Inspection process
Hold point
Also called: H-point, mandatory hold point
A hold point is a hard stop written into the inspection and test plan. When the work reaches it, the crew has to stop and cannot proceed to the next step until the named party — the owner's rep, the engineer of record, the AHJ, or QC — has inspected the work and released it in writing. Unlike a witness point, silence is not permission: no sign-off means no advance.
Why it matters
Hold points sit in front of the steps you can't undo cheaply — closing a wall, pouring concrete, energizing a feeder. Putting the stop before the point of no return is what keeps a defect visible and correctable instead of buried.
How it shows up on site
The ITP lists each hold point, who releases it, and the notice the crew owes that party. The super schedules around it: request the inspection, hold the work, and don't let the next trade start until the release is recorded.
In RTI the hold point is a photo gate — the step won't clear until the required photos and the releasing party's sign-off are attached, so a hold that was skipped can't quietly close.
Checklists that put hold point to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Witness pointA step where a party is invited to observe the work, but the crew may proceed if that party doesn't attend within the agreed notice.
- Inspection and test plan (ITP)A document that lays out, activity by activity, what gets inspected or tested, who does it, against which standard, and what record it produces.
- Quality control planThe project-specific document that defines how a contractor will control quality — who inspects what, to which standards, and how it's recorded.
- Definable feature of workA discrete, separately inspectable task or segment of work with its own start, finish, and acceptance criteria within the QC plan.
- Preparatory phase inspectionThe first of the three phases of control — a before-work review of submittals, materials, and criteria for a definable feature of work.
- Initial phase inspectionThe second phase of control — inspecting the first representative portion of a feature to set the workmanship standard for the rest.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.