Before you start
Five minutes at the door saves an hour at the desk.
- note the date, time on site and weather;
- agree the room names with the client, so locations match the drawings;
- switch on power and water, and run the AC for the whole visit;
- start at the top floor and work down, room by room, clockwise.
Walls, ceilings and floors
- cracks in plaster, especially above lintels and at corners;
- paint: patchy coats, drips, colour mismatch at touch-ups;
- tiles: hollow sound, lippage between tiles, cracked or chipped edges, missing grout;
- skirting: gaps at the wall, loose sections;
- ceilings: level of bulkheads, gaps around AC grilles and lights.
Doors and windows
- every door closes and latches without force, and locks with its key;
- frames are plumb, with even gaps and no damage to the finish;
- windows open, close and lock; seals are continuous;
- glass has no scratches; sliding doors run without catching.
Bathrooms, kitchen and wet areas
- silicone is continuous at the shower tray, basin and worktop;
- water pressure and hot water at every outlet;
- drains run fast, with no smell and no standing water on the floor;
- no leaks under basins and sinks after a few minutes of running.
MEP
- distribution boards are labelled, with no unterminated cables;
- every socket and switch works and sits flush;
- the AC cools in every room and the FCU drains cleanly;
- smoke detectors are fitted where the drawings show them.
Recording what fails
A checklist tells you where to look. The report is what fails: one finding per defect, with its location, a photo, the observation in your words, the measurement you took, a severity and an action. Items that pass do not need a line each; say in the summary which areas were inspected.
