RESOURCES & FAQ

Yes, if you purchased either the Silver or Gold package for your subscription, you have the option of recording the audio and video during your inspections. Once the inspection has been started, a recording can be started, and can then be paused or stopped (and then re-started) after that if needed. When the inspection has ended, it can take up to half an hour for the recording to be available, due to processing times.

The inspector* can invite spectators* (up to 2) or remove them, mute or un-mute anyone connected to the inspection, view the participant’s* GPS coordinates, and take notes right in the inspection that will be saved along with the inspection.

Depending on the package that you have chosen for your subscription, you, as the inspector, can also possibly take pictures, annotate pictures taken, activate a pointer in the camera screen to allow for more specific discussion, include that pointer in pictures taken, and create complex reports using templates set up before the inspection.

*Inspector – This is the person who is signed into an Inspections Offsite account with an active subscription and credits available to use for an inspection. The inspector initiates an inspection with as little information as a phone number or email address for the person they want to connect with.

Participant – This is the person who the inspector connects with. Using a mobile device with camera capabilities, the participant’s audio and camera view will be sent to the inspector, who can see whatever the participant is seeing. The participant and inspector can talk to each other through the connection as well.

Spectator – Each inspection can have up to 2 spectators connected, though none are required for the inspection to proceed. The spectator can also see the camera view of the participant and can hear both the inspector and the participant while also talking to both of them.

If you have purchased the Gold package or otherwise purchased the optional Picture Annotations feature, during the inspection, look for the button across the top that has a pencil icon with a line through it, next to the button with the icon of a camera. Click the pencil icon to active picture annotation (the line through the pencil will be removed while annotating is activated). While it is active, any picture you take using the button with the camera icon will immediately pop up in your screen allowing you to annotate it before saving it. A picture must be annotated when it is taken, as once it is saved, it is unable to be edited either during or after the inspection. In the annotate window, there are 3 tools:

Draw a circle: Click the button with a simple circle to activate this tool. Then click anywhere on the picture that you want to be the CENTER of the circle and click again to define the outer edge of the circle. Do not drag your mouse (or finger/stylus on a touchscreen) to draw the circle, instead click/tap twice—once to define the center and once to define the outside.

Add a pointer: Click the button with a cursor in a bullseye to activate this tool. Then click anywhere on the picture to place an arrow.

Free write/draw: Click the button with a pencil and lines behind it to active this tool. Then draw/write with your mouse or finger/stylus like you would on paper anywhere in the picture.

Other features in the annotate window:
Color picker: Click the button with the paint palette to change the color of the circle or free draw/write tools. Note: The pointer tool will always produce a white arrow.

“Done” button: Click the button with a checkmark to de-activate whichever of the 3 tools is currently active. Clicking the tool button a 2^nd time will also de-activate that tool.

Delete elements: Any element you add to the annotated picture using the aforementioned tools can be removed before you save the picture. Each individual element will appear in a list along the right side of the annotate window with a trashcan icon next to it. Clicking on one element in the list will highlight that item in the picture, so that you know which item you will delete.

Each circle and pointer is a different item in the list, but a drawing includes everything that was drawn from the time the tool was activated until it was de-activated. Separate drawings will be denoted by “dimming” all drawings except the one selected, so that it’s clear which drawing will be deleted.

Save/Delete: To exit the annotate window, either save the picture to be viewed and downloaded later or delete it. Deleting the picture means it is completely gone and will not appear anywhere in your account, so only do this if you are sure you don’t want to see it again later!
Note: even if you decide you don’t want to annotate the picture, if you still want to be able to access the un-marked picture again later, save it in this screen.

If you want to take pictures without annotating them, be sure to click the annotate button again, which will make the line appear through the pencil again, to de-activate annotating.

No, the only time a picture can be annotated is during the inspection. After the inspection is over, pictures cannot be edited in any way within the Inspection Offsite app.

The inspection sheet is used for taking notes during an inspection that can be downloaded in a report after the inspection is over. How the inspection sheet works depends on the subscription you have purchased. If you have purchased the Bronze package, the inspection sheet will be a notepad-type space within an inspection that can be used by the inspector to take basic text notes. When an inspection is first started, the inspection sheet is collapsed on the right side of the screen and can be expanded and re-collapsed as needed. When the inspection is over, any text saved in the inspection sheet will appear in the report that can be downloaded after the inspection has ended.

If you have purchased a Silver or Gold package or otherwise have at least 1 template activated on your account, the inspection sheet can be used to produce reports that are customized in whatever way your business needs.

When starting an inspection, be sure to select all of the templates that you want to be able to access during the inspection. Any template not selected will be inaccessible for the duration of that inspection. If more than one template is selected for use during an inspection, a drop-down box will appear in the pop-out inspection sheet window to allow you to quickly switch between different available sheets. 

Each individual report created from an inspection sheet template can be downloaded separately after the inspection has ended. 

Both types of inspection sheet can be edited as needed after an inspection has ended. To do so, find the inspection whose sheet you want to edit in the Past Inspections list, click “View”, and then in the next screen, click the “Review Inspection” button. Changes made here will be auto-saved just like during the inspection.

Inspector – This is the person who is signed into an Inspections Offsite account with an active subscription and credits available to use for an inspection. The inspector initiates an inspection with as little information as a phone number or email address for the person they want to connect with.

Participant – This is the person who the inspector connects with, using a mobile device with camera capabilities. The participant’s audio and camera view will be sent to the inspector, who can see whatever the participant is seeing. The participant and inspector can talk to each other through the connection as well.

Spectator – Each inspection can have up to 2 spectators connected, though none are required for the inspection to proceed. The spectator can also see the camera view of the participant and can hear both the inspector and the participant while also talking to both of them.

Both an inspector and a participant are required to begin and continue an inspection. However, spectators are optional. Spectators can also be added during an inspection or even removed from the inspection if needed.

When viewing the inspection screen, look in the top-left corner for an icon of 3 people on a white background. Click on that to expand the Participants Drawer, and click the Add Spectator button to bring up a dialog box from which you can send an invitation to a spectator. Note: Only 2 spectators can be part of an inspection at a time, so if you already have 2 spectators, you cannot add another one without first removing one of those already connected.

Any spectators saved to your account will appear in the drop-down in this dialog box, though you cannot save a new spectator’s information here.

There are multiple areas in the Settings within the web app, accessible from the main Dashboard, that allow customization for an inspection before starting one:

Inspection Sheet Templates screen: If you have purchased a Silver or Gold package or otherwise have at least 1 template activated on your account, the inspection sheet can be used to produce reports that are customized in whatever way your business needs.

Saved Information screen: In this screen, the inspector can save various information used for starting or scheduling inspections that can be recalled later, so that commonly used participants, inspection types, etc. can be populated in their respective fields, to start or schedule an inspection quickly.
Participants – This is the person who the inspector connects with. Using a mobile device with camera capabilities, the participant’s audio and camera view will be sent to the inspector, who can see whatever the participant is seeing.
Inspection Locations – An optional field that can be used to denote the location in which the inspection is being done.
Inspection Types – An optional field that can be used to differentiate between different types of inspections the inspector may do at different times.
Spectator – Each inspection can have up to 2 spectators connected, though none are required for the inspection to proceed. The spectator can also see the camera view of the participant and can hear both the inspector and the participant while also talking to both of them.

General Settings screen:
“Inspection” – This term can be changed in this screen and will be reflected throughout all areas of the app, so that every time the word “inspection” would appear, the text entered here will appear instead. For example, you might not be performing inspections with the app, but instead be having meetings or consultations. Simply enter the term you’d prefer your inspections to be called, and the word will be replaced when you save your changes. Texts or emails sent to participants or spectators will also use your preferred term.
“Inspection Sheet” – The note-taking section within an inspection can also be titled differently, if you prefer. Use these fields to make the inspection process feel more comfortable for you.
Custom Fields – Up to 3 text fields can be added to the information when starting or scheduling an inspection. For example, you can include a field for a record number for your inspections. None of these fields will be required, nor will they be shared with participants or spectators. Any field left blank will be left out of locations throughout the site.

In the General Settings screen, the word “inspection” can be changed to be something else throughout all areas of the app, so that every time the word “inspection” would appear, the text entered here will appear instead. For example, you might not be performing inspections with the app, but instead be having meetings or consultations. Simply enter the term you’d prefer your inspections to be called, and the word will be replaced when you save your changes. Texts or emails sent to participants or spectators will also use your preferred term.

Similarly, in the same screen, you can change the term “inspection sheet” to be something else. The inspection sheet is the note-taking section within an inspection. 

Changes these terms to whatever you want to make the inspection process feel more comfortable for you.

Most of the information entered at the start of an inspection can be changed after the inspection has ended by visiting the Past Inspections screen and clicking the “View” button for the inspection you want to make changes to. All of the fields that had been filled out when the inspection was started (even if they were left blank) can be edited here with the exception of the Operator Name field. The date and time that the inspection was started and the time that the inspection ended also cannot be edited.

The inspection sheet can also be edited as needed after an inspection has ended. To do so, when viewing the ended inspection, click the “Review Inspection” button. Changes made here will be auto-saved just like during the inspection.

No one will have access to any information that you enter into your Inspections Offsite account other than Inspections Offsite and anyone with whom you may share your account log in information. For our full privacy policy, please visit this link: https://www.inspectionsoffsite.com/privacy-policy

Your credit card information is 100% confidential, and if you choose to set up your account for auto-renewal, your information will be stored with our payment site, Stripe, but Inspections Offsite and its employees will not have access to it.

Past inspections that have been performed on your account are accessible by Inspections Offsite for purposes of verifying that the company’s Terms & Conditions are not violated, but past inspections cannot be edited or deleted by Inspections Offsite.