In a multi-story occupancy, what is the recommended inspection progression?

• A. Ground floor to top floor.
• B. Inside-out throughout.
• C. Top floor to bottom floor.
• D. Bottom floor to top floor.

Answer: (C)

Starting on the top floor and moving downward provides a clean, one-way path through a building, which helps ensure every level is checked without backtracking. Upper floors often contain critical components like attic spaces, roof interfaces, and the integrity of fire-rated separations around stairwells that can influence safety on lower levels. By inspecting from the top down, you identify and document issues on the most exposed level first, then systematically descend to lower floors, reducing the chance of missing rooms or having to backtrack. Walking bottom to top or mixing in-out inspection tends to create gaps or extra backtracking in a multi-story structure, making top-to-bottom the most efficient and thorough approach.