Inspection process
Sign-off
Also called: signoff, release, acceptance sign-off
A sign-off is the recorded act of a responsible party accepting work and releasing it. It is what turns "I think this is done" into an accountable statement: this person, on this date, verified this against its criteria and approved it. Sign-offs are what release hold points, close inspections, and let the next trade start — the whole chain of control is a chain of sign-offs.
Why it matters
A sign-off attaches a name and a date to a decision, which is exactly what disputes and warranty claims turn on later. Without it, "who approved covering this" has no answer; with it, the approval and its owner are part of the permanent record.
What proves it
A real sign-off identifies the person, the scope they accepted, the criteria, and the date. In RTI a step's sign-off lives with the photos that back it, so an approval can't float free of the evidence it was supposedly based on — the release and the proof are the same record.
Checklists that put sign-off to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Hold pointA stop in the inspection and test plan where work cannot continue until a required party inspects and signs off the release.
- 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.
- Acceptance criteriaThe stated, measurable conditions installed work has to meet before it can pass — the yardstick an inspection judges against.
- Back-checkThe return visit that confirms a punch or deficiency item was actually corrected before it is closed off the list.
- 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.
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.