Home inspection daily SOPs, explained item by item

What to take away

This article covers operations only. Licensing, contracts, liability and tax treatment vary by state and by agreement. Confirm them with your state licensing board, a licensed attorney, or a CPA.

Morning items: the job file, the confirmation call, credentials

Three items run before an inspector leaves the office. Each one has an owner, a record, and a stop condition, which is the point where a job pauses instead of sliding.

Item 1: Build the job file. The office owns this one. Intake ends when the file is complete enough that an inspector could run the job without calling the office. That means the signed agreement, the client's and agent's contact details, the property address and access instructions, and payment terms. Stop condition: no complete file, no booked job.

Item 2: Confirm the appointment the day before. The call or text checks access, utilities on, pets secured, and whether the attic hatch or crawlspace door is reachable. A fifteen minute confirmation call prevents most same day cancellations. Record: the call log with a timestamp. Stop condition: if the client cannot confirm access, the job is held, not guessed at.

Item 3: Match credentials to scope. A standard residential inspection follows a Standards of Practice, published by InterNACHI or by ASHI, founded in 1976. Texas issues its own through the Texas Real Estate Commission. Radon measurement needs NRPP or state certification, and a sewer scope needs a drain camera.

If nobody on the schedule holds the credential, the job moves or the scope changes before the client is told it is booked.

On site items: fixed order, photos, radon

Item 4: Work the property in a fixed order. A common sequence is exterior and roof, then attic, then interior systems, then the crawlspace or basement, then the final walkthrough with the client. A fixed route stops skipping when the conversation runs long. Stop condition: an unsafe area ends that section and goes in the report as a limitation.

Item 5: Photograph every defect and every data plate. Shoot each defect you will write up, plus the data plate on the furnace, water heater, and electrical panel. The photo is the record that supports the finding when a client or agent questions it months later. Stop condition: no photo, no finding.

Item 6: Run radon to the EPA guide. Radon testing is the piece most often done wrong. The EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon explains why closed house conditions, device placement, and test timing change the result, and why the documentation matters in a transaction.

Follow the guide, and note in the report which conditions were met. Record the device type, serial number, placement, and start and end times. Stop condition: a house opened during the test is restarted or written up as invalid.

Item 7: Report what the standard covers, and name the limit. The InterNACHI and ASHI standards do not require an inspector to remove the electrical panel dead front or enter a crawlspace that is not readily accessible. NFPA 70 governs the wiring behind that cover; the inspector reports what is visible. Stop condition: any doubt about the panel goes to a licensed electrician.

Closeout items: report, delivery, follow-up

Item 8: Write the report the same day. Findings get a location, a description, and a recommendation to consult a qualified specialist, not a repair instruction. Structural, electrical and environmental calls belong to a licensed professional engineer, a licensed electrician, or a certified industrial hygienist. Record: the report file and the timestamp on it.

Item 9: Deliver through one channel and log it. Deliver the report through the same channel every time, and log the delivery timestamp. If the client calls with a question, the answer goes in writing as an addendum so the file stays complete. Stop condition: no timestamp, no closed file.

Item 10: Templatize the report software. Spectora, HomeGauge, and ISN are the common picks for small firms. Plans typically run $100 to $200 per inspector per month as of 2026; volume, payment processing, and scheduling add-ons drive the spread. Load your Standards of Practice into the template so the prompts match the SOP.

Item 11: Track three numbers monthly. Jobs completed, average report turnaround in hours, and callback rate. A rising callback rate points at a step in the on site block, not at the inspector's attitude.

Safety and records, item by item

Item 12: Run a hazard program. OSHA's safety management guidance describes a program that finds and fixes hazards before an injury or an inspection does. For an inspection company that means ladder condition, attic and crawlspace entry, electrical panel handling, and heat stress in summer attics.

A typical SOP names a fiberglass step ladder rated Type IA at 300 pounds, a half-face respirator for crawlspace work, and a GFCI tester. The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool app gives the day's heat index.

Item 13: Close the books per job. The IRS page on what records to keep covers the documents behind purchases, sales, payroll and assets. Keep inspection agreements, payment records, and mileage logs in one place per job. Mileage logs follow the IRS standard rate, 70 cents a mile for business driving in 2025. The folder closes when the report timestamp lands.

Worked example: a missed crawlspace

An inspector skips the crawlspace because the access hatch is blocked by stored boxes, and writes "not inspected" without noting why. Six weeks later the buyer finds standing water and a rotten joist. The company has no photo, no note about the blocked access, and no record that the client was told.

The fix is one line in the SOP: if access is blocked, photograph the blockage, note it in the report, and offer a return visit at a stated fee. That single step converts a dispute into a documented limitation.

Common questions

What belongs in a daily SOP that a checklist does not cover?

A checklist lists steps. An SOP says who performs each step, what record it produces, and when to stop and escalate. The stop condition is the part that saves money.

How often should the SOP be reviewed?

Review it when a callback, a complaint, or a new service line appears, and at least once a year. Each review should name the person who owns the change and the date it takes effect.

Does a small inspection company need a written SOP?

Yes, because the second inspector is where verbal habits break down. A written SOP is also the training document for a new hire and the basis for your inspection business plan when you seek a loan or add a partner.

What should the SOP never do?

It should never tell an inspector to certify a home's condition or to give a repair instruction outside their license. Route those questions to the state board, a licensed engineer, or a certified industrial hygienist.