Checklist · HOA / community manager
HOA annual inspection checklist
Once a year, every corner of the community, with a photo the board can budget from. The monthly walks keep the community tidy; the annual walk is the one the budget is written from. This is the built-in annual community walk: every road, building, roof line, drain, amenity and sign, rated and photographed in one pass, so the board sees the condition of everything at once and the manager has a dated record to compare against next year.
24 items in 7 areas · the built-in “Annual community walk” template, as it ships
How to run it
Three passes, in walking order
Walk it in one direction
Entrance to the back of the community, the same route every year, so this year's photos line up with last year's.
Rate what will cost money
Roads, roofs, siding, drainage, fencing, amenities. A Fair or Poor rating with a photo is a line the board can put in the budget.
Hand the board one report
Complete the walk and share it by link in the annual meeting packet; findings that need a vendor go out as work orders.
The checklist
Annual community walk
Every common component, once a year, rated with photos — for the annual meeting and the reserve specialist.
Built-in template, as it ships · reviewed against the app on 2026-09-18
| Roofs | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roof covering, building by building | ||||
| Gutters & downspouts | ||||
| Flashing, vents & chimneys |
| Building exteriors | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siding & trim | ||||
| Balconies, decks & railings | ||||
| Entry doors & exterior lighting |
| Paving | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roads & parking: cracking, potholes, sealcoat | ||||
| Sidewalks & curbs: trip hazards | ||||
| Striping & traffic signage |
| Site | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining walls | ||||
| Fencing & gates | ||||
| Drainage, catch basins & retention | ||||
| Trees near buildings & walkways | ||||
| Irrigation |
| Amenities | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool shell, coping & deck | ||||
| Pool equipment room | ||||
| Clubhouse interior & HVAC | ||||
| Playground equipment & surfacing | ||||
| Courts: surface, nets & fencing |
| Lighting & mail | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site & pole lighting | ||||
| Mailbox kiosks |
| Next steps | Good | Fair | Poor | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Components to point out to the reserve specialist | ||||
| Repairs to send to vendors now | ||||
| Compared with last year's walk |
In the app an item can also answer as pass/fail, done/not done or a number, and any Fair or Poor item becomes a work order in one tap. The PDF prints the checklist as shown, with a notes line per item and a signature block.
When not to use it
- — The monthly look at common areas — use the HOA common-areas template.
- — After a storm — use the storm damage template.
What goes wrong
- — Walking a different route than last year, so the photos cannot be compared.
- — Rating a roof from the ground without saying so.
What this is not
A manager's visual walk. It is not a reserve study, engineering assessment, roof inspection by a contractor or any inspection the governing documents or state law require from a professional.
The finished report
Complete the walk and the PDF exists
Every item with its rating, notes and photos; an action-items table by priority; signatures captured on the phone or through a link. No export step. See a finished one before you sign up.
Built for community managers
HOA / community manager
Common-area walks, amenity checks, violation drives, and reports the board actually reads.
Pick “HOA / community manager” at signup — or start from this page and it's already picked — and the app leads with this template and speaks the trade's words.
Questions
Annual community walk: what people ask
Is this a reserve study?
No. A reserve study is done by a reserve specialist who estimates remaining life and cost. The annual walk is the manager's photographed record of condition, which the specialist and the board can both use.
How is it different from the monthly common-area walk?
The monthly walk catches what changed. The annual walk covers everything at once, including what nobody looks at monthly, like roofs, drainage and fencing at the back of the property.
When should we do it?
Before the budget is drafted. For most associations that is a few months before the annual meeting.
More checklists
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