How long does it take for you to generate the written report?

I am spending more time than I would like writing the report. Before I get more worked up, I want to see if I am to far out of line with the everybody else.

I know some are using computers during the inspection so are filling in/checking boxes as they go so the report is done when the inspection is done.

For those of you who collect data and them write the report after the inspection, how long to write the report, add the photos, and be ready to send?

The second question is what steps did you take or changes in your report writing and/or data collection did you make to decrease report writing time but maintain quality?

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Bruce Ramsey
Advocate Inspections
www.NCAdvocate.com

I only use a camera on the inspection and i take a lot of photos. i can be in and out in 2HR or less. this is my way of doing things.
Then i will go back to my office and put the report together. may spend 1 -2 HR at that. Everytime i go back a look at the photos i see things that i did not notice before. and then i keep all the photos for ever...

Each home is on its own time line. BIG. Small. or ?

If i post a lot of photos that will suck up some time.

and then if i can stay off this web-site. that helps alot. L.O.L.

Best

Ron

Average house, 3 br 2 bath, 2.5 - 3 hours inspecting and 2 hours to write the report.
Minimum 1.5 hours and 1 hour to write on a tract home where I have inspected several in the past.
The more photos, the longer the time to write.
If I have 1 inspection that day, I take longer.
I suck at typing.
I will justify buying a new laptop if it has features that will save me 5 minutes per report, but thats because I like buying new laptops.

I do the same as Ron. Take a lot of pictures instead of taking field notes.

Then when I get back to the office I scan through all the pictures before writing the report. I have them playing across 1 screen as I am writing the report on another.

Most of the time, it will take an hour or so if not distracted.

A quiet office is a big help too.

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Rick thats to clean. Im out in garage with the Bikes and a drum set. and my lab under my feet...

If my wife saw your office i would never get her to stop talking about it.

Why cant your office look like Ricks. bla. bla. bla.

Best

Ron

Ron,

I hope that lab under your feet you mention is of the dog kind not the cooking type.

rick

Rough order of magnitude = one hour per 1000 s.f.

No hard/fast rules on that as it can vary depending upon condition of home.

I usually have notebook with me and enter notes directly to report as well as plenty of JPGs. Finish up report back at office while adding representative JPGs and review for errors, presentation and a 2nd or 3rd review of notes/images to try and be sure all bases are covered.

My office is not as exotic as Rick's.

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Cheers - Nolan E. Kienitz, HCRI, PMP
ICC Certified Residential Plumbing Inspector (P-1)
www.NolansInspections.com

Well I guess I am in the minority. Of course I am 55 years young and do not speed around like I use to. Most of my inspections take at least 4-5 hours.
Small houses take 3 hours. I only do one a day. New England has a lot of older large homes with basements and thats where I spend most of my time as all the Utilities are there also. My reports are taking me around 5 hours. I am not happy about this but By the time I review the photos and do report this is what it takes me. I am not going to get rich but I feel like I do a good job and sleep well at night. Another thing that helps I have no children and my wife works.
I can not figure out how you guys do your reports in an hour. I can not do anything in an hour. Time speeds up when your older. Whatever works for the individual I guess.
So Bruce your not alone with report taking longer than you want. There has been past threads on this subject and many people take as long as me but they get paid for it. Better to do 4-5 a week at $600 than 10 at $300.
Easier said than done but is possible if you build up clientèle/referral base. But this may take time.

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Dave

Average 1/2 hour to drive to and from job. 15 minutes to 1/2 hour to go over contract. 2 1/2 to 3 hours to do the inspection (average square footage is 1,200 to 2,700). 1 1/2 hours to write up the report. 1/2 hour for the miscellaneous things such as writing up the contract, taking the phone call and other things.

The fastest way (in my opinion) is hand written reports. 1/2 hour drive time. 1/2 hour miscellaneous time. 2 1/2 to 3 hours to do the inspection. 1/2 hour to make sure ever thing is written in the report at the end of the home inspection.

Setting up an office or a quiet place is needed or I can add another hour on the report writing.

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I say lets merge all the home inspection organizations into one.

Seepaluce

We have covered this "how much time to do an inspection" so many times, I'm sure there is an old thread where you can see opinions there too. It usually ends up with someone saying that "you can't do a good job unless you take this long, or do only one a day/week/month", or "your report isn't worth crap unless it has 6,000 photos in it, or is at least 600 pages". I'll press on anyway.

I use a pocket PC around my neck during the inspection. I take photos too, but probably less than 50 for the normal house. I don't keep any photos I don't use in the report.

I'm also in that "about an hour per/1000SF" realm. Seems that most houses take me about 3 hours, sometimes close to 4 (talking about houses <3000SF), and that includes finishing the report (most of the time).

There are times that I go back to the office to finish it: 1. If I'm finding something out of the ordinary, 2. If the agent or seller is being a pain in the butt, and I want more quiet time to finish, or 3. it's getting late and I want to go home and have a beer/dinner.

I just don't like to work after I get home. I have always generated on-site reports (for almost 20 years now), so I like to be done with work when I'm done with work. With paper reports it was very easy. Then photos came into play and I had to haul around a photo printer. When I switched to computer reports, it didn't exactly change my life, it didn't make it any faster or easier either. It just made it better for my clients.

I spent a lot of time working on my library. I tried to cover just about everything I would come across, so I really just had to check a box and move on to the next item. I may have to edit or add a word here or there, but it's very simple AND fast.

One thing I did that helped me was to "pre-check" a lot of stuff, so I really only have to go to the pocket PC when there is an "issue" or problem. For instance, I have that the garage door opener operated OK and reversed properly pre-checked. I don't have to change anything unless something wasn't right when I inspected the door opener. It saves me time.

My time to transfer the memory card, insert the photos, add notes is usually 30 - 45 minutes including uploading the report to the web site (that part only takes about 2 minutes). I also use that time to talk to my client and re-cap the inspection, so they get a half hour or so at the end bringing them up to speed on what took place during the inspection.

I think the ability to move quickly is from being very familiar with the software and the experience of having done thousands of inspections. My way works for me, and may not work for someone else.
JF

Average size house 3-4 hours to inspect
Report can be 1-2 hours or 4-6 depending on how bad. Usually +/- 3 hours
I have a field version of my report that I take to insp to document conditions. I circle and write-in whatever is applicable. The computer version is different than the field version so I don't have to type everything.
This allows me to have a field copy for audits and a clean computer copy to print/send out. Pictures as necessary.
I don't do checkbox.
I have an office but I could work in a war zone if necessary. Whatever is around me disappears when I'm 'in the zone'. (Corny, I know)

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Accurate Inspections & Consulting, Inc.
773/844-4AIC
Markus Keller

Jack covered it fairly well, this has been talked about many times over the years.

As for myself, I would say that a basic normal inspection on a 2,500 sf home with 2.5 baths on a crawl space would take no more than 3 hours. If it is empty and clean I would say that time would be cut down by thirty minutes. Even when I do a 5,000sf home I would expect to be done in about 3-4 hours, any longer and I'm not working efficiently. Time is money and it is about the only thing that we can control during an inspection.

I have seen too many inspectors who do not have an established pattern to their inspections. They are jumping all over the place and waisting time. You know that you will need to check every room so why not do the electrical outlets, check the windows, doors, ceilings, floor, etc. while you are in each room. Limit the number of times you enter a room to only one time, unless you have a question. I have seen many inspectors do just the electrical and then do just the windows and on. All they are doing is waisting time and energy.

As for writing reports: If you are writing the information down and then transcribing it into another document, you are waisting time. Take as few notes as possible. Rely on your brain and on photos to guide you after the inspection is done and your reporting time will be cut dramatically. This brings up another topic and that is that many inspectors depend on their software or reporting system to guide them through the inspection. This is the wrong way to do an inspection, it takes more time and it can also prevent you from seeing something that needs reporting but it is not covered in your reporting system.

If all boils down to doing what you are comfortable doing. I'm comfortable in taking few if any notes and many pictures. About the only notes I take are of things that I find that are wrong.

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Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

The "waisting time" Scott referred to is guys sitting around eating donuts (aka real estate agents).

I like getting this call on an average 2000' home.
Joe HI stated he does the most thorough inspection, and takes 5 plus hrs to do an inspection. What is he doing that you are not doing?

My reply.. How long did it take you to do your job when you 1st started?
99% chuckle and book the inspection.

Use a checklist for your inspection. Pilots use them for a reason. If your relying on your memory to create your report, there is a term used to describe you. At some point, it will be defendant.

My inspections and reports take about the same time as everyone else but My office beats Rick's by a long shot. My secretary, not so good.

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When I was in the trenches an average “cookie-cutter” 1,400 to 2,000 sq. ft. ranch style with foundation crawl space would take 2 to 2-1/2 hours, one-half hour longer if it where vacant. Lots of photos of which my clients never saw, but as reminders to me of what I saw. Used a field note work sheet and spent maybe 1 to 1-1/2 hours on preparing the finished report. By the end of my career I never did more than 2 per day and preferred one. Whenever I had any free time I worked on my report verbiage.

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Jerry McCarthy
Construction Consultant
www.expertbuildingconsultants.com

I take 200-300 pictures and keep them. Had a foreclosure inspection in December. It had a fairly new heat pump system and took pictures of it and had taken pictures inside the service panel looking for data on electric elements (a macro shot or 2 records all the numbers). Client calls me up in Feburary, want to know how I could "pass", his term not mine, the heat pump system when the heat module was missing? I told him I was pretty sure I had pictures of the system and I would call him back. Went to his report file, scanned through the pictures and sure 'nough there was the heater module inside the system where it was supposed to be. I called him and emailed the pictures. Turns out the client had someone working in the house before moving in. So apparently, the fixer-upper guy decided he could use the module and no one would miss it. A lot edited out here but I figure keeping pictures in a file saved me a few coins.

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The above statements are expressed solely as my opinion and in all probability will conflict with someone else's.
Stu