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Sign-Off

Star 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.

 

 

 

 

 

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