Florida Inspection Software

I’m new to the inspection world here in South Florida. I’m trying to find the best software for doing inspections here in South Florida, ie. Wind Mits, 4pts, Roof Certs. and of course home inspections.

I would like something that I could do on a ipad, android tablet or my Surface Pro 3

Hope I posted in the right place.

Jared

I’ve been using Home Inspector Pro. HIP for short. They have a mobile and desktop version. Also a separate Wind Mit app for your ipad or phone. As far as I know, they are the only ones that are apple friendly. Best customer service in the world and very customizable. They have a full feature trial version that you can use, which is what I’ve been doing, and I love it! I will be purchasing when my trial runs out. Give it a try, can’t go wrong. All others should have a free trial as well, so try them all and see what works best for you, but that’s my suggestion.

Here you go…
This Tower Hill 4-P is acceptable with all but Citizens.
I have the Citizens but I’ll send that to you later.

http://www.pdfill.com/ Make your own forms. Make your own 4 point and it will also be accepted by everyone as long as you photograph everything you inspect. Do not fall for the citizens 4 point is the only good one to do. Waste of time and money unless your clients are willing to pay more for it like mine do.

:)Ditto:)

The problem with most software is they are not keeping up with all the insurance forms. Buy any software you like but you will still need something else for Roof Certs, State Farm , Citizens 4 Point etc. If I can make my own why can’t the rest make it in one application?

Some of us can! :wink:

Your first sentence is why everyone should at least try to write their own program. At least you will have a greater appreciation for those that produce inspection software and also realize the limitations of it.

Everyone wants a plug and play, one step solution and at this time, it just can’t be done.

To the original poster, as has been said here many times, download as many programs as you can and find the one that works best for your style of inspecting.

I can too. Have learned how so my point is if an inspector can make his own should we not expect a little more from a software that claims to be the best? I mean if your the best then you should have everything and I could inspect and leave the development to the pros.

You can take insurance forms and make them fillable with Lifecycle, but to take time even if you had the skills to make your own comprehensive reporting software is a waste of time when HIP will give you a $100 discount because you are a member of NACHI.Why reinvent the wheel?
I took that Tower Hill 4-P and make it fillable.

No, and here is why. When I was doing either the wind mit form or the 4-point, I don’t remember which, I thought to myself, this will be great. I can sell these and everyone will be able to use them! I talked to a few others who were doing it and realized, that although I can design a program that “I” can use, not everyone will be able to…for different reasons.

It is why all of the inspection software has so many options. Each inspector has a different report writing style and the software has to be adjustable enough to allow for that. Which is somewhat ironic in the fact that everyone who uses one type of inspection software, produces what is basically, the same report.

You can take insurance forms and make them fillable with Lifecycle, but to take time even if you had the skills** to make your own comprehensive reporting software is a waste of time when HIP will give you a $100 discount because you are a member of NACHI.Why reinvent the wheel?**
I took that Tower Hill 4-P and make it fillable.

From Florida Inspection Software - InterNACHI Inspection Forum http://www.nachi.org/forum/f73/florida-inspection-software-92010/#post1196587#ixzz34WDEiKjK

Some of us have been doing that for nearly 20 years or more. I wrote my first inspection software program in 1996. What I have now is so far superior to the other programs, it would be foolish for me to even bother with them.

I have, in the past, downloaded other programs, but then you have to customize those, which in some instances can take a great deal of time, and as has been the case, they still do not do everything you want them to do.

It took me a week to design, test, and perfect the latest version of my program. I can do a 4-point, wind mit, roof cert., and home inspection all at the same time. It also only takes 15-20 minutes to finalize the report, which if need be, can be done onsite.

Eric
You are the exception not the rule.
However, The software is a write off anyway.

Actually, there are quite a few, especially the “old timers” who still use their own software. :wink: Some do it because they don’t want to change, others, because it does everything they want software to do which the commercial software doesn’t.

You still have to pay for it don’t you? :mrgreen:

I’m an Ol Timer and used my Word matrix for umpteen years and as of this past December got HIP and I like it alot.

Word isn’t the best software to use for home inspection reports, in my opinion. I never got it to work the way I wanted. Publisher, Excel, and Open Office, if you are going to use office suite type programs are far easier and better. If OpenOffice wasn’t so buggy, it is the best of the bunch.

Publisher is good as all of the pages are “static” if you want them to be. You can also get very particular when it comes to designing graphics. Excel is good but hard to set up. If I remember correctly, I had ten different tabs for each workbook. OO is a good combination of word and excel which allows you to do many things with tables and also keeps the pages static, to a point.

Way back when, I used PageMaker to design my forms as that is what the print shops were using at the time. Those were in the pre-printed form days…which thankfully, didn’t last long! I also did my business cards in that program. I remember taking the floppy disc down to the print shop, they inserted it and clicked print. Instant business cards! I also did my brochures as well.
I still use that program for the business cards and just print them out here! :smiley:

Thanks, much appreciated!!

Thanks for all the information everyone. Going to get ahold of HIP people and request a demo.

Any other input will be greatly appreciated.

DL it here.