Form library · Construction and handover
Painting inspection checklist
A painting and decorating inspection for building work, filled in on a phone room by room. Record the products used against the specification, with colour reference and batch, and the paint maker's limits for this job. Then check each room: surface preparation, temperature, humidity and substrate moisture against those limits, coats applied against the specification, film thickness where it is specified, and the finish. Each touch-up gets a photo, a location and a size, and the form counts what is still open before handover. For lead in old paint on renovation jobs, see the home renovation checklist; for protective coatings on steelwork, use the coating inspection report.
For painting and decorating contractors, site managers, clerks of works and fit-out teams checking paintwork before it is handed over.
Written for the UK and the US: choose the country on page 1 and the form shows the HSE lead paint note or, for a US building from before 1978, the EPA lead-safe note.
- Products used against the specification, with colour reference, batch and a tin label scan
- Temperature, humidity and substrate moisture checked against the maker's limits you enter
- Coats applied against the specification, and wet or dry film thickness where specified
- Each room a space with preparation and finish checks, touch-ups with photo, location and size
- Clean-up and handover checks, actions with owners, and signatures
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What should a painting inspection checklist cover?
A painting inspection is useful when each defect can be found again and traced to a cause: the room, the wall, where on it, a photo, and the product, batch and conditions when it went on. Enter the paint maker's limits once, take readings in each room, and record touch-ups as items so you can see what is still open at handover.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 27 October 2026 against HSE, Frequently asked questions on lead, HSE, Lead: when are you most at risk?, Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, regulation 5, assessment of the risk to health, US EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting program and 40 CFR 745.83, definitions for the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (eCFR).
How to inspect painting and decorating
Check preparation before the first coat, then inspect the finish when the last coat is dry, under the lighting agreed for the job.
Set up the job
Enter the site, the painting contractor, the stage of the inspection and the year the building was built.
Record the products and limits
Add each product with its colour reference and batch, or scan the tin label. Enter the lowest temperatures, highest humidity and moisture limits from the paint maker's data sheet, and any film thickness the specification asks for.
Answer the lead paint question
On older buildings, record whether the existing paint was tested or is presumed to contain lead, and how it is being prepared. Check the protection before work starts.
Inspect each room
Add a room, check the preparation, enter the readings taken when the paint went on and the coats applied, then walk each wall for coverage, colour, runs, marks, cutting-in and damage.
Record touch-ups
Add each touch-up with its type, where it is, its size and a photo. Mark it done with a second photo once it is put right.
Hand over and sign
Check the clean-up, the spare paint and the paint schedule, list the actions with owners and dates, and sign with the painting contractor.
What makes a painting inspection useful
Touch-ups with type, location, size and photo
Dental surgery, waiting room feature wall: lighter patches across the whole wall where tins from a second batch were used without mixing. Recorded as a colour mismatch, 4.2 m wide, photo taken in daylight. Action: box the remaining tins and recoat the whole wall before handover, owner the painting contractor, due 20 October.
Fictional example. Record the actual evidence and approved arrangements for your job.
A common recording mistake
Writing 'touch up as required' with no location or photo, so nobody can tell which marks were agreed or whether they were fixed.
What happens next
Put the touch-ups right, re-inspect under the same lighting, mark each one done with a photo, and hand over the paint schedule and labelled spare paint.
Try the painting inspection form live
Answer a few questions and watch it adapt. Your answers are not saved, and any photos you add are deleted within the hour.
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Want to see one filled in? See a completed painting inspection report (PDF), made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit.
Every question in the painting inspection template
A painting and decorating inspection for building work: products used against the specification with colour reference, batch and a tin label scan, the paint maker's limits, lead in old paint (UK HSE and US EPA notes), protection, then each room as a space with surface preparation, air and surface temperature, humidity and substrate moisture against the maker's limits, coats applied against the specification, wet or dry film thickness where specified, finish checks and touch-ups with photo, location and size, then clean-up, handover, actions and sign-off. 6 sections and 157 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
Make it your own: every question is editable
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Details you only enter once
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Site address: the site address, from the space or the project
- Client: the project's customer
Job details
- ProjectShort answer
Filled in from the project in SiteSurvey.
Fills in from the project name - Site addressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- ClientShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Location (GPS)Short answer
- Inspection date*Date
- Inspected by*Short answer
- Painting contractorShort answer
- Job, order or contract referenceShort answer
- CountryChoose one
Sets which lead paint notes you see.
- UK
- US
- Other country
- Year the building was built (approximate)Number
Older buildings are more likely to have lead in the existing paint.
- WorkChoose one
- Interior
- Exterior
- Interior and exterior
- Stage of this inspectionChoose one
- Surface preparation, before painting
- Between coats
- Final inspection
- Handover inspection
- Scope of the painting workNotes
- Weather on siteAnswer
- CheckThis is a painting and decorating quality record: preparation, products, conditions, coats, finish and touch-ups. It does not test for lead or certify the work. For protective coatings on structural steel, use the Coating and Corrosion Inspection form.
Specification, maker's limits and products
- Specification or paint schedule referenceShort answer
Clause, schedule or colour board reference.
- Paint makerShort answer
- GuidanceEnter the limits from the paint maker's product data sheet for the products used. Where products differ, enter the strictest. The form compares each reading on the next page with these figures.
- Temperature unitChoose one
- °C
- °F
- Lowest air temperature for application ({temp_unit})Number
- Lowest surface temperature for application ({temp_unit})Number
- Highest relative humidity for application (%)Number
- Highest substrate moisture contentNumber
As the maker or specification states it, in the same scale as your meter.
- Film thickness unitChoose one
- microns
- mils
- Specified wet film thickness per coat, if anyNumber
- Specified dry film thickness, if anyNumber
- Products usedRepeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Used on*Short answer
For example walls and ceilings, woodwork, exterior render.
- Product specifiedShort answer
- Colour reference specifiedShort answer
- Product used*Short answer
- Colour reference on the tinShort answer
- Batch numberShort answer
- Tin labelScan a label: manufacturer, product, colour reference, batch number, date of manufacture or use by, pack size
Optional. Scan the tin label to capture the product, colour and batch.
- Against the specification*Choose one
- As specified
- Approved alternative
- Not as specified
- Approved by and whenShort answerShown when “Against the specification” is “Approved alternative”
- What is differentNotesShown when “Against the specification” is “Not as specified”
- Each surface painted from one batch, or tins mixed together first?Yes or No
Good practice for an even colour across a wall.
- Photo of the tin labelsPhotos
- Products recordedWorked out by the form
- Not as specifiedWorked out by the form
- CheckA product is not as specified. Get it approved, or replace it, before more is applied.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Lead paint and protection
- GuidanceLead in old paint (UK). HSE says you are most at risk of lead exposure when removing existing paint in properties built before the 1980s, stripping old paint with blow lamps or gas torches, or dry sanding it. You do not need a lead survey, but you must decide in your risk assessment whether the work will expose anyone to lead (Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, regulation 5). HSE advises: strip old paint only if it is flaking, chipping or a risk to children; where it is in poor condition use chemical stripper, wet abrasive paper and on-tool extraction; where it is in good condition key it with wet abrasive paper; bag the debris, cloths and paper.Shown when “Country” is “UK”
- GuidanceLead paint (US). The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 to be certified, with workers trained in lead-safe work practices. Sanding and scraping count as disturbing paint. Use the Home Renovation Checklist in the library for the pamphlet, set-up and cleaning steps.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Lead in the existing paintChoose one
- Tested: no lead paint found in the work areas
- Tested: lead paint found
- Not tested: presumed present, lead-safe methods used
- Not checked yet
- No existing paint disturbed (new surfaces only)
- How old paint is being preparedChoose one
- Wet abrading
- Chemical stripper
- Sanding with on-tool extraction
- Dry sanding
- Heat gun or blow lamp
- Not disturbed
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant - WarningHSE names dry sanding and blow lamps or gas torches on old paint as the jobs with the highest lead risk. Change the method.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Is this a home, childcare facility or preschool where paid work disturbs painted surfaces?Yes or NoShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Firm lead-safe certified (EPA or state)?Yes or NoShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Lead controls in placeNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- lead_openWorked out by the form
- Furniture, fittings and floors moved or coveredChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Ironmongery, switch plates and fittings removed or maskedChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Adjacent finishes, glass and floors maskedChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Area ventilated and dust controlledChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Wet paint signs and access kept clear for others using the buildingChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Access equipment safe for the workChoose one
Steps, platforms or scaffold as planned for the job.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Protection items needing actionWorked out by the form
- Not checkedWorked out by the form
- Photos of the protectionPhotos
Rooms and areas
One entry per room or area. Each becomes a space in SiteSurvey.
- Rooms and areasRepeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Room or area*Short answer
For example Surgery 1, stairwell, front elevation.
- Surfaces paintedTick all that apply
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Woodwork and trim
- Doors and frames
- Windows
- Radiators and pipes
- Metalwork
- Exterior masonry or render
- Exterior timber
- Floors
- Inspected underChoose one
Use the lighting and viewing position agreed in the contract or specification, if any.
- Daylight
- The room lighting
- Daylight and the room lighting
- Raking light from a torch
- GuidanceSurface preparation
- Surfaces clean, dry and free of dust and greaseChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Cracks and holes filled and sanded flushChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Old coatings sound, or loose paint removed and edges featheredChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Bare areas, new plaster, knots and stains primed or sealedChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Gaps at trim, frames and skirtings caulkedChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- r_prep_issuesWorked out by the form
- GuidanceConditions when the paint went on. Temperatures in the unit set on page 2, humidity in %, moisture in your meter's scale.
- Air temperatureNumber
In the unit set on page 2.
- Surface temperatureNumber
- Relative humidity (%)Number
- Substrate moisture readingNumber
- r_cond_failWorked out by the form
- Against the maker's limitsWorked out by the formShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Coats specifiedNumber
- Coats appliedNumber
- r_coats_shortWorked out by the form
- CoatsWorked out by the formShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Lowest wet film readingNumber
In the unit set on page 2.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant - Lowest dry film readingNumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- r_film_lowWorked out by the form
- Film thicknessWorked out by the formShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- GuidanceFinish
- Coverage even, no misses or grinningChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Colour matches the approved colour reference or sampleChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Sheen even and as specifiedChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- No runs, sags or curtainsChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- No brush, roller or lap marks beyond the agreed standardChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Cutting-in straight and clean at ceilings, corners and trimChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- No overspray or paint on glass, fittings, floors or other finishesChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- No damage, dirt or bits in the finishChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- r_fin_issuesWorked out by the form
- Touch-ups in this roomRepeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Touch-up*Short answer
For example runs on the window wall below the sill.
- TypeChoose one
- Run or sag
- Misses or thin coverage
- Colour or sheen mismatch
- Brush, roller or lap marks
- Cutting-in not straight
- Overspray or paint on other finishes
- Damage after painting
- Dirt or bits in the finish
- Filler showing through
- Other
- WhereShort answer
Wall or element, height and distance from a corner.
- Approximate size of the area (m)Number
Measure from a photo gives an estimate.
- PhotoPhotos
- Status*Choose one
- Open
- Done, checked
- Photo when donePhotosShown when “Status” is “Done, checked”
- r_touch_openWorked out by the form
- Touch-ups still open in this roomWorked out by the form
- Room photosPhotos
- Room status*Choose one
- Ready for handover
- Touch-ups needed
- Another coat needed
- Work still in progress
- r_issuesWorked out by the form
- Rooms and areas inspectedWorked out by the form
- Ready for handoverWorked out by the form
- Room checks needing actionWorked out by the form
- Touch-ups still openWorked out by the form
- Rooms painted outside the maker's limitsWorked out by the form
- Rooms with fewer coats than specifiedWorked out by the form
- Walk Cam: painted rooms walk-roundWalk Cam video with voice-to-text
Optional. Film a guided walk-round on the SiteSurvey app.
Clean-up and handover
- Protection, dust sheets and masking removed without lifting the paintChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Ironmongery, switch plates and fittings put backChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Paint removed from glass, floors, fittings and hardwareChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Waste paint, tins, rags and abrasive paper removed from siteChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Other finishes damaged during the work recorded and put rightChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Spare paint labelled with product, colour reference and room, left for the clientChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Paint schedule of products and colours by room handed overChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Clean-up items needing actionWorked out by the form
- Not checkedWorked out by the form
- Finished photosPhotos
Result, actions and sign-off
- Items needing actionWorked out by the form
Products not as specified, lead paint questions, protection, room checks (preparation, conditions, coats, film thickness, finish) and clean-up. Touch-ups are counted separately below.
- ResultWorked out by the form
- Touch-ups still open (counted separately)Worked out by the form
- ActionsRepeat for each action. Each one asks:
- Action*Notes
- PriorityChoose one
- Before the next coat
- Before handover
- At the next visit
- For information
- Who will do it*Short answer
- Due byDate
- Status*Choose one
- Open
- In progress
- Done, checked
- Photo when donePhotosShown when “Status” is “Done, checked”
- Actions still openWorked out by the form
- Decision*Choose one
- Ready for handover
- Ready once the listed touch-ups are done
- Not ready: re-inspect
- Next check or re-inspection dateDate
- Summary for the clientNotes
- Inspector nameShort answer
- Inspector signature*Signature
- Painting contractor nameShort answer
- Painting contractor signatureSignature
- CheckThis record shows what was seen and measured on the day. It does not test for lead or certify the paintwork.
See it filled in
A completed painting inspection report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Painting inspection FAQs
What temperature and humidity limits should the form use?
The ones on the paint maker's product data sheet for the products you are using, and any stricter figure in the specification. Paints differ, so the form has no figures of its own: you enter the lowest air and surface temperature, the highest relative humidity and the highest substrate moisture once on page 2, and each room's readings are compared with them.
How do I check old paint for lead before decorating in the UK?
HSE says you do not need a lead survey, but you must decide in your risk assessment whether the work will expose anyone to lead. People are most at risk when removing existing paint in properties built before the 1980s, stripping old paint with blow lamps or gas torches, or dry sanding it. HSE advises stripping old paint only where it is flaking, chipping or a risk to children, and keying sound paint with wet abrasive paper.
Sources: HSE, Frequently asked questions on lead, HSE, Lead: when are you most at risk? and Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, regulation 5, assessment of the risk to health.
Does the EPA lead paint rule apply to painting jobs in the US?
It applies to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978: the firm must be certified and the workers trained in lead-safe work practices. Surface preparation such as sanding and scraping counts as disturbing paint. Repainting without disturbing the old paint is a different case. For the full steps on a residential job, use the home renovation checklist.
Sources: US EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting program and 40 CFR 745.83, definitions for the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (eCFR).
Why record the batch number of the paint?
If a wall shows patches of a different shade, the batch record lets you trace it back to the tins used. Record the batch for each product, with a photo or a label scan. The form also asks whether each surface was painted from one batch or from tins mixed together first.
Is this the same as a coating inspection?
No. This form is for painting and decorating on buildings: walls, ceilings, woodwork, doors and exterior surfaces. Protective coatings on structural steel, with corrosion and dry film thickness readings member by member, belong on the coating inspection report.
Does the form test or certify the paintwork?
No. It records what was seen and measured on the day, against the specification and the paint maker's limits you enter. It does not test for lead or certify the work. SiteSurvey keeps the photos with each room and touch-up and produces a PDF report you can share as a link.
Related
Related templates
Templates that go with the painting inspection form
A contractor's whole-house renovation record: scope by room with agreed selections and before photos, asbestos, lead paint and other hazards found before work, permits and approvals, protection and access, progress by room, variations with cost, time and client approval, and the final check and handover. Counts rooms complete, variations agreed and issues open, with UK asbestos and US lead paint (EPA RRP) notes.
A protective coating and corrosion inspection of steelwork: structure, coating system and corrosivity category, each area or member with breakdown, corrosion, where it is, film thickness if measured, priority and photos.
Snag by snag record with room, element, photo and priority, checks with no snag, totals and re-inspection.
A quality control inspection of one work package: trade and subcontractor, ITP or spec reference, materials against the approved submittals, standard and package checks, tolerance readings by location against the spec values you enter with pass or fail, hold and witness points, nonconformances raised, photos, counts, an overall result and sign-off by the QC manager and subcontractor.
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