Home Site Map - Techniques - Code and Drawings -
Sign-Off
A
checklist of things that need to be finished to get occupancy
sign-off .
What is Sign-Off
Before you can live in the newly built house you need to have a final inspection and get occupancy sign-off. When building a house yourself you will probably not have it completely finished before moving in. What is important during the build is to prioritize the things that are essential for sign-off.
In your submitted plans you will have only included the essential things rather than the "nice to have" things you might add someday. For each of the rooms in your submitted plan you should make a checklist of the things that need to be done before the final inspection.
Things required in each room
All sub-trade inspections completed and signed-off, ie electrical, plumbing, fire.
Structure
All structural elements of the house (including stairs) are sound.
Building must be weather tight.
Railings on balconies and floor openings.
Railings around deck where more than 30".
Internal walls as per submitted drawing.
EPS in ceilings covered to make them fire-proof.
General
No personal move-in stuff (the house is supposed to be unoccupied before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued). No moveable furniture.
House should look clean and tidy. No building materials on main or bedroom levels.
No unfilled/unplated locations in electrical sub-panel.
Handrails on stairs
No loose plaster
Roof must be sound and waterproof
Caulking round doors and windows
Fireplaces installed properly (if present)
Electrical
No extension cord wiring.
Enough power outlets to meet code.
Lighting fixtures properly secured.
Passed electrical inspection.
Plumbing
All plumbing fixtures on the submitted plan installed and working.
Passed plumbing inspection.
Fire
Smoke and CO detectors
Fire extinguisher hung on kitchen wall
Sprinklers as per submitted plan.
Passed fire inspection.
Heating
Heating eg electric radiators needs to be installed and working
Kitchen
Required
Wipe-able counter tops.
Wipe-able kitchen island (if there is a kitchen island).
Lower cabinet carcasses (without doors and draws).
Island cabinet carcasses (without doors and draws) (if there is a kitchen island).
Main Sink
Island sink (if there is a kitchen island).
Stove plate
One oven
Microwave
Fridge
Dishwasher
Trash bin
Exhaust fan or HRV stale intake over stove
Fire sprinklers
Tiled backsplash (covering EPS wall).
Not required
Upper cabinets on the wall (other than associated with cooker extraction fan)
Cabinet doors
Cabinet draws
Tiled floors (bare concrete is ok)
Hanging roof for island
Wall tiling (other than one tile row as backsplash and skirting board).
Utility room
Required
Wipe-able countertop
Lower cabinet carcasses (without doors and draws)
Sink
Washing machine properly installed
Clothes dryer with proper vent
HRV
Stale air HRV intake
Radiator
Fire sprinkler
One row of tiles as backsplash behind counter
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Not required
Upper cabinets on the wall.
Cabinet doors
Cabinet draws
Bathroom (Main level)
Required
Floor must be impervious to water (membrane and tiled)
Bath
Toilet
Sink
Wipe-able countertop
Mirror
Bathtubs and showers properly caulked
Opening window
Stale air HRV intake
Radiator
Walls and ceiling (Gaps filled) (Unpainted but not too ugly)
Tiled floor with one row up the wall
Tiles round bath and shower to just above faucet level (including shower controls)
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Lockable door
Not required
Wall tiles that are not bath/shower splash.
Bathroom (Family bedroom level)
Required
Bath
Toilet
Sink
Wipe-able countertop
Mirror
Radiator
Opening window
Stale air HRV intake
Walls and ceiling (Gaps filled) (Unpainted but not too ugly)
Tiled floor with one row up the wall
Tiles round bath and shower to just above faucet level (including shower controls)
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Lockable door
Not required
Wall tiles that are not bath/shower splash.
Bathroom (His master)
Required
Bath
Toilet
Sink
Wipe-able countertop
Mirror
Radiator
Opening window
Stale air HRV intake
Walls and ceiling (Gaps filled) (Unpainted but not too ugly)
Tiled floor with one row up the wall
Tiles round bath and shower to just above faucet level (including shower controls)
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Lockable door
Not required
Wall tiles that are not bath splash.
Bathroom (Her master)
Required
Shower
Toilet
Sink
Wipe-able countertop
Mirror
Radiator
Opening window
Stale air HRV intake
Walls and ceiling (Gaps filled) (Unpainted but not too ugly)
Tiled floor with one row up the wall
Tiles round shower to just above faucet level (including shower controls)
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Lockable door
Not required
Wall tiles that are not shower splash.
Living room
Required
Back stairs with rail
Radiators (6 off)
Fire sprinklers
Rough concrete floor
Fresh air HRV vents
Not required
Wood fire
Wood floor
Divider wall
Dining room
Required
Rough concrete floor
Radiator
Fire sprinklers
Fresh air HRV vent
Not required
Wood floor
Serving counter
Atrium
Required
Stairs with hand rail to bedroom level (structurally sound)
Fire door at top of stairs from basement with internal walling at main level
Fire sprinklers
Rough concrete floor
Only internal walls as per submitted plan
Not required
Wood floor
Basement
Required
Water heater installed properly and working
Firewall round garage area with fire doors
Stairs with rails to main level (all structurally sound)
Hole adjacent to stairs air-tight sealed with wooden floor
Elevator hole air-tight sealed with wooden floor
Ramp in garage area to allow car to drive in (must be strong enough for car)
Raised floor at mudroom door to garage firewall internal door
Raised floor from garage firewall internal door to stairs
Blocked-up opening to crawl space under car porch
HRV
Fire sprinklers
Rough concrete floor (in areas other than raised areas)
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Not required
Wood fire
Master bedroom
Required
Radiators (2 off)
Fire sprinklers
Smoke and CO detector
Rough concrete floor
Her closet (with door?)
His closet (with door?)
Fresh air HRV vent
Not required
Wood floor
Second bedroom
Required
Radiators (2 off)
Fire sprinkler
Smoke and CO detector
Rough concrete floor
Closet (with door?)
Fresh air HRV vent
Not required
Wood floor
Third bedroom
Required
Radiator
Fire sprinkler
Smoke and CO detector
Rough concrete floor
Closet (with door?)
Fresh air HRV vent
Not required
Wood floors
Landing (Bedroom level)
Required
Railings around floor openings
Radiators (4 off)
Fire sprinklers
Smoke and CO detectors (2 off)
Rough concrete floor
Only internal wall on submitted plan
Wall tiles over all EPS internal walls
Not required
Wood floor
Yard
Required
Main electrical panel (and feed) must be proper, eg inner metal plate fitted.
No building debris left on site
Paths and driveways free from trip hazards.
No stagnant water for mosquitos
House number (ideally whole address) posted on gate
Basic landscaping to match submitted plan
Land graded for water runoff from house
Trees planted to screen ugly parts.
Drainage system inspection passed.
Not required
Fancy plantings.