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Best software for doing inspections with an iPad?

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gringogigante

Sophomore Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Professional Status
Certified Residential Appraiser
State
Texas
I'm on ACI right now. I use it because I always have and its cheaper. It's also very glitchy, and I can't find a wait to use their software on my ipad to do a field inspection. I have to write everything on paper and then redo it on the computer. What's the best way to go paperless and do field work on an ipad?
 
Try inspect a lot which works with clickforms or SFREP....or total mobile. You can probably find something less glitchy than ACI for sure.
 
Thank you. I noticed that this software measures everything rounded off to the foot..... is that a software requirement? I like to be more accurate than that.
 
Total mobile has been my choice since its earliest versions. As far as rounding, that's generally a user selectable item. Check "settings" or "preferences" something like that
 

I"m assuming that you're asking why I'd like to be more accurate than that.....? If so, the answer is because specificity of data is important for creating a credible report. It's also more accurate. It's also lazy not to in the current times of laser measuring. It's also stated in the ANSI standards adopted by virtually every state board of real estate (including Connecticut) to measure to "the nearest inch or tenth of a foot." It also tells every other appraiser reviewing my work that I care about details and accuracy.
 
As far as sketching the floorplan: Pencil and paper is the best for me. I have tried Ipad + Total, ... Haven't tried ClickForms. The problem is that you have to piece everything together perfectly from scratch with those IPads - this wall 20'10" followed by that wall 4'10", out 18" chimney, across 3'6", back 18", then another 5'2", then right corner 15'8", obstruction - maybe 6'4", another 10'4", and so on until you get to the point were the lines should match and they don't and then you have to backtrack to figure out where you went wrong. Not nice. Scratchpad - I first do a rough sketch of the exterior and then go around and write down all measurements. I add up front widths and back widths to make sure they match and then side widths. Then I go inside, and write a rough layout of the interior based on the exterior. Try to zap the laser from one end of a far wall through to another front to back, side to side - if I have the openings to allow that, otherwise to the walls. Take down the exterior and interior wall thickness - as well as the one to the interior vs garage. Then I break out most rooms, especially complex ones, to separate sheets and go in and measure them, with a lot of attention to hallways. Pictures for everything every angle for reference. Make sure to measure depth of countertops. Also forgot to mention outside --- get the offsets for windows and doors. Get back to the office, bring up Chief Architect's Home Designer Pro and do a rough layout of each floor then click on the walls and type in the measurements - they all adjust automatically. I can immediately reconcile interior and exterior measurements. IF I made a mistake, which happens, I have long since learned how to make a few back-up measurements to reconcile any such problems - especially if I have those photos to reference.

Very flexible, very accurate. And, I can do those very difficult 100+ year old San Francisco Victorian triplexes.

But, I would also keep track of Matterport's progress. I have yet to see any Victorian triplexes they have done. But I'm guessing the stitching for these must take a long time (2 days?).

As for the other data, Total works pretty good. It saves some time, if everything is set up correctly. But paper and pencil is more secure ... for what it is worth.
 
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I'm on ACI right now. I use it because I always have and its cheaper. It's also very glitchy, and I can't find a wait to use their software on my ipad to do a field inspection. I have to write everything on paper and then redo it on the computer. What's the best way to go paperless and do field work on an ipad?
I use total mobile on an iPad Pro. It’s a real time saver, click on the room name in the sketch and it labels the photo for you, dictate the additional features and condition fields, input the materials, and if you make a mistake measuring you’ll know before you leave the property.

When you get back to the office and import the data it’s a quick 5 minutes to clean everything up and then you are on to the market analysis.

If you like to dictate (I do and saves me time) the iPad Pro dictation works without an internet connection.
 
I don’t use ACI. But have you tried loading it on a Windows tablet? Maybe a Surface Go.
 
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