Thread: component or room by room reports

Just wanted some feedback on report writing. I for years have used inspectvue 4 for my reports. Everyone loves them. I currently use the room by room type report writing "system" I have been contemplating on doing the report by components i.e. interior, exterior, structural, electric, plumbing etc. I think that may shorten the report as well as simplify it. What is the consensus from you guys. Do you hear that clients / realtors prefer one over the other? Do you prefer one over the other? Just curious.
Thanks in advance,
Steve

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I also use IV4, and use the system by system method. I have never used a room by room method, so I can't comment on the differences.

I think Realtors are really only interested in "The Summary Page".

Originally Posted by Steve C.

Just wanted some feedback on report writing. I for years have used inspectvue 4 for my reports. Everyone loves them. I currently use the room by room type report writing "system" I have been contemplating on doing the report by components i.e. interior, exterior, structural, electric, plumbing etc. I think that may shorten the report as well as simplify it. What is the consensus from you guys. Do you hear that clients / realtors prefer one over the other? Do you prefer one over the other? Just curious.
Thanks in advance,
Steve

My experience and this is after the viewing of hundreds of reports for other inspectors from coast to coast is that most report by system and not room by room.

I just can not see doing a room by room inspection and then getting your client to see and understand what is wrong. When you report by systems it is easy to see all of the electrical problems is one section as well as the plumbing, kitchen, bathroom, etc, etc.....

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

My experience and this is after the viewing of hundreds of reports for other inspectors from coast to coast is that most report by system and not room by room.

I just can not see doing a room by room inspection and then getting your client to see and understand what is wrong. When you report by systems it is easy to see all of the electrical problems is one section as well as the plumbing, kitchen, bathroom, etc, etc.....

Thanks Scott. Appreciate it.

I've never done room by room. I can't imagine how in the world it would be easy to generate or glean information from.

If there's one broken window in a 12 room house I'd much rather go to an "interior" section rather than to 12 room sections when trying to find the comment. In my experience, people generally don't take great joy in reading inspection reports. They like things simple and concise.

I have been using Inspectvue in the "room by room" mode and it takes way too long and is repetitive. How did you guys modify it to be fully "system by system"? Can you move entire narratives in chunks from one section to another? (i.e. the electrical section does not include narratives for receptacles, lights, etc as they are in each room section)? and how did you include the baths under the plumbing section?
Thanks
JP

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

My experience and this is after the viewing of hundreds of reports for other inspectors from coast to coast is that most report by system and not room by room.

I just can not see doing a room by room inspection and then getting your client to see and understand what is wrong. When you report by systems it is easy to see all of the electrical problems is one section as well as the plumbing, kitchen, bathroom, etc, etc.....

The best of both worlds is to inspect room by room and be able to see the report in both room by room *and* system by system - that allows the client to be able to see and grasp what is what in which room, and then have a system by system report to give to contractors.

I've never figured out why some reports are room by room and others are system by system, when, with computers, it is so easy to have your cake *and* be able to eat it too.

My reports are a combination of both, and somtimes (depending upon the layout) things change.

Primarily it is by system; Grounds, Exterior, Interior, Mechanical, etc., and within each one of these it is broken down even more;

Example: Interior

Broken down to; Kitchen, Bathroom(s), Laundry, Other rooms, etc.
Broken down to; Floor, Walls, Ceilings, Hardware, Cabinets, etc.