Inspection process
Rough-in inspection
A rough-in inspection checks the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work that runs inside the framing while it is still open and visible. Boxes, cable, conduit, supply and waste piping, and duct are verified for support, protection, clearances, and, for plumbing, the pressure or water test that has to pass before anything gets covered. It is a gate: the wall stays open until rough-in is signed off.
Run it with the Photo Gate
Electrical rough-in inspection checklist
13 items · 21 photos required
Why it matters
Once drywall goes up, everything behind it is expensive to reach. The rough-in inspection is the last honest look at the piping and wiring you'll live with, so a missed nail plate, an unsupported run, or a failed pressure test caught here saves opening a finished wall later.
How it shows up on site
Each trade calls its own rough-in (electrical, plumbing, mechanical), and the AHJ typically inspects before the pre-cover walk closes the assembly. Work is judged against the applicable installation codes: NEC for wiring, the plumbing code for piping, the mechanical code for duct.
Guides that use it
- How to inspect electrical rough-inWalk electrical rough-in before insulation and drywall close it in: boxes, conductors, grounding, supports and clearances, with the photo each one needs.
- How to inspect plumbing rough-inInspect plumbing rough-in before it disappears into the wall or slab: DWV slope, pressure test, water lines, supports and protection, with the proof each needs.
- How to inspect HVAC rough-inWalk HVAC rough-in before ceilings and walls close: duct construction and sealing, hangers, equipment, refrigerant and condensate, with the proof each needs.
- How to inspect framingCheck framing before it's covered (members, connections, blocking, and openings against the drawings) so nothing gets buried behind sheathing or drywall.
Standards it's verified against
Checklists that put rough-in inspection to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Pre-cover inspectionThe last inspection of an assembly before it is concealed by drywall, insulation, backfill, or a slab pour that hides the work underneath.
- Hold pointA stop in the inspection and test plan where work cannot continue until a required party inspects and signs off the release.
- 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.
- Hydrostatic testA test that fills a pipe or vessel with water and pressurizes it to prove it holds without leaking before it is put in service or covered.
- Above-ceiling inspectionThe inspection of everything routed in the ceiling space before the ceiling is closed, confirming all trades are complete and released.
- MEP coordinationThe process of laying out mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-protection systems together so their routes fit the available space without clashing.
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.
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