Site inspection, defect and status reports
Marked-up site photos, a defects table with locations and who fixes what, and a status report with the programme and next steps.
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In QuoteCloud a site inspection or defect report is a document built from content blocks: site photos marked up in the image editor, a defects table with locations, priorities and responsibilities, notes and comments. A project status report adds a Gantt chart of the programme on the Business plan. Clients acknowledge reports with an eSignature.
A sample site inspection report for a fictional practice, Fenwick Arden, at the Okoro house during construction. A site photo of cracked render at the base of the north wall is being marked up in QuoteCloud's image editor, with a tool bar of crop, rotate, text, shapes, arrows, highlight and freehand: a ring is drawn round each defect, an arrow points to the first, and the labels Render cracking and Exposed blockwork appear. Below, the report's defects schedule lists D-01 render cracking (major, builder, by 12 Nov), D-02 cladding joint open (minor, by 12 Nov) and D-03 window head flashing missing (major, by 5 Nov). A chip shows the report acknowledged online by Nadia Okoro.
Three reports from every project
What an architect sends during contract administration, each from its own template, on your letterhead.
D-01 · North wall, ground floor
- Render cracking
- Exposed blockwork
Instructions & decisions
- Builder to rectify D-01 and D-03 before the finish coat of render.
- Your decision by 5 November: the kitchen benchtop sample (two options in the samples report).
- Next site visit: 12 November, 9 am.
Sam OkoroDoes the render crack mean the wall has moved?
Oscar, Fenwick ArdenNo, it's a shrinkage crack in the render coat. The builder will cut it out and re-render, and we'll check it on the 12th.
What we saw, and what happens next
Photos from the visit marked up where the defect is, then the instructions to the builder and the decisions the clients need to make, with their questions answered in comments.
- Image editor: text, shapes, arrows, highlights and freehand (Starter and up)
- Comments, replies and @mentions on the report
- Sent the same day from your site report template
Defects schedule After site visit 9
4 open1 fixed1 verified
| Ref | Defect | Severity | Rectify · by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-01 | Render cracking at the base of the north wallNorth elevation, ground floor | Major | Builder12 Nov | Open |
| D-02 | Cladding joint open at the cornerNorth-east corner, upper floor | Minor | Builder12 Nov | Open |
| D-03 | Window head flashing missingBedroom 2 | Major | Builder5 Nov | Open |
| D-04 | Balustrade glass scratchedRear deck | Minor | BuilderCompletion | Open |
| D-05 | Ceiling access panel out of lineLaundry | Minor | Builder29 Oct | Fixed |
| D-06 | Downpipe not connected to stormwaterSouth-west corner | Major | Builder29 Oct | Verified |
Defects are the architect's observations on site. The builder rectifies them under the building contract; we check each one at the next visit.
Every defect, its owner and its date
A defects table with the reference, location, severity, who rectifies it and by when, and the status you recorded at the visit. The builder fixes defects under the building contract; you check each one at the next visit.
- Your table, saved to the content library
- Status recorded by the architect, visit by visit
- No task tracking or builder logins: it's the report's own content
Project status October
Construction progressFrame, roof and windows complete62%
- Programme: WatchCompletion 6 MarchTwo weeks later than planned after a wet September
- Contract sum: On track$1,463,900Including the two signed variations
- Quality: Watch4 defects openSee the site report, visit 9
- Decisions needed: Action needed1 due 5 NovKitchen benchtop sample
Next steps
- Lock-up by 21 November
- Kitchen joinery shop drawings reviewed
- Site visit 10 on 12 November
Programme
Progress, programme and decisions
Where the build is against the programme, the contract sum, quality and the decisions you need, with the builder's programme as a Gantt chart, so the clients see the month on one page.
- Gantt chart block with milestones (Business)
- Red, amber and green written by you, not calculated
- Acknowledged with an eSignature
Gantt charts: Business plan
Project plans with QuoteCloudThrough the defects liability period
How a practice might report from practical completion to the final inspection. The dates are your contract's; QuoteCloud sends each report, it doesn't track the period or chase anyone.
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Practical completion
Completion inspection
A defects report with every item photographed and marked up, issued with the completion paperwork.
Image editor -
Month 3
First follow-up
The same schedule, each defect re-checked: fixed, verified or still open.
From your template -
Month 6
Mid-period visit
New items the owners raise go into the schedule; their questions come in as comments.
Comments -
Month 12
Final inspection
The last report, acknowledged by the owners, closes the period with a signed record.
eSignature
A sample reporting plan. Your contract sets the defects liability period; QuoteCloud sends no reminders about defects.
A monthly status report clients read
Owners want to know three things each month: is the build on time, is it on budget and what do they need to decide. The status page answers them before the detail, then the programme shows where the time went.
Build each report from last month's structure saved as a template, update the numbers and the Gantt chart, and send it. The clients acknowledge it online, and you see when they opened it.
- Gantt chart block with milestones (Business plan)
- Document tracking: opens and reading time
- Save a document as a template for next month
Gantt charts: Business plan
Project status October
Construction progressFrame, roof and windows complete62%
- Programme: WatchCompletion 6 MarchTwo weeks later than planned after a wet September
- Contract sum: On track$1,463,900Including the two signed variations
- Quality: Watch4 defects openSee the site report, visit 9
- Decisions needed: Action needed1 due 5 NovKitchen benchtop sample
Next steps
- Lock-up by 21 November
- Kitchen joinery shop drawings reviewed
- Site visit 10 on 12 November
Programme
Acknowledge the status report
Sam Okoro · Client
Signed online · 1 Nov, 7:52 pm
What you're acknowledging
- Report
- October · report 10
- Completion
- 6 March
- Decision due
- 5 November
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Issue your next site report from QuoteCloud
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Send us your current site report and we'll convert it into a template during the trial.
Sample report · FA-D-0214
Seen on site in the morning. In the client's inbox by lunch.
Six defects from visit 9, each with its owner and date, in a report the clients acknowledged the next morning.
Defects schedule After site visit 9
4 open1 fixed1 verified
| Ref | Defect | Severity | Rectify · by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-01 | Render cracking at the base of the north wallNorth elevation, ground floor | Major | Builder12 Nov | Open |
| D-02 | Cladding joint open at the cornerNorth-east corner, upper floor | Minor | Builder12 Nov | Open |
| D-03 | Window head flashing missingBedroom 2 | Major | Builder5 Nov | Open |
| D-04 | Balustrade glass scratchedRear deck | Minor | BuilderCompletion | Open |
| D-05 | Ceiling access panel out of lineLaundry | Minor | Builder29 Oct | Fixed |
| D-06 | Downpipe not connected to stormwaterSouth-west corner | Major | Builder29 Oct | Verified |
From site visit to acknowledged report
Five steps an architect repeats every visit.
Visit and photograph
Walk the site and take photos as you do now; QuoteCloud isn't a site capture app.
Open the site report
Start from your site report template with the project, the visit number and your standard notes.
Mark up the photos
Add the photos and mark them up with rings, arrows and labels in the image editor.
Update the defects
Add new defects to the schedule and record the status of the open ones.
Send for acknowledgement
Send one link; the clients ask questions in comments and acknowledge the report with an eSignature.
Site and defect reports: questions answered
Can architects write site inspection reports in QuoteCloud?
Yes. A site report is a QuoteCloud document built from content blocks: site photos as image blocks marked up in the built-in image editor, a table for the defects schedule, text for instructions and decisions, and comments. Save it as a template and every site visit starts from the same structure.
Can we mark up site photos with arrows and labels?
Yes. The built-in image editor, on the Starter plan and up, lets you crop, rotate and filter photos and add text, shapes, arrows, highlights and freehand drawing before they go into the report.
Does QuoteCloud have a mobile app for capturing defects on site?
No. QuoteCloud is not a field inspection or offline capture app, and photos aren't uploaded from site automatically. Take photos on site as you do now, then add them to the report in the editor.
Can QuoteCloud track defects or remind the builder?
No. The defects schedule is a table in your report, with the status you record at each visit. QuoteCloud doesn't assign tasks to builders or send defect reminders; customer reminders on the Business plan are for documents that haven't been signed.
Can a project status report include the programme?
Yes, on the Business plan. A Gantt chart block shows stages and milestones, so a monthly status report can show the programme beside the progress summary, the contract sum and the decisions needed.
How does the client confirm they received a report?
They acknowledge it with a legally binding eSignature, with a certificate of authenticity and audit trail, and no account is needed to sign. Document tracking also shows when the report was opened and for how long.
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