Inspections at each stage of construction: hidden-work records, checks and punch lists

Three kinds of inspection, three different jobs

A municipal inspector checks whether the work meets the applicable building, electrical, plumbing and other codes. The purpose is safety and compliance; the inspector does not judge workmanship, design choices or cabinetry. Massachusetts energy codes also come in different tiers, including the base code, the Stretch code and the Specialized code, and towns adopt different ones, so which applies depends on the location and the scope of work.

Whether workmanship, materials and dimensions match the drawings and the contract is the contract quality review, carried out by the owner, the architect or a project manager the owner engages. If there is a construction loan, the lender also checks progress before releasing each draw; that check serves the loan only and does not vouch for structural safety or quality.

• Municipal code inspection: compliance with the applicable codes, which bears on closing permits and any occupancy document that applies
• Contract quality review: workmanship, materials and dimensions against the drawings and contract
• Lender draw inspection: whether progress has reached a draw milestone

Before work starts: match credentials to the job and assign the permits

Massachusetts HIC registration covers contracting work on existing, owner-occupied, non-commercial one- to four-unit homes, and there are exemptions. A new home, or work outside that scope, cannot simply be treated under the HIC rules. A Construction Supervisor License (CSL) is a separate matter, and HIC and CSL cannot stand in for each other. The most reliable way to learn which registration and licenses a given job needs is to ask the town's building official.

Electrical, plumbing and gas work each have their own licensing requirements, and one project may carry several permits, such as building, electrical and plumbing. The contract should say who applies for each permit and who schedules each inspection. An owner who pulls a permit personally takes on the related responsibilities and risks, so understand them first; pulling a permit as the owner to accommodate unqualified workers is not a good solution.

HIC and CSL show registration and license status. They do not guarantee results, and they do not mean the holder can take on every kind of work. Before work starts, also get a certificate of insurance issued directly by the contractor's insurance agent and confirm it covers the whole schedule.

• HIC registration, CSL and trade licenses checked against the nature of the work
• Contract names who applies for each permit and who schedules inspections
• Certificate of insurance issued directly by the agent, valid for the whole schedule
• Written contract covering scope, payment milestones and the change process

Foundation and framing: confirm inspections before the next step

Inspection points for excavation, foundation and framing are set by the designer, the structural engineer and the municipal inspector according to the drawings and local requirements. Which inspections happen when varies from project to project, and experience from another site cannot simply be applied.

The owner does not need to judge these technical questions, and should stay out of excavations, off unsecured framing and away from temporary power. What you confirm is that the required inspections were scheduled and passed before the next trade starts, and that any design change is confirmed in writing. If the contract or the loan uses foundation or framing as a payment or draw milestone, compare the inspection results with the payment request.

• An inspection schedule from the general contractor based on the drawings and local requirements
• Each inspection passed before the next step begins
• Design changes confirmed in writing
• Where the stage is a payment or draw milestone, inspection results checked before paying

Before the walls close: photograph what is inside

After rough plumbing, electrical and ductwork are in, and before insulation and drywall go up, the pipes, wires, ducts and framing inside walls and ceilings are visible. Once they are covered, finding them again means guessing or opening the wall.

Where it is safe and you are allowed to be, without touching anything or getting in the way of the trades, take dated photos and continuous video of every wall, room by room. Hold a tape measure in the frame as a reference so you can estimate locations later when hanging things or drilling. Mark the approximate locations of valves, access panels and junction boxes on the floor plan.

This record is for future maintenance. It does not replace any professional testing or code inspection. Whether an inspection must be passed before the walls are closed is set by the permit requirements and the inspector's schedule.

• Dated photos and video of every wall in every room
• A tape measure in the frame for scale
• Valves, access panels and junction boxes marked on the floor plan
• Any inspection required before closing the walls confirmed as done

System start-up and the punch list

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, hot water and electrical systems are started up and tested by licensed professionals following the manufacturer's instructions and the codes. The owner tries only what is part of everyday use: light switches, hot and cold water at the taps, drains, doors and windows. Do not open the electrical panel or take equipment apart. If you smell gas, do not touch any switch or valve; leave the building right away, and once outside call 911 and the gas company.

Put every issue on one punch list rather than leaving it in conversations and text messages. For each item, record the location, the problem, a photo, who is responsible, the agreed fix and when it will be rechecked, and close items one by one as they are done.

When the final payment is made, and whether part of it is held back until the punch list is finished, follows the written contract and the lender's requirements. Ask your attorney if anything is unclear, and do not invent a holdback percentage on the spot.

• Item number and location (room and exact spot)
• Description of the issue and photo reference
• Date recorded and who recorded it
• Responsible contractor or trade
• Agreed fix
• Status (open, awaiting recheck, done) and recheck date

Final inspections and closing the permits

Finishing the work on site does not close a permit. Newton, for example, states that old permits do not close on their own: final inspections must be scheduled and the closed status confirmed in the city's system. Other towns handle this differently, so follow your local building department's instructions. A permit left open can cause trouble later when the home is sold or refinanced.

Every permit needs its final inspection. What document you receive at closeout depends on local rules and the type of work, and not every renovation results in a new Certificate of Occupancy. Before the final payment, collect the final inspection records, equipment manuals, warranties and change orders from the contractor, then check the permit status for the address in the town's system yourself.

• Final inspection passed for every permit
• Applicable closeout document obtained under local rules
• All permits confirmed closed in the town's system
• Equipment manuals, warranties and handover documents filed