Area checklists: defects and checks for every area and room

Each external area and room has its own checklist: the defects that can be found there and the checks to carry out, so the report shows what was looked at as well as what was found.

What it is

When you add a roof, a chimney, a bathroom or any other area, the field app picks the matching list from its name. The lists are grouped by part of the building, so a roof’s list runs through slopes and coverings, ridge and hips, flashings and valleys, and so on. You tick each defect you find and each check you carry out, then mark the area complete, or record that you couldn’t inspect it and why. Defects found can be rated Minor, Moderate, Severe or Urgent, with a note of where and how much.

Area checklists

Every external area and room has a checklist of the possible defects there and the checks to carry out, grouped by part of the building, so nothing is missed and the report records what was looked at, not only what was found.

In External Analysis or Room Analysis, tap Add the standard areas (or Add the standard rooms), untick any the home does not have, and tap Add. The first one opens.
The checklist follows the area’s name, such as Roof or Bathroom. Tap Change list if another fits better.
Tap Defects to open the full list. Search it, or tap a part of the building to jump to it, and tick each defect you find. Give each one a severity, from Minor to Urgent, and a note if it helps: where it is and how much.
Switch to Checks at the top and tick each check you carry out. Tap Done to go back.
Something not on the list? Tap Not on the list? at the bottom, or search for it and tap Add. Type it, or use the mic or Smart Build.
Tap Mark area complete (or Complete: no defects found). If you could not get to it, tap Couldn’t inspect and say why.
Tap Next at the bottom, or the arrow at the top, to go to the next area or room. After the last one it takes you on to the next section of the survey.

In the report each area shows the defects found, worst first, with their severity and note, and the checks done. A Schedule of Defects after the room findings lists every defect on the survey in one table, and the office can save it as a spreadsheet from the portal.
Your organisation can add its own defects and checks, make the checklists required before a survey is finalised, and choose what each area needs first, such as photos or a severity on every defect, under Settings → App configuration → Area checklists in the portal.
On external areas the damp type and the readings are optional and fold away under Damp type (optional) and Readings (optional).
Area checklists come with damp and mould, excess cold and structural surveys, and general jobs. Surveys started before your app was updated open as they did.

What’s needed to finish

If your organisation makes the checklists required, each area shows Required and Next waits until the area is marked complete or not inspected with a reason. Your organisation can also ask for certain checks before an area can be marked complete, such as photos of each defect or a severity on every defect found. The checklist shows a Needed to finish box listing what’s still missing; tap an item to go to it.

How it integrates

Report and PDF: each area’s checklist prints with the area, after its written findings and before its photos: its status, the defects found worst first with their severity, part of the building and note, the checks done and not done, and what was checked for and not found. An area whose checklist was never used prints as before.
Schedule of defects: after the room findings and external analysis, the report lists every defect found on the survey in one table, numbered worst first, with a count of each severity and the areas found clear, not inspected or not finished. In the portal, Spreadsheet (CSV) on the report saves it for pricing the works or a repairs system.
Sealed record: the checklists are sealed with the survey. The sealed-record summary in the field app and the record in the portal both show them.
Finalising: when the checklists are required, the survey can’t be finalised until every area your organisation chose is finished. The server checks this too.

Common problems

There’s no checklist on an area. Area checklists come with damp and mould, excess cold and structural surveys and general jobs. If they’re missing there, your organisation may have switched them off under Settings → App configuration → Area checklists. Update the app and reopen the survey.
Mark area complete looks faded and won’t finish. Your organisation needs something first. Tapping it takes you to the Needed to finish box, which lists what’s missing.
The list doesn’t match the area. Tap Change list and pick another. The list stops following the area’s name once you tick something or pick a list yourself.
A new item from the office isn’t on the list. Close the survey and open it again. Areas already marked complete keep the list they were finished with.