Published 31 Jan 2023
What is a Drywall Inspection?
A drywall inspection is a type of inspection that evaluates drywall installation to verify if it follows standard structural requirements. It helps identify and address issues before adding finishing touches to the building or home. It is conducted prior to and after installation.
General Drywall Inspection Checklist
A drywall inspection checklist is a tool used as a guide for inspectors in evaluating drywall installation. Use this checklist to identify any issues like misaligned holes for electrical boxes, drywall screws driven too far and other non-compliant items. Maximize use of this checklist by following the steps below:
- Check if all drywall requirements are met
- Do a site walkthrough and inspect drywall installation
- Add notes or comments to identified non-compliance
- Take or attach photos of compliant or non-compliant items
- Provide corrective actions for non-compliant items. Assign corrective actions, set priority level, and due date
- Sign off with digital signature
In this article
- What is a Drywall and its Importance?
- Pre-drywall & Post-drywall Inspections
- What to look for in a Drywall Inspection
- Drywall Inspections Checklist App
- Download Free & Customizable Drywall Inspection Checklists
What is a Drywall and its Importance?
A drywall is a construction material installed in the interior of walls and ceilings. It is also known as a wall-board, sheet-rock, gypsum panels, or boards. Aside from the fact that it’s easy to install and repair when damaged. The biggest benefit of drywalls is its fire resistance. Drywalls can help contain the spread of fire, therefore allowing safe evacuation of people during a fire emergency. Below are 6 common types of drywalls that are being used in the construction industry:
- Regular drywall
- Mold-resistant drywall
- Plasterboard
- Soundproof drywall
- Fire resistant drywall
- VOC-absorbing drywall
Pre-drywall & Post-drywall Inspections
Before drywalls are installed, a pre-drywall inspection is conducted to check if both interior and exterior aspects of the building are up to code. It allows early detection of any flaws that can be difficult and expensive to remedy once drywall is installed. This is usually conducted by third party building inspectors.
Once drywall is installed, a post-drywall inspection should be conducted. This is to ensure that installation was done according to standard and that building requirements were met. This serves as an opportunity to spot any mistakes or missed items from previous inspections before signing off.
What to look for in a Drywall Inspection
Fasteners (Screws and nails)
Inspectors should assess the use of screws in terms of spacing, application, and penetration to avoid breaking the paper face of the wallboard. For example, a type G screw should be used for attaching gypsum to gypsum and type W screws are for gypsum to wood framing. As for penetration of screws and nails, it varies depending on the type of material being nailed or screwed. For example, for wood materials, screws should be ⅝” long and 3⁄4” for nails. As for spacing, you can refer to the table below:
| Gypsum Wall Board Thickness | Erection of Framing | Maximum Framing Member Spacing | Maximum Nail Spacing | Maximum Screw Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½” | Vertical | 16″ | 8″ | 16″ |
| ½” | Horizontal | 16″ | 7″ | 12″ |
| ½” | Vertical | 24″ | 7″ | 12″ |
| ½” | Horizontal | 24″ | 8″ | 12″ |
| ⅝” | Vertical | 16″ | 8″ | 16″ |
| ⅝” | Horizontal | 16″ | 7″ | 12″ |
| ⅝” | Vertical | 24″ | 7″ | 12″ |
| ⅝” | Vertical | 24″ | 8″ | 12″ |
Electrical outlet
Make sure that electrical outlets are not misaligned by checking if it follows the standards. This states that boxes should not recess more than ⅛” from the face of drywall and must be flush with or project past combustible surfaces.
Joints
The right placement of a drywall’s joints is to stagger it on opposite sides of the walls and it should not align with the edge of the openings. Staggering sheetrock boards will add strength to the wall or ceiling and help reduce cracks.
Drywall Inspections Checklist App
Drywall inspection reports are important because they help inspectors and contractors document the overall condition of a house or building and take note of problem areas that need immediate repair. Paper-based inspection forms and manual reporting can be time-consuming and a hassle. Switch to a mobile inspection app like SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) so you can perform inspections quickly and produce reports as you finish the inspection. With SafetyCulture, you can:
- Convert your paper forms into digital checklists
- Conveniently perform pre-drywall and drywall inspections using your tablet or mobile device
- Assign corrective actions on problem areas or items you’ve identified during an inspection
- Take or attach photos and add notes during the inspection
- Get insights on the condition of your home or building with analytics
- Automatically generate comprehensive reports and share with team members.
- Preview the sample report. Drywall inspection templates and reports can be downloaded as a document or PDF.
- Use SafetyCulture for free with small teams. Unlimited reports and storage, integrations, and real-time analytics for premium accounts.
Download Free & Customizable Drywall Inspection Checklists
Pre-Drywall Inspection Checklist
Use a pre-drywall inspection checklist to ensure that a house or building is constructed according to the specifications set by management or homeowner. Perform pre-drywall inspections using this checklist to find and repair issues such as improper insulation placement and deterioration before they are covered up. This template helps keep the project on track and reduce additional costs that are easily preventable.
Drywall Quality Control Checklist
Use this drywall quality control checklist to review the quality of drywall installation. This checklist inspects if standards and requirements are fulfilled for drywall nailing and screwing, tapings and corner beads. Use and customize this checklist according to your inspection needs.
SafetyCulture Content Specialist
Jai Andales
