The test record is what protects you after the drywall goes up
Once a wall is closed or a slab is poured, the only proof the piping was tight is the test record. When a leak shows up six months later, the first question is "was this tested, at what pressure, for how long, and who saw it?" A green tag on the permit card doesn't answer that. A test report with the system, area, pressure, hold time, start and end readings, gauge, and witness does. The free template above makes that record fast to fill out in the field and hard to argue with later.
What's in the workbook
1. DWV & Water Test Log
A 25-row log for drain, waste and vent, storm, and domestic water tests. Each line records the system (dropdown), area / floor / riser, test medium (water or air), required test pressure and unit (psi or ft of head), required duration, start and end time, start and end reading, the gauge ID and calibration date, who tested it and who witnessed it. The sheet calculates actual duration and pressure drop and returns PASS or FAIL.
2. Gas Piping Pressure Test
The same structure for fuel gas, with a pipe material / sizes column, test medium (air, nitrogen or CO2), and units in psig or inches of water column. Header fields record gas type and system operating pressure.
3. Rough-In & Top-Out Inspection Checklist
Thirty-one field items across underground, rough-in, top-out and documentation — slope, cleanouts, change-of-direction fittings, carriers and rough-in heights, venting, shield plates, hangers, water hammer arrestors, firestopping, stack support, vent terminations and more. Counts Yes / No / N/A and shows READY TO COVER.
Setting the test requirement
This template deliberately doesn't hard-code test pressures. Requirements differ between the IPC, UPC and local amendments, and the project spec often exceeds code. For reference:
- Drainage and vent — water test: IPC 312.2 (UPC 712)
- Drainage and vent — air test: IPC 312.3 (UPC 712)
- Water supply system test: IPC 312.5 (UPC 609.4)
- Fuel gas: IFGC 406.4.1 test pressure and 406.4.2 test duration (NFPA 54 Chapter 8 where adopted)
Verify section numbers and values against the edition adopted by your AHJ, then enter them in the Required Test Pressure and Required Duration columns. Put the spec section in the header so anyone reading the report knows where the number came from.
How to run a clean test
- Isolate what shouldn't see the pressure. Water heaters, mixing valves, pressure-reducing valves, appliances and gas regulators are not always rated for test pressure. Isolate or remove them and note it.
- Fill and bleed. On a hydro, fill from the low point and bleed air at the high points. Trapped air compresses and warms, and gives you a drifting gauge.
- Let it stabilize, then start the clock. Cold water in a warm building (or the reverse) will move the gauge. Record the start reading once the system has settled at test pressure.
- Use the right gauge. Pick a gauge where the test pressure sits in the middle of the dial and the increments can show the drop you're looking for. A 0–300 psi gauge won't show a 0.5 psi drop on a 10 psig gas test.
- Hold for the full duration. The actual duration turns amber if the hold was shorter than required.
- Record the end reading and get the witness. Inspector, GC super, or QC — whoever your spec requires. Their name goes on the line.
- If it fails, log it. A failed test isn't a bad record — it's proof the system works. Find the leak, fix it, retest on a new line, and reference the original test number in Notes.
Gas piping tests: the extra care
Gas tests are where shortcuts hurt people. Never use oxygen as a test medium. Disconnect or isolate appliances and equipment not rated for the test pressure, and don't test through the meter or regulator. Use a gauge with increments fine enough to show a small drop. After the test passes and the system is put in service, leak-check connections at turn-on and purge per code before lighting appliances. The Notes column is the place to record isolation, purge and turn-on.
The pre-cover walk
A pressure test proves the pipe is tight. It doesn't prove the pipe is right. Before calling for cover, walk the area with the checklist tab: slope and cleanouts on the underground, carriers set to the ADA heights on the fixture schedule, every trap vented, shield plates where pipe is close to the face of studs, hangers and arrestors in, firestopping matched to the listed system, and photos taken of everything that's about to disappear. One "No" means the wall doesn't close.
When to move beyond Excel
A spreadsheet works for one foreman on one job. Across several crews, test records end up on clipboards, in photos on personal phones, and in email threads. Field PM puts inspections, QA/QC checklists, test records and daily reports on the foreman's phone, with photos and signatures, and files the PDF to the job the moment it's signed. Start a free 30-day trial — no credit card required.
Related templates
- Plumbing Fixture Schedule + DFU/WSFU worksheet
- Backflow Preventer Test Report
- Inspection Request Log — track the rough-in and cover inspections you call
- Daily Field Report — record the test in the day's report
- Punch List — close out what the final walk finds
- NPT thread chart
- Browse all free construction templates
