A construction draw inspection verifies that billed work is present, reasonably complete, and consistent with the draw request. Preparation means reconciling the request to the job before the inspector arrives, then making the relevant work and documents easy to verify.
What does a draw inspector verify?
The inspector compares the lender’s schedule of values with visible progress at the property. The resulting report usually assigns a percent complete to each billed line, records stored materials, includes site photographs, and notes conditions that may affect completion. The lender uses that report alongside the builder’s draw package.
The inspector is working from a limited visit. Clear access, labeled documentation, and a consistent site contact reduce guesswork. Preparation also gives the builder a chance to correct billing percentages before a disagreement reaches the lender.
How should the draw request be reconciled before the visit?
Start with the current schedule of values and compare every billed line with the latest site status. The percent complete should reflect installed work plus eligible stored materials, subject to the lender’s requirements. Prior billed amounts, current billing, retainage, and the remaining balance should reconcile across the cover sheet and line schedule.
Run the review with the superintendent or project manager who has seen the site that week. Office records can lag field conditions in both directions. A delivery may have arrived after the last update, or a trade may have completed less work than its invoice suggests. Resolve those differences before the request is submitted.
Which site conditions should be ready?
- The inspector can enter the property and reach each area included in the request.
- Installed work is visible or supported by dated progress photos taken before concealment.
- Stored materials are grouped, protected, and identifiable by invoice or delivery ticket.
- The project address and permit are visible so the report clearly identifies the property.
- A site contact is available to answer scope and sequencing questions during the visit.
Basic housekeeping helps because inspectors need to see the work. Covered framing connections, locked rooms, unmarked material stacks, and poor lighting can turn completed scope into an unverified line. The goal is a site that can be documented efficiently and safely.
What documents should the site contact have?
| Document | Purpose during inspection |
|---|---|
| Current schedule of values | Connects visible work to the lender’s line items |
| Current draw request | Shows the percentages and dollars under review |
| Approved change orders | Explains new lines or revised contract values |
| Stored-material invoices | Identifies ownership, quantity, and value |
| Progress photo index | Supports work that is concealed or difficult to access |
| Inspection approvals | Confirms completed phase gates where relevant |
How should stored materials be presented?
Stored materials need a direct trail from the draw line to the physical material. Keep the paid invoice or lender-accepted proof of purchase, delivery record, photographs, storage location, and insurance information together. Label bundles or pallets when several projects share a warehouse or staging area.
Off-site materials need additional attention because the inspector may require a separate visit or a third-party storage acknowledgment. Confirm the lender’s procedure before placing the draw request. The lender may also limit the percentage of a line that can be funded before installation.
What happens during the walkthrough?
The site contact should follow the same order as the schedule of values. Begin with site work and foundation, move through framing and exterior enclosure, then cover mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and finishes. A consistent route helps the inspector map photographs and observations to the correct lines.
Answer questions with the project record. If a line changed, show the approved change order. If completed work is behind a wall, show dated photos and the related municipal inspection. If a percentage is uncertain, record the question and review it with the lender after the visit instead of estimating from memory.
How should percentage differences be handled?
A difference between the builder’s request and the inspector’s report needs a line-specific explanation. Compare the measurement basis first. One party may be counting delivered materials while the other counts installed work. The schedule of values may also combine scopes that the inspector evaluates separately.
Send the lender the relevant line, requested percentage, inspector percentage, dollar effect, and supporting evidence. A short reconciliation is easier to approve than a broad objection. If the inspector’s measurement is reasonable, revise the request promptly and carry the balance into the next draw.
What should happen after the inspection?
Obtain the report or lender summary and compare it with the submitted draw. Resolve open conditions, add any requested photographs, and update the expected funding date. Save the final report with the draw package because its percentages become the starting reference for the next inspection.
Track recurring differences by cost code. If framing is consistently billed ahead of the inspector’s measurement, revise the internal percent-complete method. A clean inspection process improves when each draw teaches the project team how that lender measures progress. Keep the inspection record with the rest of the project’s construction draw management history.