ParrotNotes

Free Inspection Report Template

Say what you inspected, then mark each item Pass, Fail or N/A with a note and a photo reference. Turn anything that failed into a finding with a severity, a corrective action, an owner and a due date. The counts add up as you go, and you print the report for signature, save it as a PDF, download a CSV or copy it into an email.

A general report template, not a certificate. It is not tied to OSHA or any other standard and does not replace an inspection that a law, an insurer or a contract requires: if one of them sets a form, use that form.

What the inspection report covers

  • Header

    Report number, your company, the site or equipment, the address or area, the date, the inspector, and a line on what was inspected and why.

  • Items with pass, fail or N/A

    Starter items for a site, a machine, a safety walk-through, a building or a quality check. Rename, reorder or remove any of them and add your own, up to 80.

  • Findings by severity

    What is wrong and where, rated Critical, High, Medium or Low. The printout lists the most serious first. The levels are this template's defaults, so use your company's definitions if it has them.

  • Photo references

    The file name or number of the photo beside each item and finding. The pictures stay on your phone; the report points to them.

  • Corrective actions

    For each finding, what will be done, who owns it, when it is due and whether it is done, so the report ends in a to-do list and not just a description.

  • Summary and sign-off

    A short summary, an overall result, and signature lines for the inspector and the person who reviewed it.

How to write an inspection report

Set the scope before you walk: which site or machine, and what you are looking for. Pick the closest type, remove the items that do not apply and add the ones specific to the job. On a phone you can tap through the items as you go; or print it blank and use the empty boxes on a clipboard.

Write what you saw, not what you think caused it: "guard missing on the east conveyor, photo IMG_2041" is a finding that someone can act on and check later. Take a photo of anything that fails and type its number next to the note. Tap "Add as a finding" on a failed item and its label, note and photo reference carry over.

Before you sign, give every finding an owner and a due date, and write a short summary that says what needs attention first. Send the PDF to whoever asked for the inspection, and keep the CSV if you want to track findings across inspections in a spreadsheet. If a regulation, insurer or client prescribes a form or a schedule, theirs comes first; this template does not claim to meet any standard.

Fixed something on the visit? The service report template records the repair for the customer; this page records the condition you found.

Walking finished work with a list of snags to close? Use the punch list template.

Inspection report, checklist, service report, punch list

Inspection report
This page: a report on any site or equipment, with your own items, findings by severity, corrective actions and sign-off.
Fixed checklist
A set list for one job. Our home, vehicle and rental inspection checklists know their subject item by item (roof and foundation, tires and brakes, each room at move-in and move-out). Use one of those when it fits.
Service report
A technician's record of one service call for a customer: problem, diagnosis, work done, parts and time on site.
Punch list
The snags left at the end of a construction job, line by line, until each one is closed.

Tips for an inspection report people act on

  • Be specific about where

    "Bay 4, east wall, 2 m from the door" lets the next person find it without calling you.

  • Separate what you saw from what you think

    Put the observation in the finding and your view of the cause in the summary. Readers can then tell which is which.

  • One owner per action

    "Maintenance" is a department; "Priya, by Friday" is an action. If nobody owns it, it will still be there next time.

  • Check the last report first

    Open findings from last time are the first things to look at. If one is still open, say so.

More on notes from the walk: property inspection notes, what a punch list is, the construction daily report.

Say what you see on the walk

Record your voice in ParrotNotes as you walk the site, say what you see and where, and the transcript and summary are ready when you get back, so you can keep your eyes on the site and copy the notes into this report at your desk.

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Inspection report questions