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Free checklist

Window installation inspection checklist

Nearly every window leak is a flashing-sequence problem, and the sequence is only visible for about an hour per opening. Photograph each layer as it goes on and a callback three winters from now becomes a five-minute question instead of an exploratory demolition.

Items
12
Photos required
18
Built for
Residential builders

Who runs it

Window installer on their own work; the GC or builder verifies before the wall is wrapped and clad.

When in the schedule

Per opening, as the units are set — before the weather-resistive barrier is lapped over the head flashing.

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.

01

Rough opening

  • Opening sized, square and plumb

    Correct shim space on all four sides; measure both diagonals and photograph the tape.

    2 photos

  • Sill sloped or a sloped pan installed

    Water leaving the opening toward the exterior, not sitting on a flat sill.

    2 photos

  • Sill pan continuous with sealed corners and back dam

    Corners sealed or preformed, back dam present, pan turned up at the jambs.

    2 photos
02

Setting and fastening

  • Unit set plumb, level and square with even reveals

    Check operation before fastening; a racked frame will never seal.

    2 photos

  • Shims at the specified locations, not bearing on the pan

    Shims under load points only, and never blocking the drainage path.

    1 photo

  • Fastener type, length and spacing per the manufacturer

    Photograph a fastened jamb before trim covers it.

    1 photo
03

Flashing sequence

  • Jamb flashing lapped over the sill flashing

    Bottom layer first, then jambs over it — shingle-style, every time.

    2 photos

  • Head flashing installed and lapped by the barrier above

    Barrier over head flashing, not under. This is the single most common defect.

    2 photos

  • Sealant applied where required and omitted at the sill

    Perimeter sealed except the drainage path at the sill, which stays open.

    1 photo
04

Operation and closeout

  • Sash operates, locks and weatherstrips seal

    Open, close and lock every operable unit; check the seal compresses evenly.

    1 photo

  • Insulation or foam at the perimeter without bowing the frame

    Low-expansion product, frame still square after curing.

    1 photo

  • Glass undamaged and labels intact until handover

    No scratches or edge chips; protective film left on through the dirty trades.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Sill pan photographed after the unit was set, so the pan itself is invisible.
  • Head flashing lapped under the barrier instead of over it, discovered after siding.
  • Shims and fasteners hidden behind trim with no record of spacing or type.

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 18 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Start freeTry the gate first

Submission state

Mandatory items answered12 of 12
Photos attached15 of 18
Submit locked — 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Related checklists

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See all 69 checklists — 614 items and 1031 photo requirements in total.