Fireproofing submittals go out at award, and the closeout package that follows is short. This article covers what a fireproofing contractor hands a general contractor at each end of a job. Up front that is product data, the UL design, shop drawings and product test reports. At the end it is a warranty, plus certified payroll and OCIP paperwork where required. The inspection reports come from someone else.
TLDR: The fireproofing paperwork that decides your certificate of occupancy is settled at award, not at closeout. The submittal package fixes the UL design and the thickness for every member, and that is the yardstick an independent special inspector measures against. The inspector works for the owner and writes the inspection reports, not the fireproofing contractor. Read on for what belongs in each stack, who owes it, and when.
Why Fireproofing Paperwork Can Hold Up a Certificate of Occupancy
Picture a general contractor two weeks from turnover on a medical office building. The building official will not issue the certificate of occupancy until the final report of special inspections is in. The superintendent asks the fireproofing sub for “the inspection report,” and the sub does not have one, because the sub never writes one.
Then the inspector’s last field report surfaces. It flags several beams as thin, measured against a beam schedule that changed after the submittal was approved. The ceiling grid is already up under that steel, and the turnover date is gone.
That is not a closeout problem, even though it shows up at closeout. It started the day the submittal was approved and nobody tied it to what got built.
What Actually Goes Wrong With Fireproofing Paperwork
I have been in this trade for over forty years, and the fireproofing paperwork that stalls a job is almost never the warranty letter. People assume it is a missing document at the end. In my experience it is three documents that stopped agreeing: the approved submittal, the drawings, and the steel that actually went up. A substitution or a revised beam size that never went back to the licensed architect or engineer does the damage.
So the thesis here is simple. Get the fireproofing submittals right at award and keep them current, and closeout takes care of itself. Treat it as a formality, and the inspector measures your building against a document nobody is following.
What Should Fireproofing Submittals Include?
At award, we send four things: the product data, the UL design, shop drawings, and the product test reports. They tell the licensed architect or engineer what goes on, which tested assembly it follows, and how thick it goes on each member. Once approved, that package is the yardstick.
The federal guide specification for this work is UFGS 07 81 00, Spray-Applied Fireproofing, in Division 07.
Product data
Product data is the manufacturer’s data sheet: the material, its test methods, and the site conditions it needs. GCP’s Monokote MK-6/HY product data sheet, updated August 14, 2026, lists a 15 pcf minimum average dry density by ASTM E605. It also holds air and substrate at 40 degrees F or above during application and for 24 hours after. We work year round, and on winter jobs the GC provides temporary heat as needed; our floor is 40 degrees F, and the data sheet governs the exact limits.
The UL design
The UL design is the tested assembly the rating comes from: member sizes, deck types, concrete thickness, approved products, and the thickness and density for each rating. The design number in our submittal has to match the design on your drawings. If it does not, that is a substitution, and it goes to the licensed architect or engineer before anyone sprays.
Shop drawings
Shop drawings put the UL design onto your steel. They show each member, its rating, the design it follows, and the thickness it gets. That is where the thickness the inspector checks gets written down, so it is the document that has to change when the steel changes.
Product test reports
Product test reports are the lab documents behind the data sheet numbers. On the MK-6/HY sheet, that list includes ASTM E84, E605, E736, E759, E760, E761, E859 and E937, and GCP notes the reports are available on request. We include them at award so the reviewer does not have to ask.
The Number That Makes the Shop Drawings Matter
A “two-hour floor” is not a thickness. It is a set of thicknesses, member by member, and the shop drawing is where they get written down.
UL Design No. D902, as reprinted by Isolatek, shows it plainly. With CAFCO 300 on a W8x28 beam under all-fluted deck, a 2-hour restrained assembly can carry a 1-hour, 2-hour or 3-hour unrestrained beam rating. The required thicknesses are 5/16 inch, 11/16 inch and 1-1/16 inch. A lighter W6x9 beam at the 3-hour beam rating needs 1-9/16 inch. Same floor rating, same product, and a fivefold spread.
Now look at how the inspector judges it. In the 2024 IBC, Section 1705.15.4 allows no more than 10 percent of thickness readings below the thickness the approved fire-resistance design requires. No reading may fall below a set minimum: design thickness less 1/4 inch at one inch and over, or less 25 percent under one inch.
On a beam scheduled at 11/16 inch, a reading near 5/16 inch fails, even though 5/16 inch was right for a different beam rating. If the crew sprayed to an older revision, no closeout paperwork fixes it.
Who Writes the Fireproofing Inspection Reports?
The special inspector writes them, and the special inspector does not work for us or for you. Under IBC Section 1704.2 (2018 edition), the owner or the owner’s authorized agent, other than the contractor, employs the approved agencies that perform special inspections. SFRM thickness and density are checked by that fully independent third party, never by Bahl. GCP’s MK-6/HY sheet agrees: the architect picks an independent lab, paid by the owner, to verify both.
The section numbers move between editions, and that trips people up. In the 2018 IBC, sprayed fire-resistant materials are Section 1705.14 and mastic and intumescent coatings are 1705.15. In the 2021 and 2024 editions, SFRM sits at 1705.15 and intumescent at 1705.16. Confirm the adopted edition before you cite a section in a spec or an RFI.
The inspector issues field reports during the work and a final report at the end, and discrepancies go to the contractor for correction. NFCA 100, the National Fireproofing Contractors Association’s application practice, calls for inspection as each floor is sprayed, ahead of rough mechanical, electrical, plumbing and ceiling work, with results to the fireproofing contractor floor by floor. Write that into your schedule.
What Closeout Documents Does a Fireproofing Contractor Provide?
Our closeout package is short. It holds a warranty of 1 to 5 years, with the term set by the product specifications. On the jobs that require them, it adds certified payroll and OCIP paperwork. That is not every job.
The field reports and the final report of special inspections are not in it; they come from the owner’s agency. If your closeout log lists “fireproofing inspection report” under our name, move it to the inspector’s line now. Read the closeout list in the fireproofing spec section at award, and if it asks for anything else, settle who produces it before work starts.
Certified Payroll and OCIP: Why Some Jobs Ask and Others Do Not
Certified payroll comes from prevailing wage law. The Department of Labor’s instructions for Form WH-347 say covered contractors and subcontractors on federal or federally assisted construction submit payroll information weekly. The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts reach contracts over $2,000 for building, altering or repairing public buildings or public works. A VA hospital under a federal construction contract, the kind of job we bid, falls in that group.
An OCIP, or owner-controlled insurance program, is different. The New Jersey Schools Development Authority’s OCIP manual describes a coordinated insurance program for the owner and enrolled contractors at the site. Enrolled contractors leave onsite workers’ compensation, employer’s liability and general liability costs out of their bid. They report payroll monthly to the administrator, and a notice of work completion starts the final payroll audit.
One line in that manual matters for fireproofing: a subcontractor who returns after completion does so under its own insurance. Patching after other trades is normal in this work, so ask how your program treats a return trip.
Fireproofing Paperwork at a Glance: Who Produces What
This table sorts the fireproofing documents by when they appear and who owns them.
| Document | When | Who produces it | What it proves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product data | At award | Fireproofing contractor | Material and tested properties |
| UL design | At award | Fireproofing contractor | Tested assembly, thickness and density |
| Shop drawings | At award | Fireproofing contractor | Rating and thickness per member |
| Product test reports | At award | Fireproofing contractor | Lab testing behind the data sheet |
| Statement of special inspections | At permit | Architect or engineer in responsible charge | What gets inspected, how often |
| Field reports | During the work | Owner’s approved agency | Readings and discrepancies |
| Final report of special inspections | Before occupancy | Owner’s agency, or architect or engineer | Inspections done, discrepancies closed |
| Warranty | At closeout | Fireproofing contractor | 1 to 5 years, per product specifications |
| Certified payroll and OCIP | Where required | Fireproofing contractor | Prevailing wages; OCIP payroll audit |
The first four rows are ours and come first. The middle three belong to the owner’s side.
How North Texas and Kansas Building Departments Handle Special Inspection Paperwork
The building department, not the fireproofing sub, decides what special inspection paperwork the GC keeps on site, and two examples from our territory show how specific that gets.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments publishes a model special inspections program for North Texas cities. It says flatly that the general contractor shall not employ the special inspector. The GC keeps a log book holding the statement, a sign-in log and every inspection report, and a missing log book may bring a stop work order. The final report is required before a certificate of occupancy. NCTCOG has versions for the 2018, 2021 and 2024 IBC, so check which your city uses.
Lenexa, Kansas, runs its own program tied to Chapter 17 of the 2018 IBC, revised in August 2026. Sprayed fire-resistant material is a checkbox on its statement of intent form. A temporary or final certificate of occupancy will not be granted until the final special inspections report is submitted and approved. Under that 2018 edition, the SFRM section is 1705.14, not the 1705.15 you would cite under the 2021 or 2024 code.
Other jurisdictions in our territory run their own forms, so ask for the packet at permit.
A Fireproofing Submittal Checklist for General Contractors
- Match the UL design number in the submittal to the drawings before you forward it.
- Check every member type in the shop drawings for a rating and a thickness.
- Route steel revisions back through submittals, since a new beam size changes the thickness.
- Name the special inspector and get the statement of special inspections before we start.
- Flag certified payroll and OCIP at award, since both change the bid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documentation does a fireproofing contractor need to provide? At award: product data, the UL design, shop drawings, and the product test reports. At closeout, ours is a warranty of 1 to 5 years set by the product specifications, plus certified payroll and OCIP paperwork on the jobs that require them. Inspection reports come from the owner’s special inspector.
Does the fireproofing contractor provide the special inspection report? No. The IBC has the owner or the owner’s authorized agent, other than the contractor, employ the approved agency that performs special inspections. That agency writes the field reports and the final report. SFRM thickness and density are checked by that independent third party, never by the applicator.
When are fireproofing submittals due? We send them at award, before mobilization. They need approval before application starts, because the approved thickness is what the inspector measures against.
How long is a fireproofing warranty? Ours runs 1 to 5 years, with the term set by the product specifications for the material installed. Check the term your specification asks for against the product being submitted.
Is certified payroll required on every fireproofing job? No. It comes with prevailing wage requirements, such as the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts on federal and federally assisted construction over $2,000. State and local public work can add its own rules. Private work without public money generally does not, unless the contract asks.
What fireproofing inspection documentation does the building official need? Typically the statement of special inspections, the agency’s field reports, and a final report showing every inspection done and every discrepancy resolved. Programs like the NCTCOG model and Lenexa’s hold the certificate of occupancy until that final report is in. The building department sets the exact forms.
Key Takeaways
Fireproofing submittals go out at award.
- Product data, the UL design, shop drawings and product test reports.
- Approval sets the yardstick for inspection.
The shop drawings carry the numbers.
- In UL Design No. D902, a W8x28 beam runs from 5/16 inch to 1-1/16 inch by beam rating.
- Steel revisions go back through submittals.
The inspector works for the owner.
- IBC Section 1704.2 (2018 edition) has the owner, not the contractor, employ the agency.
- SFRM thickness and density are checked by that third party, never by Bahl.
Section numbers change by edition.
- 2018 IBC: SFRM at 1705.14, intumescent at 1705.15.
- 2021 and 2024 IBC: SFRM at 1705.15, intumescent at 1705.16.
Our closeout package is short.
- A warranty of 1 to 5 years, set by the product specifications.
- Certified payroll and OCIP paperwork only where the job requires them.
The building department sets the site paperwork.
- NCTCOG’s model program puts the log book on the GC.
- Lenexa holds the certificate of occupancy until the final report is approved.
Related Reading
- SFRM Special Inspection: What IBC Chapter 17 Requires for Spray Fireproofing covers what the inspector tests, how often, and to what standard.
- Fireproofing Code Compliance: What Every Building Owner Needs to Know explains how ratings, tested assemblies and the code fit together.
If you want fireproofing submittals that match the UL design on your drawings, shop drawings with a thickness for every member, and a short closeout package with no surprises, that is the submittal and closeout work we do throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Missouri, and Iowa. Our own crews apply every product. Call me at 512-387-2111 or email ross@bahlfireproofing.com with your drawings, or Contact Bahl Fireproofing to get on the schedule. Our commercial fireproofing services page covers the scopes we self-perform, and our service areas page shows where we work.
This article provides general educational information about fireproofing submittals, closeout and special inspection, and it is not engineering, legal, insurance or code-compliance advice. It does not replace project-specific direction from a licensed architect or engineer. Code citations reference a specific edition, and the adopted edition and special inspection program vary by jurisdiction. Fire-resistance ratings and thicknesses depend on the listed assembly and correct installation, so confirm them against the current UL design and the manufacturer’s latest data sheet. Warranty, certified payroll and OCIP obligations are set by your contract, the applicable law and the owner’s program.
