What belongs in an inspection report (and what to leave out)

The best inspection reports are boring in the right way: the same structure every time, so an owner, a tenant, a board member or an adjuster knows exactly where to look. If yours is a camera roll and a text thread, this is the structure to move to.

1. Cover: who, what, when, verdict

Company name and logo, property address, inspector, date, inspection type, and the overall condition in one word. If someone only reads the cover, they know whether to worry.

2. Property card + report ID

Address, unit, client/owner, and a stable report ID (so people can reference "WP-4F2A9C" instead of "the one from Tuesday"). Include the generated-at date; reports get regenerated after amendments.

3. The checklist, by area

• Sections in the order you walk (Exterior → Common → Systems → Safety, or Entry → Kitchen → Bath → Bedrooms).
• One line per item: label · note (only if Fair/Poor) · rating chip.
• Photos inline under the item they belong to, with captions.
• Items you didn't inspect say N/A or "Not reviewed" — silence reads as "was fine."

4. Action items table

Every Fair/Poor item, sorted with Poor first, with the note. This is the page the owner forwards to maintenance and the page the tenant argues about — make it easy to find.

5. Summary

Three to six lines: what was reviewed, what needs attention, any immediate safety issue. If you can generate this from the ratings, do — consistency beats prose.

6. Signatures & verification

Inspector signature with date; client/resident acknowledgment when applicable; license/credentials line. Electronic signatures should record time, method (in person / remote link) and device. That block is what makes the report defensible.

7. Footer

Company contact on every page, report ID, page X of Y, and a confidentiality line.

What to leave out

• Marketing copy about your company. Owners want the findings.
• Every photo you took. Include the ones that support a rating; export the rest as an evidence archive on request.
• Legalese beyond a short scope/limitations line.

Delivery

Share a link that opens in any browser (no login), with a download button. Email is fine; a link that expires is better for privacy. If a client needs to sign, send a signing link — don't make them print.

This is the structure Sitesui's report uses. See a real sample: Sitesui-sample-report.pdf.