Thread: Help with final decision on reporting software

Currently using a homemade Word based template for TREC inspection. Obviously importing pics is the biggest time bandit. I've spent the last two weeks researching all the big name report providers and even some of the less well known ones.

Here is what I'm looking for:
1. Mobile version to complete most if not all of the report on site

2. "nickname" deficiency comments(ability to have a narrative blown in to the report by selecting a short phrase or nickname for each deficiency I come across)

3. Pics of deficiencies placed in the report directly after the description of the deficiency(i.e. not in one group at the end of a section after a list of multiple deficiencies.

After playing around with a few of them I'm heavily leaning towards HomeGauge. Home Gauge and 3D were the only two that had everything I was looking for.

3D
-did not like how some of the deficiencies would be crammed together into a long paragraph instead of being separated into different lines on the report when using the Phone3D app
-Read alot about how their customer service sucks
-did not like the idea of having to have a subscription to renew every year

Palm-Tech
- no nickname availability as described above
-unable to do a full practice run with the software between mobile and PC as cloud service is not available until you purchase

Home Inspector Pro
-no nickname availability as described above
-pics are not able to be attached to a specific discrepancy, placed in a group with all the other pics for that section at the end of the section

So, If i'm wrong about something I've said about one of these programs, please let me know. Home Gauge has what I'm looking for but I'm really pissed about the $300/yr charge just to have cloud access. Pirates!!!

With HIP you can place a photo anywhere in the report you want, but as you noted it does place them in a group in that section. Like Kitchen Sink, the picture would be under that section. Dishwasher, picture in that section......etc.... You can even put them in the summary if you want.

I'm not sure why the nickname is so important. In HIP if the boilerplate is too large it is abbreviated to a short sentence. Once you click on that boilerplate the entire thing is imported into the report.

With HIP, You can design your report template to do just about anything you want. 3D is a memory hog, I do not know about HG but I think it is similar to HIP.

I left 3D after using it for about 12 years for HIP.

Scott,

What I mean by the nickname option is for instance, I mark a problem with the foundation as "settlement, needs repair". Then the program loads into the report a comment that reads, "The current performance of the foundation could not be determined with confidence. Recommend contacting an independent licensed Structural Engineer who is familiar with house foundations. An independent Structural Engineer should be one who is able to fairly evaluate the foundation without influence of a commercial repair company or others who may have an interest in influencing the outcome or results of such an evaluation."
With HIP I can add comments and such in the PC version of the template and then upload to my device but when I go to look for that comment on my phone or tablet while doing an inspection, there is only enough room for the first few words. Since I have multiple comments that start out the same way to describe different problems, I don't have a way to know exactly which comment I am selecting when all I can see is the first few words.
In any case, the picture thing is a deal killer for me. If there is a way around theses two issues, I'm all ears. I really like HIP and would prefer to use them over paying Homegauge the $300 a year that they want.

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Scott,

What I mean by the nickname option is for instance, I mark a problem with the foundation as "settlement, needs repair". Then the program loads into the report a comment that reads, "The current performance of the foundation could not be determined with confidence. Recommend contacting an independent licensed Structural Engineer who is familiar with house foundations. An independent Structural Engineer should be one who is able to fairly evaluate the foundation without influence of a commercial repair company or others who may have an interest in influencing the outcome or results of such an evaluation."
With HIP I can add comments and such in the PC version of the template and then upload to my device but when I go to look for that comment on my phone or tablet while doing an inspection, there is only enough room for the first few words. Since I have multiple comments that start out the same way to describe different problems, I don't have a way to know exactly which comment I am selecting when all I can see is the first few words.
In any case, the picture thing is a deal killer for me. If there is a way around theses two issues, I'm all ears. I really like HIP and would prefer to use them over paying Homegauge the $300 a year that they want.

You should contact Dominic at HIP, he might have an answer for you.. I'm still new with it so I'm learning as I go but I can honestly say it works better than 3D ever did for me......

On my iPad I can get two lines of description(25-30 words), if you need more you click on the Pencil icon and the entire boilerplate pops up.

Ah, just tried the pencil thing and you're right!!! That's awesone. Also noticed if I turn my phone sideways it allows more room to see more of the wording of the comment, making it not neccessary to have the nickname option.
Thanks for pointing that out. Now if I can figure out a fix for the pic issues with Dominic, we might have a serious contender against homegauge.

It is not what you asked for but also present in HIP is the ability to add a caption at the time you import the photo from a drop down box of your previously used comments. Two clicks to add a caption without retyping the phrase. I went with HIP several months ago just because it forces me to deal with photos once. I am a heavy photo user and it easily cuts an hour off my report time just on photo editing alone compared to my old Word based reports.

Travis
You should look at Whisper. It has everything you ask for and the support could not be better. It can be run on a tablet, laptop & PC. I have it on a laptop and do the report on site. Additionaly they give classes all over Texas that you receive TREC ce credit.

Originally Posted by stanley frost

Travis
You should look at Whisper. It has everything you ask for and the support could not be better. It can be run on a tablet, laptop & PC. I have it on a laptop and do the report on site. Additionaly they give classes all over Texas that you receive TREC ce credit.

Thanks, I looked at whisper and just wasn't impressed. It's very word processor based much like the homemade template I'm using now. Nothing wrong with it, just If I'm going to spend money on something would rather have something that takes more work away from what I have to do to fill out a report.

More enlightenments as I continue my research. HIP charges $20/month for cloud access. So a little cheaper than homegauge, but come on! Dropbox app-free cloud access between your computer and phone or tablet. I don't get it.

Remember, don't step over dollars to pick up pennies.

The report software and upload service (if used) is going to be with you a long time, try to get the product that produces the output you want.

Dom.

Originally Posted by Dom D'Agostino

Remember, don't step over dollars to pick up pennies.

The report software and upload service (if used) is going to be with you a long time, try to get the product that produces the output you want.

Dom.

Dom, I'm glad you chimed in as it reminded me of a very important feature that I had not considered yet. ISN uploads. I'm currently working as an apprentice under a licensed inspector and his company uses ISN. I have not been able to determine a good way to use homegauge reports and send them to him for upload into ISN. It is possible in a round about way, but looks like more trouble than its worth.

So, $20/mo is a bit easier to swallow when I'm not just using it for file transfers like I would be with Homegauge(at $30/mo, ugh!)

Congrats Mr. Dom, HIP is back at the top of the list for the programs I'm considering. Just have to see if I can look past the way the pics are placed in the reports, I really don't like it.

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Dom, I'm glad you chimed in as it reminded me of a very important feature that I had not considered yet. ISN uploads. I'm currently working as an apprentice under a licensed inspector and his company uses ISN. I have not been able to determine a good way to use homegauge reports and send them to him for upload into ISN. It is possible in a round about way, but looks like more trouble than its worth.

So, $20/mo is a bit easier to swallow when I'm not just using it for file transfers like I would be with Homegauge(at $30/mo, ugh!)

Congrats Mr. Dom, HIP is back at the top of the list for the programs I'm considering. Just have to see if I can look past the way the pics are placed in the reports, I really don't like it.

Different Dominic owns HIP......
The HIP cloud fee also covers 5 years of storage for your inspection reports. You also get notifications of when the report is viewed and you can also lock the report from being accessed if you have not received payment.

If you don't like the way the photos display you need to go to the HIP website discussion board and let them know about it. Dominic will make changes based on his users request and the more folks that want something done the quicker it is done. I bet that they issue 3-6 updates a year based on users request.

Yep, figured out it was a different Dom later. My mistake. Will definitely start checking out the boards on HIP's site. Thanks for the advice.

Take a look at HomeGauge. I've been using HG since 2008, they continue to improve and update their software and have great support. Like all software products it takes a little time and patience to get them set up the way you like.

Trent, thanks for your help. Will probably be contacting you as I do have some questions I'd like feedback on from a real user. Been talking with the HIP guys about some issues I'm having and don't see any fixes as of yet so still not solid on which I'll be going with.

Inspection Software Throwdown. Four inspection software companies are thrown in to a ring to battle it out.

Just updated to PalmTech for Android - difficult to get used to after using a MobilePro 900 for 10 years, but, once you choose a template and modify to your taste, it's awesome on an 8" Tablet. The photos are placed at the end of the sentence of the item with issues. No charge for cloud use. Will be purchasing "MY Cloud" in the near future so as not to load others personal info to just anyone's "Cloud". For now, I just add client's info once report is on my desktop.... Phones are too small for me to see, however, a friend up north uses his phone for all his reports.

If you already are a PalmTech user, the update is $575 plus the cost of a Tablet (Costco) if you don't already have one.

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Trent, thanks for your help. Will probably be contacting you as I do have some questions I'd like feedback on from a real user. Been talking with the HIP guys about some issues I'm having and don't see any fixes as of yet so still not solid on which I'll be going with.

Travis, what were the issues?

HIP definitely has the nickname feature you were asking about as I believe Scott pointed out. We just call it a "Note." Any comment you see with text inside of double brackets is a note. So you're comment would look like this:

[[settlement, needs repair]]. The current performance of the foundation could not be determined with confidence. Recommend contacting an independent licensed Structural Engineer who is familiar with house foundations. An independent Structural Engineer should be one who is able to fairly evaluate the foundation without influence of a commercial repair company or others who may have an interest in influencing the outcome or results of such an evaluation.


You can also set the mobile version to show only one line of the comment so that you basically only see the note, or you can adjust it to show more lines via the Settings prompt. So there's no reason to only show just a few words as you mentioned!

It's also the only program where you can preload captions which speeds up your pics even more.

As far as the cloud goes, the cloud is a generic term for a bunch of servers. We use Amazons servers. We have to pay Amazon EVERY time you upload a file from your mobile device to the cloud, download the file to your desktop and for every day you store the file on the server (we store the PDF's for 5 years as Scott mentioned). Then we have to pay for the servers doing the actual data processing to convert your data from desktop to mobile and back to desktop format. The cloud fee basically just covers our costs.

HIP integrates with ISN more than any other company. I talk with the owners from ISN several times a week and we're always working on better integration.

Our $200 off sale is ending soon. If you have any questions or want 1 on 1 training (even before buying) make sure to get it done soon!

I learn something new everyday! Dominic... I did not know about the double brackets note function. I can feel a round of template tweaking comin' on... I've been using Home Inspector Pro for two years and really appreciate the program's functionality. It is ultimately customizable and in just the two years I've been involved I've seen some great additions, including the integration with ISN and Recall Chek.

Originally Posted by Tom Iovanne

I learn something new everyday! Dominic... I did not know about the double brackets note function. I can feel a round of template tweaking comin' on... I've been using Home Inspector Pro for two years and really appreciate the program's functionality. It is ultimately customizable and in just the two years I've been involved I've seen some great additions, including the integration with ISN and Recall Chek.

Glad to help Tom! Make sure to hover your mouse over the NOTE and CAPTION feature when adding/editing comments and it'll explain it. The preloaded common captions feature is saving guys TONS of time.

Originally Posted by Dominic Maricic

Travis, what were the issues?

HIP definitely has the nickname feature you were asking about as I believe Scott pointed out. We just call it a "Note." Any comment you see with text inside of double brackets is a note. So you're comment would look like this:

[[settlement, needs repair]]. The current performance of the foundation could not be determined with confidence. Recommend contacting an independent licensed Structural Engineer who is familiar with house foundations. An independent Structural Engineer should be one who is able to fairly evaluate the foundation without influence of a commercial repair company or others who may have an interest in influencing the outcome or results of such an evaluation.


You can also set the mobile version to show only one line of the comment so that you basically only see the note, or you can adjust it to show more lines via the Settings prompt. So there's no reason to only show just a few words as you mentioned!

It's also the only program where you can preload captions which speeds up your pics even more.

As far as the cloud goes, the cloud is a generic term for a bunch of servers. We use Amazons servers. We have to pay Amazon EVERY time you upload a file from your mobile device to the cloud, download the file to your desktop and for every day you store the file on the server (we store the PDF's for 5 years as Scott mentioned). Then we have to pay for the servers doing the actual data processing to convert your data from desktop to mobile and back to desktop format. The cloud fee basically just covers our costs.

HIP integrates with ISN more than any other company. I talk with the owners from ISN several times a week and we're always working on better integration.

Our $200 off sale is ending soon. If you have any questions or want 1 on 1 training (even before buying) make sure to get it done soon!

Dominic, Thanks for the tip on the "note" feature. After Scott explained the viewing issue to me, I saw where I was not using it properly.
the cloud thing, I understand, U have costs associated with it, and like I said the ability to directly upload to ISN makes it make more sense to spend the money.
The issues I was referring to that I haven't found a fix for are the inability to add pics to the specific comment they relate to. I know its a picky issue, but the pics all jumbled up at the end of a section just doesn't appeal to me. There are a couple of other issues, like adding a sponsoring inspector, no updated Texas template for 7-3(saw some reference to modifying the 7-2 to be legal, ok) and some other minor annoyances that make modifying a template take longer.
I'm still on the fence between HIP and homegauge. I like the ISN compatibility and the price of the program, but everything else seems kinda, "meh". To be fair, I have not taken full advantage of calling your support guys and seeing if there might be some shortcuts to the modifications I am trying to do.
Homegauge seems to have better discussion boards and tutorials that have been much more efficient at handling questions I've had. (which good for them since no one has answered the phone the two times I've tried to call the support line). And the modification of templates just seems so much more user friendly and smoother, plus they had an updated Texas 7-3. The no ISN access just sucks though and they are much higher priced.
So, still on the fence and will probably be talking to your support guys tomorrow, if you are open. Really want to come to a final decision soon as I like the holiday discount you've given.
Thanks for the feedback, Dominic.

Hi Travis,

The TREC 7-3 is done and is being released today. We purposely didn't release it earlier as guys aren't allowed to use it until 1/1/14 and we didn't want guys using it by mistake and getting into trouble.

Our messages boards are used a ton. Did you look at Home Inspector Pro Forum - Index ? There are over 2 dozen additional templates that inspectors have shared that you can download and use in the software. No other program has guys that share with each other like this. Go to List of Inspector Submitted Templates and Sample Reports to view all the templates and download ones you like.

Our support is the best. We are the only company with guys on both coasts allowing us to double everyone else's hours. Give us a call for a 1 on 1 session or watch all the video tutorials we have. Our template editor is EXTREMELY easy to use. Click Edit Comments and add new comments! That's all you can use in Texas (other people would use Edit Template button for advanced editing).

If you have any specific questions just let me know.

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Thanks, I looked at whisper and just wasn't impressed. It's very word processor based much like the homemade template I'm using now. Nothing wrong with it, just If I'm going to spend money on something would rather have something that takes more work away from what I have to do to fill out a report.

With Whisper a lot of folks think the same as your comment.

Fact is you can make templates with your typical items already in it. Delete them if they are not needed. As far as all the software out there Whisper is not a lot different as you have to add your on comments for drop down lists. In Texas you have to use the format from TREC. This is not a pick and choose which look you want for it. You don't report with TRECs formatting and you pay the price. I know a serious amount of folks that have switched over to Whisper from other reporting software. A very small learning curve. Dropping pictures in is a snap.

Many software companies are not only going to charge you more but also charge you a per report fee or monthly fee.

I use a hard drive separite from my computer to store my reports but also have that copy on my laptop as well. There is no need for outside cloud storage. Why pay folks to store something for you.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

With Whisper a lot of folks think the same as your comment.

Fact is you can make templates with your typical items already in it. Delete them if they are not needed. As far as all the software out there Whisper is not a lot different as you have to add your on comments for drop down lists. In Texas you have to use the format from TREC. This is not a pick and choose which look you want for it. You don't report with TRECs formatting and you pay the price. I know a serious amount of folks that have switched over to Whisper from other reporting software. A very small learning curve. Dropping pictures in is a snap.

Many software companies are not only going to charge you more but also charge you a per report fee or monthly fee.

I use a hard drive separite from my computer to store my reports but also have that copy on my laptop as well. There is no need for outside cloud storage. Why pay folks to store something for you.

Ted, there's no need for cloud storage in Home Inspector Pro, or most other programs if you're only using a Windows or Mac version. The cloud comes into play with iPhone, iPad and Android versions that don't allow direct data transfer to computers. Because of this software companies have no choice but to pay someone for a 'cloud.' I don't believe Whisper has a mobile version which is why they don't use the cloud.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

With Whisper a lot of folks think the same as your comment.

Fact is you can make templates with your typical items already in it. Delete them if they are not needed. As far as all the software out there Whisper is not a lot different as you have to add your on comments for drop down lists. In Texas you have to use the format from TREC. This is not a pick and choose which look you want for it. You don't report with TRECs formatting and you pay the price. I know a serious amount of folks that have switched over to Whisper from other reporting software. A very small learning curve. Dropping pictures in is a snap.

Many software companies are not only going to charge you more but also charge you a per report fee or monthly fee.

I use a hard drive separite from my computer to store my reports but also have that copy on my laptop as well. There is no need for outside cloud storage. Why pay folks to store something for you.

Ted, there's no need for cloud storage in Home Inspector Pro, or most other programs if you're only using a Windows or Mac version. The cloud comes into play with iPhone, iPad and Android versions that don't allow direct data transfer to computers. Because of this software companies have no choice but to pay someone for a 'cloud.' I don't believe Whisper has a mobile version which is why they don't use the cloud.

I've been looking for a new program lately. The one I use now is not supported anymore, and does not work in anything later than Windows XP. What I like is it does not have a lot of unneeded stuff (descriptions etc.) The report is only normally 15-18 pages including pictures and the summary is at the front part of report, In front of all descriptions etc.

I have used 3D and Home Gauge in the past. Both of those usually had 30-40 page reports. I dont remember 3D that well, but what I liked about Home Gauge was the not releasing report until agreed and paid, and, the Realtor had the option of only viewing the summary page only.

I just spent some time looking at HIP, and I use their Florida Wind Mitigation app for iPhone and love it. What I dont like about HIP is the summary looks like it appears at the end, and the Realtor seems to have to view the whole report. I also am not crazy about the whole satisfactory,needs repair,serviceable, checkbox thing. I prefer to talk about the items that are a problem and not talk about the things that are fine. i understand the templates are customizable, not sure how far you can customize though.

I guess the search continues.

Originally Posted by Paul Kondzich

I've been looking for a new program lately. The one I use now is not supported anymore, and does not work in anything later than Windows XP. What I like is it does not have a lot of unneeded stuff (descriptions etc.) The report is only normally 15-18 pages including pictures and the summary is at the front part of report, In front of all descriptions etc.

I have used 3D and Home Gauge in the past. Both of those usually had 30-40 page reports. I dont remember 3D that well, but what I liked about Home Gauge was the not releasing report until agreed and paid, and, the Realtor had the option of only viewing the summary page only.

I just spent some time looking at HIP, and I use their Florida Wind Mitigation app for iPhone and love it. What I dont like about HIP is the summary looks like it appears at the end, and the Realtor seems to have to view the whole report. I also am not crazy about the whole satisfactory,needs repair,serviceable, checkbox thing. I prefer to talk about the items that are a problem and not talk about the things that are fine. i understand the templates are customizable, not sure how far you can customize though.

I guess the search continues.

You can put the summary at the very front if you want, at the end or not at all. You make any comment you want. I do not use the check box feature, you can turn it on or off to suit your taste. As far as customizing, I have made a radon report, an EIFS report, a multi-family report, a commercial report, and a few other specialized reports.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

You can put the summary at the very front if you want, at the end or not at all. You make any comment you want. I do not use the check box feature, you can turn it on or off to suit your taste. As far as customizing, I have made a radon report, an EIFS report, a multi-family report, a commercial report, and a few other specialized reports.

Thanks Scott.I guess I will download the trial version and play for a few days. I already pay for HIP cloud for my Florida wind app, so, why not try the ipad out on the Home Inspection program??!

Also Scott, I assume by making the report to suit my needs, it would or could make the report shorter or longer depending on ones personal taste?

Originally Posted by Paul Kondzich

Thanks Scott.I guess I will download the trial version and play for a few days. I already pay for HIP cloud for my Florida wind app, so, why not try the ipad out on the Home Inspection program??!

Also Scott, I assume by making the report to suit my needs, it would or could make the report shorter or longer depending on ones personal taste?

Yep, you can make it as short or as full of fodder as you want. My shortest residential report is going to be 18 pages. I have about 4-5 pages of site information, disclaimers, and the like. A long report on say a home with five bathrooms in the 5,000sf range will be around 25-28 pages. Heck I have one whole page devoted to just smoke detectors and CO detectors.

I use an iPad on site, by the time I leave my report is 90% done.....

I think Scott covered it pretty well! As you can see Paul, HIP is extremely customizable.

Hello Travis,
I've been using Interspect Software, a "Hands Free" report writing software since 2006. It is a Voice controlled software allowing you to do an inspection in room by room mode or switching to system mode, creating a rooms, selecting items within the rooms, and adding comments by a voice tag. This software reduced my evening hours from 4-5 hours of writing reports to less than an hour. This software has worked so well for me over the years I decided to buy the company last year as I retire from doing inspections. There is a free 30-day demo of the software on our web site www.interspectsoftware.com so take a look at it and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call.

Russell Buchanan of HomeGauge is doing a free webinar tonight on technological innovations for inspection reports Webinars for Home Inspectors (free and open to everyone) - InterNACHI

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the great info and discussion on this thread. I had pretty much made up my mind and was going to go with Home Gauge until I was just about ready to do a full test run and figured out an issue I hadn't even thought of. You can't change company names on the reports. I'm still being sponsored by a professional inspector and working thru all the licensing levels for Texas. So, until I am out on my own and have enough clientele established, I will be doing inspections for other companies and they will want their company name on the report, not mine. After all the hours spent customizing Home gauge to what I wanted, this was certainly a real kick in the teeth, so I put the report program issue on the back burner.

But now I 'm back at it and still trying to figure out which to get.

I under stand the software sellers issue where u only want to license to a single company name so there is not one licensed being used by multiple companies. I have yet to find a way around this even though I am using it legitimately.

Anybody have any ideas, I'm all ears.

Until then, I'm back at the grind of trying out softwares.

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the great info and discussion on this thread. I had pretty much made up my mind and was going to go with Home Gauge until I was just about ready to do a full test run and figured out an issue I hadn't even thought of. You can't change company names on the reports. I'm still being sponsored by a professional inspector and working thru all the licensing levels for Texas. So, until I am out on my own and have enough clientele established, I will be doing inspections for other companies and they will want their company name on the report, not mine. After all the hours spent customizing Home gauge to what I wanted, this was certainly a real kick in the teeth, so I put the report program issue on the back burner.

But now I 'm back at it and still trying to figure out which to get.

I under stand the software sellers issue where u only want to license to a single company name so there is not one licensed being used by multiple companies. I have yet to find a way around this even though I am using it legitimately.

Anybody have any ideas, I'm all ears.

Until then, I'm back at the grind of trying out softwares.

You can change the company name on the Report Information page. Click on the "Current inspector" button and change away. If you're planning to use HomeGauge Services for the client to view the report in HTML, you will have issues because your user profile is all about you and your company. Saving to PDF may be a better option for now.

I find it hard to believe the other companies allow you to use any ole software you like. I do work for another company on occasion. They supplied me with a computer loaded with software, not just the inspection software, corporate email, corporate cell number, business cards, shirts, truck signage, and more. All to maintain tbe company's consistent image.

Coincidentally, I and the other company both use HomeGauge but I still work with two completely separate licenses and upload services, all to maintain a consistent professional image for both companies.

Ask the other companies to provide software. It's good business.

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the great info and discussion on this thread. I had pretty much made up my mind and was going to go with Home Gauge until I was just about ready to do a full test run and figured out an issue I hadn't even thought of. You can't change company names on the reports. I'm still being sponsored by a professional inspector and working thru all the licensing levels for Texas. So, until I am out on my own and have enough clientele established, I will be doing inspections for other companies and they will want their company name on the report, not mine. After all the hours spent customizing Home gauge to what I wanted, this was certainly a real kick in the teeth, so I put the report program issue on the back burner.

But now I 'm back at it and still trying to figure out which to get.

I under stand the software sellers issue where u only want to license to a single company name so there is not one licensed being used by multiple companies. I have yet to find a way around this even though I am using it legitimately.

Anybody have any ideas, I'm all ears.

Until then, I'm back at the grind of trying out softwares.

Travis, give me a call 832-978-8933

Kerry, thanks for your info. Did not notice where you could change the inspector info till you pointed it out. My free trial has expired so I am unable to see how it looks in printed form. Also, To be clear, you can obtain a copy of the report in PDF format?!?!?!?!? Was under the impression that HG only let you upload to their server and then sent to the client. If you can convert to PDF then I could use ISN, effectively negating the aggravation of HG not being used with ISN at the moment. As far as inspections for other companies; the one I am doing inspections for now does supply me with their report "software". But as I said its a homemade Word based template that takes FOREVER to complete and limits me to one inspection a day, no bueno. They have other inspectors that use Whisper, which allows you to change the company name, but Whisper is still Word based as far as I know and not efficient enough to do more than one inspection a day realistically. I want to be able to do 2-3 per day without staying up till 3am. Entirely possible with HG, HIP and many others that I have tested, but have not found that special one that will allow me to do reports that I sell on my own under my company name AND reports that I do for my sponsoring company under a single license. Maybe that program doesn't exist.

Robert, I've looked at your program and really couldn't make heads or tails of it but I will call you as you requested.

I'm not sure saving to PDF is built into HG but the report can be printed. Add "print to PDF" software to your computer. I use PDFill, they have a free and paid version for saving documents to PDF.

There is no perfect software. Keep searching for one that works for you. Check PalmTech, it's easy to use.


Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Kerry Staudt

I'm not sure saving to PDF is built into HG but the report can be printed. Add "print to PDF" software to your computer. I use PDFill, they have a free and paid version for saving documents to PDF.

There is no perfect software. Keep searching for one that works for you. Check PalmTech, it's easy to use.


Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

Ah, Ok, misunderstood your other post, I get it now.

Travis,

here's yet another software recommendation.. Spectacular for iPad has everything you've mentioned so far:

1. Complete report onsite if you choose
2. 'Nickname' comment name selection
3. Pics with the comment and not all at the end
4. Dropbox as the cloud service.
5. PDF reports

The TREC 7-3 form is finished and testing right now, but is not available on the App Store yet, but if you'd like to get it now, join the beta test program and get a couple of free vouchers...


Spectacular Home Inspection System | Home Inspection Software iPad app
info@aacesystems.com

hope this helps...

Originally Posted by Travis Franzoy

Kerry, thanks for your info. Did not notice where you could change the inspector info till you pointed it out. My free trial has expired so I am unable to see how it looks in printed form. Also, To be clear, you can obtain a copy of the report in PDF format?!?!?!?!? Was under the impression that HG only let you upload to their server and then sent to the client. If you can convert to PDF then I could use ISN, effectively negating the aggravation of HG not being used with ISN at the moment. As far as inspections for other companies; the one I am doing inspections for now does supply me with their report "software". But as I said its a homemade Word based template that takes FOREVER to complete and limits me to one inspection a day, no bueno. They have other inspectors that use Whisper, which allows you to change the company name, but Whisper is still Word based as far as I know and not efficient enough to do more than one inspection a day realistically. I want to be able to do 2-3 per day without staying up till 3am. Entirely possible with HG, HIP and many others that I have tested, but have not found that special one that will allow me to do reports that I sell on my own under my company name AND reports that I do for my sponsoring company under a single license. Maybe that program doesn't exist.

Robert, I've looked at your program and really couldn't make heads or tails of it but I will call you as you requested.

We do all the things you are looking for and have been doing the TREC form for over a dozen years....one thing unique about our software is the ability to put the photos automatically into the report in the comment itself AND you can do the actual inspection room by room and then the data gets matched to the TREC form. It will be worth your 10 minutes to call us.

Years late, but the same advice that no one wants to hear still rings true.

You have to put in the time to playing with each software to see what is intuitive and helps your business the most.

I've looked at every software mentioned here and these guys are all great and produce a great product. Some have steeper learning curves than others and require coaching sessions or lots of teaching on how to use it. Some are more intuitive. Some offer more features and automation.

Just gotta tinker!

Years late, but the same advice that no one wants to hear still rings true.

You have to put in the time to playing with each software to see what is intuitive and helps your business the most.

I've looked at every software mentioned here and these guys are all great and produce a great product. Some have steeper learning curves than others and require coaching sessions or lots of teaching on how to use it. Some are more intuitive. Some offer more features and automation.

Just gotta tinker!