Three out of five rough-in inspections I did this morning got red-tagged for the same two rookie moves: buried cleanouts and insufficient fall. IPC 708.3.1 requires accessible cleanouts — yet I found a 3-inch cleanout dead center behind a fresh drywall patch and a coat hook, like it was a secret; IPC 704.1 wants 1/4 in. per foot on 2–3 in. branches, but I measured 1/8 with a digital level under the kitchen sink and the trap arm was already at max. This is for Jump into Plumbing so newcomers see it.
If you want me to pass you, don’t caulk over escutcheons and call it “access,” and don’t hinge your grade on a tired bubble level — shoot a quick laser, mark your studs, and leave the cleanout proud and reachable from the room side. I don’t fail pretty work; I fail work that can’t be serviced — do you really want to cut a hole every time there’s a blockage?
I started using a 6x6 plastic access panel and a blue “C/O” sticker anywhere a cleanout lands behind finished walls — no more surprises under paint. For slope, snap a chalk line at 1/4 in./ft and set your hangers to the line so crews don’t drift down to 1/8.
I staple a bright “DO NOT COVER CLEANOUT” tag to the stud and text the pic with measurements to the GC before drywall so there’s no excuse to bury it. For slope, I rubber-band a 1/4-in shim to one end of my 2’ torpedo level - when the bubble centers, I know I’m at 1/4-in per foot while I strap.
I thread on a bright Cherne-style extended cleanout plug at rough that sticks about 1/2 in. past the stud face so the rockers have to cut around it; after inspection I swap to the flush plug and an escutcheon. Costs a couple bucks and I haven’t had a buried C/O since .
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