Control check as late as possible before take off.
Oktas8, sorry there’s no definitive requirement. JAR 25-671 requires:-
Probable malfunctions (a definition of risk frequency) must have only minor effects (a definition of risk) on control system operation and must be capable of being readily counteracted by the pilot. i.e. Any jam in a control position normally encountered during take-off, climb, cruise, normal turns, descent and landing unless the jam is shown to be extremely improbable (another, yet more severe definition of risk frequency).
Thus whatever certification basis the manufacturer used, which usually involves a time of exposure to the risk of a jam (stone in the controls pre takeoff), may only be reflected by an innocuous statement in the crew operating manual. So check controls just before takeoff is actually a very important requirement for the particular aircraft type.