TOPIC: How do you do your summary with the client?

I kind of go along with Casey on this one. I like to point things out as they come up-if the client is not with me, or with the agent, I just make a mental note and try and mention major things when I catch the client away from the agent. I rarely show them the pictures during the inspection, unless it's like a cracked chimney cap or something major I find without their knowledge, I tell them the major findings and maintenance issues as I find them, and let them know there will be pictures in the report. I take about 65-75 pictures during the inspection-only about 35-40 actually make it in the report. I guess it does take more time this way, I haven't been able to get through any home in less than 2 1/2 hours, usually closer to 3, but the clients seem to appreciate the time I take to explain things so they can understand the report better when they receive it.

Thank you for your help!  ;D

I have only been doing inspection for 4 months and have performed only 42 inspections, so my input is from a newbie. My biggest fear in talking with the customer (and ushally realtor) after the site inspection, is that I will forget something in the verbal summary on site. So i generaly take a few moments to collect my self and look over my work sheet, so that I remember the big items. I have not started using the android tablet for inspection, but i suspect that it will help a lot with this situation, because of the red color on major issues? Does the tablet generate a repot, so that  the summary page will appear?

Craig, first I must congratulate you. 42 inspections in 4 months is GREAT!! I've been at it professionally for about 2 years, and my average is just now about 10 per month, some months even less. Some of the guys that have been doing this a lot longer warned me about trying to do the report on a tablet or similar device, saying that it's hard enough to walk, write, and talk-with the tablet you're gonna have to talk, TYPE and talk. What I have found that works best is if my client is not actually with me when I discover a defect, I circle my comment on my notes. I sort of developed my own short-hand while taking notes in the field, very similar to text lingo (leaving out vowels, abbreviating, etc). So at the end, I just flip thru my notes and relay the circled items to my client. I think the tablet would work great as long as there were plenty of pre-loaded comments available, but even then some comments simply have to be uniquely generated or modified, which may be difficult in the field. I wouldn't trust myself to drag the tablet in a crawlspace or even take it on a roof where I would likely need both my hands-I don't take my checklist form to these places either-only my camera. I've got a long way to go before I would consider myself an expert, but for now that's what works best for me. Keep up the good work!!

My son and I perform most inspections together and I have been inspecting houses for about 20 years. I use the CTL 2go computer onsite. I have tried all the other methods literally and I still prefer the computer. We don't take it under the house, attic or roof. We remember what we've seen. We back that up with the cameras to jog our memories. On some jobs we don't type in anything at all because our library is extensive and easy to work with. We might type in 5 comments on typical jobs or 10 when they are nightmares.  We don't have much to write up when we get to the office because the lion's share has been typed or entered in the field.
Concerning summaries onsite. We will discuss some items with the client if they are following us around but we prefer to speak with them at the end of the inspection. We go over everything including maintenance and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes. They like that. If they are investors and have purchased a few properties, we only give them the highlights with a few ballpark figures for repairs if they are easy enough to field. They only care about the really big issues.
Hope that helps and best regards from CA

Thank you for sharing!