Subcontractor Self-Inspection Checklist

Start with the scope you are presenting

Identify the work package, area and intended review date. Keep the agreed drawings or scope references available. Separate your own work from adjacent work so the report does not imply you inspected or accepted another trade's installation.

Decide who is authorised to assess technical requirements within your company. A self-inspection record supports that process; it is not a substitute for required testing, certification or the main contractor's acceptance arrangements.

Review the work before the joint walk

• Confirm which areas are complete enough to present for inspection.
• Record visible defects or incomplete items within the agreed scope.
• Identify work awaiting materials, access or another trade.
• Check that locations and component references match the project language.
• Gather the photos or records needed to explain each outstanding item.
• Identify which questions require a decision from the coordinator.

Do not hide an outstanding item inside a general statement that a zone is complete. A clear list lets the coordinator distinguish a minor remaining task from an area that cannot yet be reviewed meaningfully.

Example of a useful readiness note

An illustrative note is: “Joinery package, Level 2 kitchenette. Cabinets installed and available for joint review. Two handles outstanding; delivery date requested. End-panel finishing awaits completion of the adjacent wall work.” Add references to the individual items and their locations.

This wording explains readiness without claiming overall acceptance. If your team has already repaired an observation, add a dated resolution note stating what was checked. Keep the original finding available so the joint walk can verify the same point.

Share the evidence and keep a response trail

Site Audit can hold the package observations, photos and captions in a project. Generate a checked PDF and explain whether it is an internal working list or a report issued for coordination. Pro allows separate projects for successive jobs and removes the app credit line from newly generated PDFs.

Retain the issued file and record the response from the main contractor separately. If new findings arise during the joint walk, compare them with your existing items before creating duplicates. Use the outstanding works template for incomplete tasks and the resolution note examples to make completed actions understandable at the next review.

Use repeated observations to identify a specific process improvement and check whether it helps on later work.