Selecting Inspection Software

**Peter Ottowitz** · 05-25-2008, 05:57 PM

Currently looking at XL Platinum, Inspectvue, Home Gage and Gold Standard. Would appreciate information on which one you use and why. My biggest concern is customer support and if the software co will be around in 5 years.

Similar Threads:

**wayne soper** · 05-25-2008, 07:32 PM

I have been with Homegauge for 2.5 years and have been astounded constantly by the upgrades and customer support as well as home team message boards etc. My report time was less with ITA which I used in the past but the information I can give my clients with homegauge and the ease of access and upgrades is unsurpassed as far as I am concerned.
If you would like to think that there are 3 people working constantly every day to make changes and upgrades to your report program that will make your life easier and your clients happier, Check it out. Because that's what is going on over there at HG headquarters. Free download to try.
Like a certain putter out there. I was not paid to say this. I love these guy's
Homegauge has allowed me to be a better inspector and their program learns as we do. You want a program that grows with you. Not one that stunts your growth.
Wayne Soper

Joseph P. Hagarty · 05-25-2008, 07:41 PM

HomeGauge Home Inspection Software and Inspection Reports

**Rick Hurst** · 05-25-2008, 07:55 PM

Check out Inspectit program.

Used it for years and it has been great.

rick

**John Goad** · 05-26-2008, 03:00 PM

Homegauge, you won't be disappointed, Wayne pretty much summed it up.

**Michael Thomas** · 05-26-2008, 04:04 PM

Because Homeguage has the ability to embed extensible comments (called "smart text") within other comments the program is extremely flexible, for example you can build your own "menu" system such as

Electrical
Panels
Load side
Isolation
Bonding

to create comments with only mouse or stylus input.

For example this is the top level smart text which builds my comments for all findings related to any defect within panels:

Using this smart text I can build this comment in a half-dozen mouse clicks:

Note that there was nothing in Homeguage that forced my to structure the comment in that manner (Observation/Analysis/Recommendation) - that was entirely my own choice. I also have the choice, for example, of whether to include the "Analysis" section in a comment and a number of other ways to format the comment text on the fly.

Also, the way I have Homeguage set up it produce BOTH narrative and checklist (as many as 7 checklists, actually ) format reports for every inspection client, with Homeguage automatically cross-referencing between them.

The catch?

I had toss the canned prose and smart text structure, and to "program" every snippet of smart text and keyboard in every word in every comment myself. (In many cases I write smart text extensions and additional comment text as needed AFTER keyboarding it into the report "freehand" the first time it's needed so as to get reports out quickly). I have it the way I like it - and more important, the way my clients and their attorneys like it- however it took hundreds of hours to get there.

And while you don't HAVE to do any of this to use Homeguage, IMO this sort of extensibility is HG's real strength.