Plan inspections before connections are concealed
A final walk around a completed façade cannot replace inspections during work. Some fixings, joints and seals will already be hidden. Agree hold points where the contractor shows a detail before another layer or flashing covers it. Develop these points for the specific system and project with the client’s quality representative.
A useful inspection plan includes sector, element, requirement, reference document, checking method and approving person. ‘In accordance with good practice’ is too general when the parties later need to resolve a specific discrepancy.
Four groups of inspection items
- Geometry: joint layout, opening positions and envelope outline against the documentation.
- Completeness: connections, flashings, terminations and scope left to other trades.
- Surface condition: damage, dirt, installation debris and areas requiring repair.
- Documents: current drawings, agreed changes, installed product documentation and the agreed photographs.
Ruukki’s instructions highlight removal of metal swarf and inspection of fixings, seals and flashings. Maintenance documentation also distinguishes surface damage types and repair actions. Repairs should not be selected solely by façade colour. Ruukki — sandwich panel installation instructions. Ruukki — SPA panel repairs and maintenance.
How to record a defect so it can be closed out
Every issue needs an unambiguous location. ‘Fix the sheet at the back of the hall’ means different things to different people. A clearer record includes elevation number, structural grid, level and a marked photograph, alongside the expected outcome, responsible person and deadline. If the cause is unknown, a technical decision is needed before instructing a specific repair.
An organisational example: a photograph shows a scratch beside an opening. The image alone does not establish when it happened or who caused it. Partial handover records and other crews’ access logs can help. This is a reason to hand over sectors as work progresses rather than waiting until all building work finishes.
Contractor scope and project acceptance
The final record should separately identify completed work, outstanding corrections and excluded elements. If a report covers wall installation only, it should not imply approval of process systems, whole-building fire protection or cleanroom performance. Maintenance instructions for the coating actually installed are also useful to the hall operator.
Before ordering installation, agree the documentation needed at handover: sector lists, photographs of selected details, signed inspection sheets or partial handover records. This affects supervision arrangements and should be known from the outset.
Partial handover can reduce misunderstandings
Divide records into sectors that can actually be inspected and handed over. On a large facility this produces a shorter snagging list and clearer work locations. Partial handover should also define other teams’ access and how later damage is reported. It does not automatically determine financial settlement, which depends on the contract. It can organise quality documentation and provide a shared record of what was visible on a given day. Attach general photographs and close-ups of important details.
Sources and documentation
Editorial update: 9 October 2026. The manufacturer and institutional sources used to check this information are listed below. The checklists and workflow examples were prepared by Panel Montage.
Information about the team's work is based on project documentation from 2025–2026. The public list of locations and scopes is available on our project map.