Technology is growing at a rapid pace and is being used in many different fields to make life and work easier. Home inspections are no different. One of the main areas where technology is making life easier for home inspectors is through the use of home inspection software. Software now allows home inspectors to toss the clipboard and get rid of the paper from their inspections and reporting. This allows an inspector to deliver a more professional report to their clients, and for some, eliminates the tedious process of writing the inspection on paper and then retyping everything back at the office.

Today software for conducting home inspections allows you to use a handheld, phone, tablet PC, or laptop in the field. This allows the inspector to collect all of the information in the field and eliminates the work that is often done back at the office. This saves home inspectors a great amount of time on each inspection and frees up time to focus on other aspects of the business such as marketing.

With home inspection software loaded up onto a portable device, home inspectors can put together the entire report while conducting the home inspection. Software makes it easy to use dropdowns to enter the condition of items, add notes, add pictures, and make recommendations to clients. With a wireless printer an inspector can print a report on-site and hand it directly to the client when finished with the inspection. They can also take the report back to the office, finish adding in photos and final comments, and then turn the report into a PDF. The PDF can easily be emailed to their client. This eliminates any issues the client may have with trying to read messy handwriting as well.

Another advantage of using home inspection software is that it is easy to add photos directly into reports. This allows the client to see exactly what the inspector is referring to in their report. Software also gives the inspector the flexibility to customize the way their home inspection reports look. They can easily edit fonts, colors, and the overall look of the report. Inspectors can also customize the templates and forms they use to create new templates that match the way they inspect. Software has the capability of automatically creating summaries of items requiring attention. This makes it very easy for the client to have one place to reference to see all of the key inspection findings. For example, every item that is marked with a Marginal rating would show up in the Marginal Summary.

Using home inspection software allows an inspector to stay organized without having to deal with all that paper. All inspections are saved on the computer and can easily be opened at any point in time. Inspectors can also save a great deal of money over time by not needing to purchase paper forms. Oftentimes, carbon copy forms can cost the inspector anywhere from $8 – $25 a report and this quickly adds up. With software, they will no longer pay per inspection and it will pay for itself.

Making the switch to home inspection software from paper will also allow inspectors to stay ahead of their competitors. Software allows them to create a much more professional looking report and really impress their clients. With a professional report being passed among realtors and clients with an inspector’s company name on it, they will be in position to gain referrals based just on the look of the report.

Overall, home inspection software is a major upgrade over conducting home inspections with a pen and paper. Not only can it save an inspector time, but it also gives them the ability to easily create professional looking reports and customize them to their needs. Electronically delivering reports is also quick and easy and will make a great impression on clients. By Impressing clients and realtors with their reports, they will be able to gain new referrals with home inspection software.