Reinforcement pre-pour inspection report
An inspection of reinforcement before concrete is poured, checking bar sizes, spacing, cover and laps against the design.
About this service
Reinforcement only works if the right bars are in the right place. A slab with bars lying on the formwork instead of raised on spacers, laps that are too short, or a missing layer of top steel can look perfectly finished once concrete is poured. The defect stays hidden until the slab cracks or deflects. A pre-pour inspection catches these problems while they can still be fixed with tie wire and a few extra bars.
We inspect reinforced concrete rafts, ground-bearing and suspended slabs, retaining walls, pile caps, ground beams and in-situ stairs. On basement projects, inspections are often staged as each wall pour or slab bay is prepared. We check what is fixed against the reinforcement drawings and bar schedules, so the service is useful whether the design is ours or another engineer's.
We look at bar sizes and spacing, cover to the formwork and ground, lap lengths, anchorage at corners and edges, and starter bars for walls and columns. We also check that waterstops, cast-in items and service openings are in place and that the formwork is clean. Every report is signed off by a chartered engineer who is a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE).
When you need it
- Your project has reinforced concrete slabs, walls or foundations
- The specification requires a pre-pour inspection
What's included
- Inspection of reinforcement layout
- Check of bar sizes, spacing, cover and laps
- Notes on any corrections needed
How it works
- Share the drawingsSend us the reinforcement drawings, bar schedules and the date the concrete is booked. If another engineer designed it, we review their drawings before the visit so we know exactly what to look for.
- Inspect the steelOn site we measure spacing and cover, check sizes and laps, confirm chairs and spacers are adequate, and walk the whole area, including edges, openings and junctions where errors tend to cluster.
- Agree correctionsMissing bars, short laps or low cover are listed for the steel fixer to put right before the pour. Small items can often be rechecked on the same visit or confirmed by photographs.
- Report and recordWe issue a report with photographs and a clear statement of whether the reinforcement was acceptable to pour. It forms part of the record for Building Control and future owners.
What you receive
The reinforcement errors we find most often
Cover is the most frequent problem. Bars need a minimum depth of concrete around them to protect against corrosion and fire, and a few millimetres matters. Bars resting directly on blinding, spacers knocked over during fixing, and top mats sagging under foot traffic all reduce cover. The fix is simple before a pour and very difficult afterwards.
The second group involves laps and junctions. Bars are lapped in the wrong place or for too short a length, and corner bars tying walls to slabs are left out because they are awkward to fix. On basement walls, missing or loose waterstops at construction joints cause leaks that are expensive to cure. Allowing time in the programme for corrections removes the pressure to pour regardless. For new walls, see our retaining wall design service.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pre-pour inspection required by Building Control?
Not always as a formal stage, but Building Control may ask for evidence that reinforced concrete has been built to the design, especially for basements, rafts and retaining walls. Many structural specifications make an engineer's pre-pour inspection a requirement. A signed report with photographs is the simplest way to provide that evidence when sign-off comes round.
What is concrete cover and why does it matter?
Cover is the thickness of concrete between the outside of the reinforcement and the concrete surface. It protects the steel from moisture, which causes rust and spalling, and from heat in a fire. The required cover depends on exposure conditions and is set by the designer in line with the Eurocodes. Too little cover shortens the life of the structure.
Can you inspect reinforcement designed by another engineer?
Yes. We check the installed steel against whichever drawings and bar schedules were issued for construction. We read the design beforehand so we understand its intent, but we do not redesign it. If something on the drawings looks inconsistent, we raise it with you so the original designer can confirm before concrete is placed.
How much notice do you need before a concrete pour?
As much as possible. Book us when the steel fixer starts, so the visit lands a day or so before the pour and leaves time for corrections. Our inspection starts from £300 + VAT per visit, with the fee confirmed in writing beforehand, and phased basement pours can be priced as a series of visits.