An Inspector’s Experience with Technical Report Writing

Suppose you have the passion to excel in the profession of home inspection. In that case, the only way to express your professionalism and competence is by learning how to craft first-class inspection reports. If you cannot communicate to your clients, homeowners, builders, repair contractors, attorneys, agents, and so forth what you’ve observed, what you think, and why you think it, you can never become a competent inspector. No, this is not hyperbole. It has been my experience that the capacity to communicate is the highest-level skill for inspectors, and communicating in writing is of the utmost importance.

Technical report writing is usually not taught in public schools, and few choose to take courses in this discipline at the university level. It is not a genetically acquired ability, and no computer program I am aware of is capable of substituting for learning this vital skill. To learn, you will need to devote an inordinate amount of time, focus, and energy toward these ends.

Those who enter this profession lacking the ability to write may need to begin with the basics. Any number of free online courses can help you learn or revisit elementary grammar and syntax. Many courses and game apps deal with vocabulary improvement. Books on any of these subjects abound in libraries, bookstores, and online venues. These sources should be drawn upon throughout your career as an inspector.

You can also look for examples of good report writing to emulate. These can be found in many locations. Often inspectors post sample inspection reports on their websites. While not all of these make for the best examples, one can still learn from them—even if it’s just how not to write. Other examples can be found in engineers’ reports. Attorney briefs are also an excellent source of clear writing about complicated matters. Many of these can be found on the internet, Google Scholar, and your local District Court records.

You also need to understand the writing of the residential and commercial industry standards upon which your reports must be predicated. Too many inspectors labor under the false notion that their reports are not based in the building and electrical codes. This is merely an excuse to avoid learning and the work that this entails. Worshiping at the altar of minimalism via leaning on the crutch of whatever Standards of Practice one chooses is a sure way to become an underachiever and a failure in this profession.

Report Writing Software

I have the dubious honor of working in the only state (to my knowledge) that promulgates an inspection report form. Unfortunately, the check box format used in Texas has insinuated itself into the profession and can be found in one form or the other in most reports I have seen from across the country. This is possibly the worst way to effectively impart knowledge regarding property condition to laypersons as well as other professionals. Hybrid checkbox reports that allow for some expounding via narrative writing are stilted and require much jumping through hoops in order to produce clear results.

All of the software programs I have encountered—and I have tried them all—are primarily focused on doing multiple inspections in a day. These are sold to those who are only interested in volume. Quality is not a concern. Take photos, tick boxes, and email the results all from a smartphone, then on to the next job. Fun, quick, and easy. Just not necessarily professional.

When I started in this business I was forced to use 3-part NCR forms (newcomers can Google that) with the Texas-promulgated report form. Even with the advent of regular personal computer use, there were no capable report writing software programs other than Word for Windows, in my opinion.

All of that said, there are no viable examples of commercial report writing software that I can find that are based upon Word. Regardless of which program you use to write your reports, if they are not replete with insightful narrative regarding the
condition of the property in question, instead of containing merely canned commentary, they are substandard. The idea here is to excel and lead in your profession and not to be just another sheep in the flock.

Examples and Analogies

Most laypersons are at least somewhat unfamiliar with building construction and its terminology. It is essential to learn to couch your comments in a way that brings the picture you saw into focus for them. Using examples and analogies is an excellent way to do this. An example is a specific instance of a more general concept or idea. Murder is an example of a crime. An analogy compares two things or ideas to show that something true about thing No. 1 is also true about thing No. 2. “Dry skin is like cracked earth” is an analogy.

Illustrations

Illustrations in reports can, and should, take many forms. Most folks are visually oriented and better assimilate information if it is provided in all possible visual formats. Beyond the written text, photos taken at the site, graphics illustrating conditions, short videos of specific issues, etc. are necessary to get the message across to as many as possible.

Photos

Photos nowadays are often taken with smartphones. Smartphone cameras have come a long way since Samsung and Sharp produced the first of these many years ago. This can be a viable tool, though somewhat limited compared with DSLR cameras. Both of these will also create videos.

Other cameras can be handily mounted on long poles or drones. One can also find cameras in endoscopes and infrared devices. Some even use sewer cameras. Recent improvements in the capabilities and pricing make 360-degree cameras, body cameras, action cameras, and more attractive. You should learn to use all of these to your advantage.

When using photos in reports, be sure to utilize callouts to indicate what you are referring to in the pictures. Follow these photos, when applicable, with graphics that further illustrate the issue in question.

Graphics

Graphics are indispensable in inspection reports. You can acquire these from many different sources. These include, but are certainly not limited to, inspector organizations, CodeCheck®, royalty-free stock, clip art, industry standards literature, and many of the canned report writing software programs. Just be sure you are not infringing on someone’s copyright when using them.

Humor

The language of technical writing should be concise and even dry in some ways. That said, it can sometimes be a good idea to explain a concept by using an anecdote or a joke to make dense technical content more enjoyable, understandable, and memorable.

Every person has a unique sense of humor. Frequently readers may not understand your jokes. These are some rules on how to include humor in reports:

Do not try to be funny; you should be spontaneous and utilize humor when it makes you laugh. First, read or listen to something amusing in order to get inspired. Don’t be insulting or condescending to your reader. You are allowed to make fun of yourself, not other people. Find your style (it can be humorous or severe), and stick with your style.
Using jokes in technical inspection reports is time-consuming, burdensome, and can sometimes be expensive, so be careful.

Beyond the Basics

Seminars and courses in report writing for engineers, expert witnesses, and other professionals abound on the internet and in colleges. Find these and utilize them. Up your game by obtaining certification from the International Code Council, the National Fire Protection Association, and others so you can better read, understand, interpret, and effectively convey the information in the building, energy, and electrical codes that form the basis of this profession.

Nonstop reading is an essential tool in learning to write. Just as we learn through the writing of others, we learn to write through the same method. The prolific writer Stephen King says this on the subject, in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft:

“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing; one comes to the country of the writer with one’s papers and identification pretty much in order. Constant reading will pull you into a place (a mind-set, if you like the phrase) where you can write eagerly and without self-consciousness. It also offers you a constantly growing knowledge of what has been done and what hasn’t, what is trite and what is fresh, what works and what just lies there dying (or dead) on the page. The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor. … ‘Read a lot, write a lot’ is the great commandment.”

Helpful Resources

Note that this list is not exhaustive but could be endless. Here are some of my top suggestions. Happy report writing!

• Technical Communication
  by Paul V. Anderson
• The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking
  by Barbara Minto
• On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
  by William Zinsser
• Words that Sell and More Words that Sell
  by Richard Bayan
• Illustrated Building Materials and Techniques
  by Paul Bianchina
• RSMeans Illustrated Construction Dictionary
  by John Wiley and Sons
• Construction Terms Simply Defined: A Dictionary of Construction and Design You Can Actually Understand
  by Dominique and Greg Nelson
• The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms: American English Idiomatic Expressions & Phrases
  by Christine Ammer
• Uncle Anthony’s Unabridged Analogies
  by Thomas J. Vesper
• The Sense of Style
  by Steven Pinker
• The Definitions Chapters and Sections in the International Code Council Codes, National Electrical Codes, and others.
• Grammarly writing assistant

Opinions or statements of authors are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of ASHI, its agents, or editors. Always check with your local governmental agency and independently verify for accuracy, completeness, and reliability.