On this page
Home / Guides / Submittals and drawings / Keep WUI work exposed until inspected
Keep WUI work exposed until inspected
ORSC R109.1 says work shall remain accessible and exposed until the building official approves it. Presenters at the 25 June 2026 seminar said Type X behind covering needs a firewall inspection after gypsum and screws, before the finish. That is a hold point, not a photo protocol. Confirm with the official.
You are standing at a wall with 5/8 inch Type X screwed off, and the sider wants to hang lap. The covering is the thing the inspector cannot see later. Leave it open.
No g3-passed exhibit matches this object. DET-002 is the Type X soffit assembly, not an inspection hold. Do not use it as a clipboard.
Why it matters
People cover the gypsum Friday and call final Monday. R109.1 is the code sentence. The seminar named the WUI hold. R109.1.5.1 is a different gypsum look, between dwelling units. Mixing those two is how a Type X wall gets taped before anyone sees the screws. See Type X behind the covering.
How the documents split
| Object | What it requires | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| R109.1 | Keep work accessible and exposed until approved | A photo submittal |
| R109.1.5 | Official may require other inspections | A statewide WUI photo list |
| R109.1.5.1 | Gypsum between dwelling units or due to location on property, before tape | Exterior Type X under siding |
| Seminar firewall inspection | Type X path, gypsum and screws in, before finish | R109.1.5.1 |
| Special inspector (seminar) | Spray-applied FRT | Factory FRT deck boards |
This page does not invent a punch-list of photographs.
The paths
1. Leave it open. R109.1. If the covering hides the required layer, stop until the official has seen it.
2. Type X is a scheduled hold. Seminar. After gypsum and screws. Before lap, stucco, or soffit finish. Event testimony is not a BCD ruling. Ask the jurisdiction when they want that call.
3. Do not swap in R109.1.5.1. That subsection is fire-resistance-rated construction between dwelling units or due to location on property. Tape comes after that look. The WUI Type X path is usually an exterior covering exception. Different sentence.
4. Mesh and listed vents stay visible. Show the product on the drawings. Boxing a bird-block under 12 feet is a redline, not a photo problem. See what examiners redline.
5. Spray is not a skip. Coatings are not R327.3.3. Spray-FRT may need a special inspector who reports to the jurisdiction. See spray-applied FRT.
What people mix up
- Photos as the hold point.
- R109.1.5.1 as the WUI Type X inspection.
- Covering Type X and calling at final.
- Spray coating as the wall path.
- A listing PDF as an inspection.
How to check
- Open ORSC Chapter 1. Find R109.1. Exposed until approved.
- If Type X is the path, find the jurisdiction’s hold point. Do not assume R109.1.5.1.
- Walk the wall before the sider starts. Gypsum. Screws. Then covering.
- If someone offers a photo album instead of access, read R109.1 again.
- Confirm with the official. Event testimony is dated 25 June 2026.
Limits
This page does not set a photo naming scheme. It does not replace the inspection card. FireApproved is not BCD and not the AHJ. Keep the work open until they say otherwise.
Related records
Questions
Can I cover the Type X and show photos at final?
ORSC R109.1 says construction shall remain accessible and exposed for inspection until approved. Presenters at the 25 June 2026 seminar said the Type X path needs a firewall inspection after gypsum and screws, before the finish covering. Event testimony is not a BCD ruling. Photos are not that hold point unless the official says so.
Is the gypsum inspection the party-wall inspection in R109.1.5.1?
No. R109.1.5.1 is fire-resistance-rated construction between dwelling units or due to location on property, after gypsum is in and before joints are taped. The WUI Type X path is covering on an exterior wall or soffit. R109.1.5 lets the official require other inspections. Ask which hold point they want.
Does a spray coating skip the hold point?
Coatings are not an R327.3.3 wall path. Spray-applied FRT may need a special inspector. See spray-applied FRT and special inspection.
What if mesh is the vent path, not Type X?
Mesh has to be visible at the opening. Do not box it in and call at final. See show the product on the drawings.