile and stoneTile and stone final inspection checklistFinished tile checked for lippage, joints, honored movement joints and hollow-sound spots6 items10 photosTile and stone Punch· Tile and stoneTile and stone punch checklistCloseout walk for cracked or loose tiles, grout haze and sealant at plane changes4 items5 photos
Where each walk sits in the schedule
- Tile and stone rough-in inspection checklistrough-in
- 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. Run by: The tile foreman checking each room ahead of the setters, or the GC's superintendent releasing wet areas floor by floor.
- Tile and stone pre-cover inspection checklistpre-cover
- After waterproofing is applied and slope is formed, before any tile is set over it — the flood test only counts if it is held before the assembly is covered. Run by: The GC's superintendent with the tile foreman at each wet area, since the membrane and its test disappear permanently under the tile.
- Tile and stone final inspection checklistfinal
- After grouting and initial cleaning, once grout has set enough to walk, before turnover walks and before sealer is applied on stone. Run by: The GC's superintendent with the tile foreman, walking finished rooms before the owner's punch walk.
- Tile and stone punch checklistpunch
- During closeout, after final cleaning reveals haze and after other trades have worked over the finished tile. Run by: The tile foreman on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing finish punch items.
What most often sends tile and stone work back
- 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.
- Membrane stopped at the floor and never turned up the wall or sealed to the drain flange, so water tracks under the pan.
- Pre-slope missing under a bonded pan, leaving a flat floor that holds water below the tile with nowhere to weep.
- Flood test skipped or drained after ten minutes because the setters were waiting, so a slow leak is only found after handover.
- 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.
Verified against
Families only, never clause numbers. Adoption varies by jurisdiction; confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces before you run a walk against it.
Common questions
- Which tile and stone inspections do these checklists cover?
- Tile and stone rough-in inspection checklist (rough-in): 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. Tile and stone pre-cover inspection checklist (pre-cover): After waterproofing is applied and slope is formed, before any tile is set over it — the flood test only counts if it is held before the assembly is covered. Tile and stone final inspection checklist (final): After grouting and initial cleaning, once grout has set enough to walk, before turnover walks and before sealer is applied on stone. Tile and stone punch checklist (punch): During closeout, after final cleaning reveals haze and after other trades have worked over the finished tile.
- Who runs a tile and stone inspection?
- The tile foreman checking each room ahead of the setters, or the GC's superintendent releasing wet areas floor by floor. The GC's superintendent with the tile foreman at each wet area, since the membrane and its test disappear permanently under the tile. The GC's superintendent with the tile foreman, walking finished rooms before the owner's punch walk. The tile foreman on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing finish punch items.
- What most often sends tile and stone work back?
- 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. Membrane stopped at the floor and never turned up the wall or sealed to the drain flange, so water tracks under the pan.
- Which standards is tile and stone work verified against?
- ANSI A108 / TCNA tile standards, published by the American National Standards Institute / Tile Council of North America. 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 4 lists (18 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.