Free checklist
WaterproofingWaterproofing rough-in inspection checklist
Waterproofing 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 the applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Before application
Approved system submittal and details on site
The approved product data and the manufacturer's details for terminations, penetrations and drains available to the crew, matching the material delivered.
No photoTemperature and weather within the product's limits
Air and surface temperature read and compared to the manufacturer's application range, with no rain expected inside the product's cure window.
Substrate
Substrate clean, dry and within tolerance
No standing water, mud, fins or voids; surface profile matches what the membrane system requires.
Cracks, joints and transitions pre-treated
Detail coat, strip or sealant at cracks, cold joints and inside corners before the field membrane.
Substrate cure or moisture reading within the membrane's limit
Concrete cure age, or a moisture meter reading on concrete, block or board, taken where the membrane goes and compared to the manufacturer's value, location noted.
Form tie holes filled flush before membrane
Where the wall is cast concrete, every tie hole packed with the specified patching material and struck flush, no open cones or projecting tie ends.
No photo
Membrane application
Membrane thickness or ply count matches the spec
Wet mil gauge readings or ply count verified at multiple points per area, not just at the starting edge.
Laps oriented to shed water and rolled tight
Side and end laps shingled in the drainage direction, no fishmouths, no unbonded edges.
Terminations and penetrations per the system detail
Termination bars, counterflashings and penetration boots match the manufacturer's detail for that condition.
Drain flanges clamped or bonded to the membrane
Where a drain sits in the membrane, it is carried onto the drain body flange and held by the clamping ring or bonded as the drain and membrane details show.
No photoMembrane fully bonded with no wrinkles, blisters or pinholes
Sheets rolled flat with wrinkles and bridged inside corners cut out and patched; fluid-applied coats free of pinholes, blisters and thin spots.
Fresh membrane protected until it has cured or bonded
Membrane shielded from rain, foot traffic and falling debris until the cure or bond time the manufacturer lists has passed.
Protection and drainage
Protection course or drainage board installed undamaged
Full coverage with no torn or displaced sheets, membrane still visible and intact at the edges.
Drainage board carried down into the footing drain
Where drainage board is used, it runs to the footing drain with the filter fabric on the soil side and lapped over the drain as the drawings show.
No photoFlood test or water test documented where specified
Water level photographed at start and end of the test period, drains plugged and tagged, result recorded.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Membrane photographed after the protection course went on, so laps and terminations can never be verified.
- Flood test logged as passed with no photos of the water level at start and end.
- Penetrations sealed with a generic detail instead of the manufacturer's penetration detail.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this waterproofing rough-in checklist cover?
- 15 items across 4 sections, covering before application, substrate, membrane application, protection and drainage. 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 waterproofing foreman walking each lift, or the GC's superintendent before backfill or tile is released.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Per lift and per area: after substrate prep, after membrane application, and after protection course, before anything covers the work.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 20 photos in all. 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 waterproofing rough-in inspection?
- Membrane photographed after the protection course went on, so laps and terminations can never be verified. Flood test logged as passed with no photos of the water level at start and end. Penetrations sealed with a generic detail instead of the manufacturer's penetration detail.
- 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
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 20 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.