What Is a Daily Report in the Construction Industry?

What Is a Daily Report in the Construction Industry?

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As someone in the construction industry, your foremost goals likely include keeping your employees safe and getting your job done right. To achieve these goals, it’s crucial to keep a daily construction report.

If you’re still keeping records with pen and paper, now is the time to transition to the digital sphere, which will make your life easier and your company more competitive.

Before we discuss the ways a daily construction report can transform your construction company’s day-to-day functioning, it’s important to define what a daily report actually is. Put simply, it’s a sheet that describes all the tasks your company is on schedule to complete that day and includes crucial information associated with your current job.

For example, your daily report will note whether it’s supposed to rain or if you need to order certain materials. With a daily report, you can track your progress and have detailed documentation in case anything goes wrong.

Here are a few things that could go on a daily report:

  • The weather forecast: Clouds, snow, rain, and thunderstorms will all impact the job in different ways—for instance, rain will make the ground wet, which could cause timeline delays or postponements.
  • Daily meetings: Logging meetings with vendors, colleagues, employees, and customers is a critical component of thorough recordkeeping. Including meetings in daily reports will ensure that everyone’s on the same page about what meetings are happening and when.
  • Visitors: In the construction industry, it’s vital to keep track of who comes to the job site and when—whether it be inspectors, customers, or third-party laborers.
  • Potential delays: From supply chain issues to site conditions, an array of unforeseen circumstances can impact timelines. If you’re anticipating any delays on the horizon, make a note of these in the daily report. 
  • Productivity: To ensure your team is working hard and performing well, you can use the daily report to keep track of employees’ collective and individual progress.

You’ll Stay Organized… Without the Paperwork

What’s more frustrating than having to hunt through hundreds of pieces of paper to find the document you need? Pretty much nothing. In addition to organizational challenges, the pitfalls associated with pen-and-paper records can include hard-to-read handwriting, version control issues, inability to access information remotely, and the potential for information to be lost due to everything from sprinkler system malfunctions to spilled coffee.

To stay organized without pesky paper, opt to move your daily construction report online and enjoy perks such as:

  • Convenience: With less time spent wrangling paper records, you’ll have more time to manage employees and projects on the job site.
  • Portability: As you move from job to job, your files come with you.
  • Speed: If a customer or colleague needs a certain piece of documentation, you can find it fast.

Being Thorough Is Easier With Automated Processes

Choosing to complete your daily construction report online means having the option to automate your data entry processes. Using smart technology to streamline the process will take the stress off you by removing the potential for error associated with manually entering information.

Stock and Maintenance Management Is Streamlined

Maintaining company vehicles, following device service schedules, and monitoring ever-fluctuating levels of materials can be a full-time job in itself. With online daily construction reports, you can have all your information in one spot, making it easier to determine when something needs to be serviced or purchased. You’ll never go to the job site unprepared, because with an online daily construction report, you’ll know what’s going on at all times.

Your daily construction report should log this maintenance-related information:

  • The frequency of oil changes
  • When brakes, fluids, and tire pressure were last checked
  • Which inspections are coming up, as well as when these were last performed
  • Any leaks or other issues observed
  • Records of prior ownership
  • When deliveries are arriving
  • When you last ordered certain materials

Safety Will Never Go Unchecked

With online daily construction reports, you’ll always know when your equipment needs to undergo maintenance, which will go a long way toward ensuring you have top-notch tools on your job site and eliminating the chance of on-site injuries or equipment failures. 

You can use the audit checklist component of your online daily report to monitor the following:

  • Equipment logistics: Log inspection information about heavy machinery. 
  • Health and personal safety: Note the location and availability of first-aid kits. 
  • Information about electrical wiring: Are the job site’s electrical fixtures in adherence with local guidelines? When were inspections completed? 
  • Fall-related safety measures: Did your crew members follow fall prevention guidelines?
  • Fire-related safety measures: Were fire hydrants and other fire-preventative items readily available?

You Can Keep a Tighter Budget

When you’re running a company, you don’t want to spend money frivolously, so adhering to a strict budget is important. It can be all too easy to deviate from your budget when you don’t have a record of how much things cost or when they were purchased, but an online daily construction report provides you with estimates, price quotes, and more. Plus, you can submit work orders straight from your report, so you’ll know how much things will cost before you call in the troops.

You Can Transition Old Forms Into an Online Format

If you’re used to pen-and-paper documentation, you may be hesitant to make the transition to the digital sphere because you don’t want to lose access to all the information you accumulated manually. Don’t fret if this sounds like you, because you can transfer all your paperwork from past years into your new digital system. Not only will you not have to worry about losing anything, but your information will be on a secure online platform that’s much safer than your file cabinets.

Customer Support Will Always Be There for You

When you’re keeping manual records yourself, you don’t have anyone to call for assistance. This isn’t the case when you use online daily reports, because there is always a support team that can help you navigate challenges and provide answers to your questions.

Using an online daily construction report will help you keep track of logistics and simplify your day-to-day processes. If you’re interested in finding an online daily report program to streamline your business, you’re in luck: GoCanvas is committed to helping business owners digitalize their daily reports. Are you ready to transition to online daily reporting? GoCanvas is here to help you navigate this change. Start today and impact your business for the better. For more information, schedule time with a product expert.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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A Guide to Transforming Fleet Inspections with Digital Solutions

A Guide to Transforming Fleet Inspections with Digital Solutions

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Government-mandated vehicle inspections lack uniformity. The European Union (EU) has standards that apply to all countries, but every country can institute their own. Canadian inspection requirements are determined by province, and the United States has state and federal regulations. How does a fleet manager keep up?

Here are a few steps to make the task manageable.

Fleet inspections should be part of every maintenance program regardless of government regulations. Scheduling vehicle maintenance that complies with mandated inspections ensures:

  • Vehicle safety
  • Reduced maintenance costs
  • Extended vehicle life
  • Compliance

Incorporating software solutions into your inspection requirements, into a larger maintenance program eliminates duplicate efforts and frees technicians to address more immediate repairs.

Scheduled preventive maintenance checks reduce the chance of unexpected repairs or equipment breakdowns. They help protect a company’s assets and extend the life of a vehicle. Some insurance carriers require inspection and maintenance documentation before approving coverage.

Adding mandated inspection requirements to planned fleet maintenance checks reduces the risk of an out-of-compliance citation. If multiple jurisdictions are involved, the inspection efforts become more complex, increasing the risk of a requirement being overlooked.

Lists identify the items to be checked during an inspection or what functions to test as part of scheduled maintenance. Checklists ensure consistency. They can also create more work, especially if they are paper-based.

How costly are paper-based checklists? A box of paper containing ten reams has 5,000 pages.  The average paper usage per worker in the United States is 10,000 pages or two boxes of paper a year. While two boxes of paper may only average around $100, it’s the time lost in printing, copying, and distributing the paper-based checklists that impact the bottom line.

Someone has to update paper-based checklists. Without a version control system, it’s easy to use an out-of-compliance checklist, resulting in an out-of-compliance vehicle. The situation generates a snowball effect where costs grow because of fines, unscheduled repairs, and technician overtime.

Digitizing inspection checklists eliminates problems with version control. When forms are updated, they replace existing lists automatically. When employees access a checklist, the current version displays on their phone, tablet, or computer. The checklist is completed electronically and uploaded for back-end processing. Alternatively, completed digital forms could be forwarded to a manager or supervisor for review and approval before being uploaded. With e-signing capabilities, paperwork isn’t delayed, lost, or misplaced. The process from inspection to reporting becomes seamless.

Digitized data is easily transmitted to a central location where critical information on fleet inspections can be secured. The centralized data becomes a single source of truth for what is transpiring across a commercial fleet. Providing access to the same data throughout the enterprise can result in:

  • Faster routine maintenance
  • Responsive field support
  • Smoother workflows

Centralizing data means sharing data that establishes an informed workforce, empowered to make data-driven decisions.

Maintenance schedules with digital checklists should outline what checks to perform on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. When a van is scheduled for a six-month maintenance check, the technician can access the corresponding checklist. 

Mechanics can note areas on the digital form that may require additional checks. They can schedule repairs using an electronic form. Employees spend less time tracking down what needs to be done and more time doing it.

Systematic routine maintenance processes go a long way to extend a vehicle’s life. It minimizes wear and tear and can catch weaknesses that can be repaired before they become a problem. Even with the best maintenance programs, equipment can fail. With digital forms, the truck driver can submit a repair request and attach GPS coordinates for the maintenance crew. Drivers could even include photos of the damage so technicians can see what happened. 

Digital forms with well-designed workflows can keep a preventative maintenance program on track. Drivers can be notified of upcoming maintenance checks. Maintenance departments can communicate schedules to minimize operational disruptions. With a digital format, the information can be shared across the fleet. Data can be uploaded and made available to other solutions for tracking inventory or developing data-based insights.

Part of compliance is reporting. Digitizing information makes it easy to produce reports showing compliance with inspection standards. Electronic driving records ensure compliance without the hassles of managing reams of paper. Creating mobile applications that track driving hours can minimize the time a driver must spend documenting activities to remain in compliance.

Using digital resources, fleet managers can ensure compliance through checklists and consistent reporting.

  • With digital data, checklists can be uploaded and databases updated for faster reporting. Managers do not have to track down drivers or technicians to prepare compliance reports.
  • Digital forms ensure that the same data is collected every time. Data consistency means more reliable reporting and fewer follow-up requests.

With digitized data, compliance takes less time with fewer errors, resulting in more time for more customer-facing tasks.

Data collected through digital forms can provide insights into fleet operations. Historical data can identify vehicle-specific trends, reducing the likelihood of an in-field breakdown. Minimizing unplanned servicing can save between $488 and $760 a day in vehicle downtime.

Mobile forms allow drivers and technicians to submit data in real time. If approvals are required, digital form solutions like GoCanvas can capture signatures electronically for faster processing.  With these capabilities, fleet managers can make and approve adjustments in schedules or delivery times.

Using a solution such as GoCanvas allows fleet managers to build forms from a no-code platform. Through drag-and-drop capabilities and templates, individuals with little to no coding experience can create forms. Organizations can work on their digital transformations without adding to the workload of the IT department.

Given the flexibility of a GoCanvas platform, fleet departments can generate jurisdiction-specific checklists. Whether it is adding or subtracting items on a list, digital forms can be created in hours and modified in minutes. Fleet managers no longer need to wait months, if not years, for developers to deliver an electronic form that can only be updated by IT. 

When checklists become outdated, the out-of-compliance risk increases. Companies must depend on employees to remember what has changed until the form can be updated. Relying on human memory to recall undocumented changes in compliance regulations will ultimately lead to fines and other penalties.

With the right process and partner, fleet managers can ensure compliance, improve operations, and reduce employee friction. Talk to the experts at GoCanvas to learn how to transform your fleet inspection process.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Streamlining Construction Compliance: How to Stay Safe, Legal, and Sane

Streamlining Construction Compliance: How to Stay Safe, Legal, and Sane

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Jobsites are regulated by strict compliance requirements that can delay a construction project for longer than anticipated. Preventing delays means being proactive about compliance at both the state and federal levels. But how do you manage the numerous steps required to ensure a jobsite is compliant while reducing wasted time? 

Gone are the days of clipboards and pens. Using technology to replace dated manual processes is the most efficient way to overcome compliance challenges. The most effective construction projects use project management software to track and correct compliance issues in real-time. Moving to a digital process can streamline your compliance process and drastically increase the productivity of your project. 

Let’s look at 3 challenging steps in the compliance process that improves with a digital approach. 

1. Standardize Compliance Documentation

Subcontractors are responsible for ensuring compliance daily. They collect a lot of data from various areas of a jobsite with multiple forms. Common compliance processes can include incident reporting, safety checklists, property inspections, and quality control inspections. 

Manually creating or locating compliance forms makes it difficult to guarantee the right information is being collected on time. Construction management software allows you to easily create universal compliance documentation that can be utilized across departments.

Avoiding redundancies means making sure everyone is on the same page. When it comes to compliance, document standardization can mean the difference between a safe work environment and a life-threatening incident.

2. Track Compliance Audits & Checklists

Various team members are often responsible for completing compliance documentation in their respective departments. Audits may be performed daily, meaning countless data points are collected every week. 

For a general contractor or safety director, tracking down the progress of these audits manually can seem impossible. Digital checklist apps streamline this process by allowing team members across departments to perform audits, report incidents, document compliance with photos, and obtain important signatures with their mobile devices. 

Project managers can access all compliance documentation through the app and assess its completion in real-time. Compliance issues that affect the safety of workers need to be corrected immediately. 

The digital process prevents important compliance paperwork from being skipped.    

Once compliance documentation is complete, it needs to be aggregated and shared with key project stakeholders. This information is vital when assessing the level of compliance or submitting documentation that ends project delays.  

With a manual process, paperwork can be easily misplaced during a review. Delivering compliance documentation becomes laborious and time-consuming. 

Today, construction management apps centralize your documentation in a single location. Sharing reports with management or tracking compliance trends becomes an instantaneous process. 

Safety directors are also empowered to create custom reports with data from all compliance documentation for use in safety bulletins or compliance meetings. Construction management software speeds up the sharing of information and increases the integrity of the compliance process.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal regulator responsible for ensuring all workplaces are safe for workers. Their compliance standards are some of the most common on a jobsite. Construction projects are required to comply with OSHA regulations or risk long project delays and workplace accidents. 

Every year, OSHA releases a list of the ten most commonly cited compliance issues its compliance officers encounter during jobsite inspections. The list increases compliance transparency and makes safety directors aware of the most common infractions they should keep an eye out for.

As a construction management software provider, we’ve encountered every OSHA compliance issue and created numerous templates that make your job easier. 

GoCanvas is a project management tool that’s useful at any stage of a construction project. Stakeholders can create documents with ease, track their completion, and share them with anyone. 

GoCanvas also offers an analytics feature that pulls actionable insights from all the information found in your project management apps.

Take the next step in streamlining your compliance process by scheduling a GoCanvas demo. We guarantee the positive impact it’ll have on your organization.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Incident Reports: The Complete Guide

Incident Reports: The Complete Guide

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An incident report formally documents workplace accidents, events, or near misses. These reports are crucial for capturing the details of the events that occur in situations like damage to company property, personal injury, health and safety issues, security breaches, or personnel misconduct. Companies should file incident reports because they give clear documentation of any incidents that happen to occur in the workplace.

Incident reporting is designed to provide formal and written documentation to describe the causes of workplace accidents and incidents. The reports should detail actions taken at present to address the incident and the reports can serve as frameworks for preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future. 

Incident reports are much more than a record-keeping tool. Organizations, employees, management, and even authorities benefit from the information provided in incident reports. While these reports provide many valuable resources to an organization, here are the top three benefits of incident reporting while at work: 

When an accident or incident occurs in the workplace, it benefits a company to have the report filed in a timely manner, with accurate information. Reports should outline where things have gone wrong within the organization so that measures can be implemented to ensure these types of accidents or mishaps are avoided in the future. When a company takes incident reporting seriously, it sends a clear message that the organization prioritizes workplace safety and the business is accounting for all incidents and events, both big and small.

Companies utilize incident reports to notify team members of workplace hazards. Once a report is filed, company leadership teams can disseminate the reports to employees and review the reports in a group setting. A company-wide report review will make the entire team aware of the factors that contributed to an incident so that teams will be more likely to notice other lapses in safety and then report them before another incident occurs. 

The incident report provides clear and formal documentation of what went wrong and how companies can prevent similar damage from happening in the future. Incident reports show where there are gaps in an organization’s structures, methods, or processes. This knowledge enables management teams to create plans for improving company processes and for determining which policies and regulations are helping to create a safe workplace. 

Workplace incidents include a variety of events. While no incident will be the same, each one will cause disruption, create dangerous or harmful risks, and introduce negative impacts on the workplace and employees. 

Workplace incidents can be categorized according to their severity. Some incidents will result in significant injury or property damage, whereas other events will simply be considered close calls. While many types of incidents can happen, here are the most common types of incidents that occur in the workplace today:

Positive observations in incident reporting highlight the kind of behavior a company wants to encourage, and positive observations are the most common incidents among all workplaces. These observations validate a job well done and serve as concrete examples of how employees should conduct themselves in the workplace. Wearing helmets when required or showing a thorough knowledge of a fire escape plan are examples of positive observations. 

Positive observations serve not only as ideals, but they also help organizations prevent harmful incidents from happening. Leadership teams can solidify their company culture of safety and risk management by noting what a team is doing well and highlighting how the team is practicing safety at work.

Unsafe acts do not necessarily result in immediate danger or harm to property or personnel. However, unsafe acts are just that: unsafe. These incidents should be addressed, and plans should be put in place to reduce the number of these events. Shining a light on unsafe acts can help companies to draw attention to how teams can be more diligent about safety and how the team can work toward a safer workplace for all. 

A near miss refers to any situation where no one was harmed, but it was a close call. A near miss can shake up a team, especially if the risks or potential for injury were significant. Companies should take near misses seriously and they should use those events as educational opportunities to teach their teams the importance of workplace safety. 

If a team member gets injured on the job, but they don’t need to take time off work to recover, this is typically referred to as a minor injury incident. Medical care for a minor injury is usually administered on site so that the employee can immediately return to work.

A lost time accident means that an employee has been injured and requires time off for healing and medical care. Lost time incidents can vary in their severity; some will result in a mild injury such as a sprained ankle, but others can result in more severe injuries, like an amputation. Injuries sustained in a lost time accident will keep the employee out of work, which means the entire team will feel the weight of these incidents, both from an emotional and productivity standpoint. 

Unfortunately, death can occur in many high-risk workplaces. No company wants to face the reality of a fatality within their team, especially if the event occurs at work. After all reports are filed, company leaders should consider giving their teams time to grieve and approach moving forward with empathy and care. 

Workplace incident reports detail physical events that happen at work and affect an employee’s productivity. These incidents can include injuries and near misses as well as other accidents that negatively impact the employee and the company. Workplace reports also allow for an employee to voice concerns regarding safety, security, and conduct.

Accident or first aid reports are unique in that they can be filed by law enforcement and safety officers, as well as by members within an organization. First aid reports are used to document accidents that result in injury. 

Safety and Security reports document theft, loss, and other security breaches that occur on a property, and typically a company’s security team will file the safety and security report. The breaches included in these types of reports can be physical, like a break-in or theft, but they can also cover cybercrime and database breaches. 

Exposure incidents include situations where an eye, mouth, mucous membrane, or non-intact skin makes contact with blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM). A formal report must be filed when an exposure incident occurs, and the employer must refer the exposed employee to a licensed healthcare professional. 

Prompt incident reporting is crucial for accurate documentation. Studies show that witnesses tend to forget the details of an incident as time passes, especially if the event was traumatic. 

That’s why incident reports should be filed immediately. When witness interviews happen right away and incident reports are filed promptly, they are more likely to gather all the important and minute details that need to be included in the report.

Having timely and accurate reports is beneficial to the organization and its employees for several reasons. One benefit of prompt incident reporting is that insurance companies can start to address the claim. If an incident report is delayed in being filed, it is possible that the insurance company could raise premiums and it’s possible that federal penalties could apply if too much time passes between the incident and when the report is filed.

A benefit of accurate reporting is that it enables the company to better address the gaps in safety, which can help the company move forward with new implementations that prevent workplace harm. Additionally, incident reports can serve as important legal documents if the authorities need to become involved in the accident. Given all the benefits to prompt reporting, it is clear that immediately filing an incident report will result in better outcomes for everyone involved.

For an incident report to be effective, there is important information that is necessary to include that will make the report helpful and clear. Incident reports should be factual, thorough, and highly detailed, and they should include these items: 

  • Specific Details – specific details paint an accurate picture of what led up to an event, how the event took place, and what happened immediately afterward. 
  • Facts – incident reports should be factual and should not be charged with emotion or opinions. 
  • Affected Persons – every person that was involved in the incident should be documented, from witnesses to those injured or those causing damage.
  • Setting – the date, time, and location of the incident should always be included. 
  • Administered Treatments – if an injury occurs in the incident, the medical care provided should be recorded and the names of the persons who administered and received medical care should be documented. 
  • Damages – the report should note any damage to a company or personal property as well as injuries sustained. 
  • Supporting Evidence – the report should collect photographs and videos of the event or the scene of the event. If someone made a call connected to the event, like a call to management or to 911, that information should be included in the report. 
  • Signed Validation – signatures should be collected from those involved in the incident to confirm that everyone agrees upon what has been recorded. 

Once an incident report is filled out, the process is not yet complete – the report should also be sent to the team that is responsible for handling the investigation. This team should have the skills to evaluate the evidence presented in your report, and they must understand workplace health and safety standards. 

The investigation team will review the report to determine the cause of the incident. They can then implement new policies and protocols to help prevent incidents from occurring in the future. A proper investigation will also ensure that the company is meeting federal requirements for workplace safety and the investigation can help determine the costs of property damage incurred during the incident.  

Incident reports might seem intimidating or even needless in some circumstances, but ultimately they are meant to keep companies and their team members safe. Timely and accurate incident reports will address the present hazards and will help organizations cultivate a workplace culture of safety by preventing future accidents from occurring. Knowing how, when, and why to file an incident report will help keep properties safe and productive, and employees will know their well-being is a top priority. Schedule a demo with an expert to see how you can use our incident report templates to keep your team safe.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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7 Immediate Steps to Take After an Injury

7 Immediate Steps to Take After an Injury

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Employee safety matters a great deal and the last thing anyone wants is to see a coworker hurt. However, the reality is an injury can happen to anyone at any time and without notice. The most important thing is to have a plan in place before an incident occurs. It should be easy for your team to follow your safety process. This way your organization can spring into action and help those who are hurt. It’s also important to ensure your organization is in compliance with federal safety regulations. We compiled a seven-step action plan to help get you started:

The first step when an injury happens in the workplace is to assist the injured employee and prioritize their immediate needs. You will want to ensure the employee receives the proper medical attention and you will need to determine what type of care is appropriate given the severity of the incident.

Minor injuries like a cut or a sprain may not require medical assistance, whereas more severe injuries may require you to call for an ambulance or provide transportation to a licensed medical professional. You can either consult the medical provider designated by your workers’ compensation carrier, or you can bring the employee to an urgent care facility nearby.

Once you have attended to the immediate needs of your employee, the next step will be to contact your management team to communicate that the incident has happened and communicate the pertinent details.

You will want to make note of the location, the people that were involved, the injuries sustained, and the medical treatment that has been administered. Communicating this information to your management team allows them to then notify other team members that need to know, and it allows them to take the proper steps for ensuring team safety going forward.

Once an employee is on their way to receive medical treatment for injuries, you should secure the scene of the incident as quickly as possible. Blocking access to the location of the event ensures the safety of your other employees and prevents a repeat incident from occurring.

Securing the scene of an accident is crucial for both safety and reporting purposes. By limiting access to the area of the incident, you will preserve the scene and this will allow you to have more accurate and thorough incident reporting. With less people on location,  you have a greater chance that the scene is left untouched, and this can give you a more accurate picture of the events that contributed to the incident.

Beyond ensuring individual employee and total team safety, completing an incident report is one of the most critical steps to take after someone has sustained an injury at work.

OSHA requires employers to keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses using their formal documentation. You should complete and file the incident report within 24 hours of the accident. Gathering witness testimony within a day of the accident can help improve the accuracy of the testimony because the incident will still be fresh in the minds of your witnesses.

Additionally, prompt incident reporting produces better outcomes for both the employee and the company. It’s vital that you waste no time in completing the incident report so that insurance companies can quickly process the claims and your employees can receive the treatment they need.

Claims placed on hold because of delayed incident reports typically also cost more than claims that are reported promptly with the completed paperwork. Delayed claims can cost businesses thousands in increased premiums or penalties for late reporting.

After an accident happens at work, you will want to do everything you can to ensure it never happens again. Employers hold a unique position that allows them to influence their entire organization for the better and they can cultivate a culture of safety in the workplace by implementing safety protocols and safety education for all team members. 

Leadership teams can show employees that safety is paramount to the organization by prioritizing safety, providing education and training, and praising good safety practices. You can use the incident as a learning tool by asking yourself what could have been done to prevent the injury and by asking yourself how the response could have been more effective. By locating the gaps in workplace safety, you can implement changes to address those gaps and prevent other lapses in security and safety.

Including your employees in safety protocols will encourage them to take ownership of their safe conduct and you can provide incentives for following safety guidelines and for taking proactive steps to pursue safety at work. The bottom line is that when your employees are safe, they’re healthy, happy, and more productive.

Many workplace injuries result in time lost on the job. As an employee spends more time in recovery, the return to work can feel physically and emotionally daunting. To set your employee and the rest of the team up for success, establish a return-to-work program or plan.

If an employee has a long-term injury, you can set up a transitional or modified job so they can return to a work routine sooner rather than later. These transitional roles can be temporary and don’t necessarily need to be the same as before the injury occurred.

Providing a program like this enables workers to regain their footing as an employees while allowing them to maintain an income and continue their connection with the company.

At the end of the day, your employee is more than just a number. They are a vital part of your team and you want to communicate the value they hold on a personal level. 

A good employer should do more than take care of the logistics after an injury. They should also follow up with employees to ensure they are emotionally and physically healing. Using clear and compassionate communication with your employee can show them that you care and that you can work together to create a realistic plan of return.

This type of care demonstrates to the rest of your team that you value them, and it can help to improve your employee retention rate and worker satisfaction in the long run.

No employer wants to see one of their workers injured. But if it happens, you now have an action plan to follow for handling these incidents professionally and with care.

Quick responses, thorough reporting, and compassionate care will build your employer brand and create a company culture of safety that will benefit your entire team. Sign up for our free trial to get started today!

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Top 6 Forms Needed for the Construction Workplace

Top 6 Forms Needed for the Construction Workplace

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The construction industry involves a lot more than just building and repairing. It also requires a massive amount of paperwork like checklists, project workflow forms, dispatch forms, work order forms, and more.  

Unfortunately, in many cases, construction management companies still use paper forms which can lead to lost information, late reporting, and an inability to react to valuable information in real-time. 

At GoCanvas, our digital forms and apps are fully customizable, integrate with popular software, and help your business streamline essential functions and data collection efforts. Continue reading to learn about the top six forms needed for the construction workplace. 

If you’re in construction, then you know the importance of the daily field report. It is a detailed log that includes a variety of data, including contractor/employee details, project information, work orders, error reports, safety reports, and more. 

Our fully customizable daily field report digital forms allow project engineers, managers, and subcontractors to efficiently track job site data that can be immediately uploaded to the cloud via iPad, iPhone, Android, or Windows device. 

Popular features of the GoCanvas Daily Field Report mobile app include, but are not limited to: 

  • Fully customizable 
  • Signature and image capture
  • Calculations 
  • Reference data 
  • Dispatch data 
  • Submission editing and tracking 

Try GoCanvas Construction Daily Field Reports today for free. 

Contractors and subcontractors are not administrative workers by trade, but in many cases, they spend hours filling out work order forms. If you’re not thrilled about the thought of your contractor spending billable hours on administrative tasks, then implementing a digital work order form may be in your best interest. 

At GoCanvas, our digital work order forms help to capture customer data, work order details, signatures, and more into one app, thus eliminating workflow bottlenecks typically attributed to work order forms. 

Try our GoCanvas Work Order Template Forms today for free. 

Safety inspectors, safety managers, site inspectors, and general contractors alike rely on inspection forms to meet OSHA, health, and other safety requirements. With that in mind, customizable inspection forms can help streamline the process and provide your company with real-time data and insights. 

At GoCanvas, we offer a variety of digital inspection form templates, including: 

Filling out and calculating costs manually on an estimate form requires a lot of time and money, both of which you can’t afford to lose. Now, imagine if your company didn’t have to spend hours completing and uploading estimate forms. 

At GoCanvas, our digital estimate forms allow your employees to use a smartphone or tablet to: 

  • Automatically calculate job costs (i.e., materials, labor, parts, etc.)
  • Capture customer data, including signatures 
  • Show the financial breakdown of a job 
  • Easily upload the estimate to the cloud in real-time
  • Provide customers with a professional and accurate estimate 

Try GoCanvas Estimate Forms today for free. 

It is necessary to keep track of the hours a contractor, sub-contractor, trade specialist, etc. works, but it can be a headache. Generally, manual time cards are inefficient and result in many errors. 

At GoCanvas, our Construction Time Card Mobile App allows you to track employee hours in real-time via an in-app time clock, track multiple employees simultaneously, and quickly download completed time cards. Further, you can easily upload the completed timesheets to popular accounting apps like Quickbooks and others. 

Try GoCanvas Construction Time Card Mobile App today for free. 

In construction, safety is essential. Job safety analysis forms help improve occupational safety on the job site. If you manually collect job safety data, it can take a while to turn it into actionable insights. Digital job safety analysis forms facilitate fast, accurate, and up-to-date risk assessments. 

Our job safety analysis mobile app covers many areas of the construction industry like: 

  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) use, effectiveness, and availability 
  • Potential hazards on a construction site 
  • Safety and equipment training materials 

Try GoCanvas Construction Job Safety Analysis Apps today for free. 

Construction data collection software can help modernize your company by promoting timely scheduling, accurate estimates, safe work environments, improved productivity, and streamlined communication. We have countless construction templates and apps for mobile that can help take your business to the next level. Try GoCanvas data collection software today for free – no credit card required. 

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

3 Advantages of Automated Safety Reporting

3 Advantages of Automated Safety Reporting

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An unsafe workplace is not an option worth considering. However, creating a safe environment can be difficult and requires a lot of focus and attention to every detail as a simple oversight can lead to disastrous consequences. Although this may seem like a daunting task, you are not alone! Safety Professionals are finding ways to reduce time-consuming tasks, like data duplication with the help of automation and technology across the globe. This allows them to focus their time and energy on more important matters like proper safety gear and clear fire exits with the peace of mind that compliance and prevention records are all submitted, stored, and analyzed exactly how they want them to be.

As the safety industry continues to become more automated, it is important to understand how this might impact your business and how to stay ahead of industry trends. The movement toward paperless companies and automated systems is becoming more and more important. Recently, OSHA passed an electronic submission requirement for forms, like their OSHA 300  and OSHA 301 report. Automation is the future of the safety industry and is already drastically improving the way safety reporting is currently handled on the field now.

Here are three ways automating your safety reporting processes can improve your business:

Simple errors such as misplaced forms, messy handwriting, or incomplete submissions can result in significant penalties. By automating the way reports are completed, you’re able to streamline the way the forms are filled as each field tech is submitting the form through the same channel and including the same information. Automating this process ensures you’re receiving every submission and it is stored securely in the cloud where you can quickly search and access it as a pdf or CSV. you can automate your processes even further and have your data populate a backend system such as QuickBooks, Viewpoint, or Sage.

There are plenty of things that could affect the accuracy of the information reported. By eliminating manual data transfer and the potential for illegible handwriting, you decrease the possibilities for human error drastically. It doesn’t matter how many asterisks or underlines are used, forms still come back incomplete, and often, by the time the office gets it back, it is too late to fix. Automating these forms removes the headache of tracking down incomplete information and ensures top-quality information every time. Accurate reporting relies on having the best data possible. By improving the quality of the data you’re collecting, you can make the best decisions for your business.

Time and time again we talk to safety managers who are having difficulty tracing their progress quarter to quarter or even year over year. In the safety industry, being able to track where improvement is needed and what is working efficiently is important to the safety of every employee. Whether your company is interested in getting better visibility into employee behavioral reports or motor vehicle inspection data, it is important to be able to easily pull those reports. Manual reporting can be time-consuming and restricts the ability to pull or find this information easily and accurately.

Automating the way data is collected and where the information is sent allows businesses to make critical data-based decisions within minutes. Whether you’re interested in automating your paperwork to have an easily accessible electronic filing cabinet or if you’re looking to create custom safety dashboards data opens the doors to endless possibilities and is the driving force in creating strategic decisions.

Safety and compliance are important in every industry and business. You may see it as a chore or a necessary evil but we all know how crucial it is to protecting lives and keeping projects on track. Whether you are in construction or the food industry there are a variety of quality measures that need to be met to keep both front-line staff and customers safe on a day-to-day basis. Not meeting these requirements can result in massive fines resulting in the loss of exorbitant funds, or worse, injury to another person. Therefore, it is critical to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all reports.

Staying compliant doesn’t have to be difficult or time intensive. By automating the way forms like the OSHA 300, JSA/JHAs, equipment inspections, incident reports, and vehicle inspections are filed, you ensure all submissions can be found through a simple search and that all actionable can be dispatched in real-time. Don’t let simple filing errors or lost forms slow your business.

Compliance will always be a crucial part of any safety professional’s career. As the rules and regulations get more and more complicated, make it easier for your company to stay compliant and improve the data you’re collecting. Take your safety standards to the next level by creating real-time results and solutions with GoCanvas.

Now you can easily modernize the way you are capturing information on or off-site.  Whether you are looking to improve your data visibility or simply improve the safety culture on-site, we hope you’ll consider using GoCanvas as your data collection tool. Sign up for GoCanvas free and give our platform a try today!

Interested in learning more?

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Ultimate Guide to Handyman Estimate Templates

Ultimate Guide to Handyman Estimate Templates

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Whether you run a property management business or you’re just starting out as a self-employed handyman, nailing down your handyman prices based on the job is vital to your success. Here’s why. 

Suppose you price yourself too high, you’ll force potential clients to shop around for estimates from your competitors. On the other hand, if you price yourself too low, either you’ll raise questions about your experience or potential clients will conclude that there’s some sort of catch. 

That said, how do you find that sweet spot when pricing your handyman services? Well, continue reading this guide to find out all you should know about the handyman business, including how to price your jobs right. 

“Handyman” is an umbrella term for a wide range of jobs and people. A handyman need not necessarily be a man, women can also do the same tasks. We’ll use the term “handyman” in this guide to refer to the entire profession of people with different identities. 

So, what kind of services do handymen do? Some standard services include: 

  • Installation of kitchen cabinets 
  • Fixing kitchen sinks 
  • Finding and fixing leaky pipes 
  • Stair repair and maintenance 
  • Carpet removal and installation 
  • Bathroom repairs, improvements, and maintenance 
  • Basic carpentry tasks 
  • Attic insulation 
  • Outdoor repairs and installations such as siding repair, gutter maintenance, and fencing. 

Whereas this list is by no means exhaustive, it sets an excellent benchmark for what services a handyman should offer. 

A handyman estimate template is a blank copy of your estimate form, which you can fill out to create a comprehensive estimate after a consultation. These templates can be filled in Microsoft Word, PDFs, Google Docs, Google Sheet Spreadsheets, Excel, handyman estimate software, or even free quoting tools. 

You can try out the GoCanvas mobile app for an easy-to-use solution for creating and sending handyman estimates.

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handyman estimate template PDF view

It’s important that you present the prospective client with the estimate in good time. Ideally, you should furnish the prospective client with the estimate within 24-48 hours after meeting or consulting them. This demonstrates that you’re a professional and enthusiastic about the job. Additionally, some clients want things to move fast, so the first submission of the estimate could win the job. 

High-quality workmanship comes at a price. Property renovation and maintenance projects require a substantial amount of time and effort. It is for this reason that every project should begin with an accurate estimate. 

An accurate estimate allows you to properly budget for the job at hand, and avoid any rude surprises when it comes to the materials needed to complete the job and the completion timeline. If you don’t present the customer with an accurate estimate of the entire cost of the renovation or project, you may find yourself in a scenario where you’re significantly under-budgeted. This may mean that you may have to absorb the additional costs or find out where you can reduce costs as the project is progressing. When this happens, besides you jeopardizing the quality of the project, this may also impact your revenue negatively. 

Conversely, if your estimate is on the higher side, potential customers may opt to work with other handymen who offer the same quality of service at competitive prices. This will mean you’ll have fewer clients, and fewer clients mean lower revenue generation. 

There are three ways of creating a written handyman estimate, namely: 

  1. Using a mobile app or software: This is the fastest and easiest method. Creating an estimate using this method takes a few seconds, and you can usually send the estimate right from the app. 
  2. Using Excel: This is the oldest way of writing a handyman estimate. In case you only need to send one or two estimates, this is a simple and free way of sending an estimate.
  3. Word processor: Google Docs or Microsoft Word can also be used to write estimates. Any word processor can work. 

The details you include in your estimate are far more important than the method you use to write or deliver them. Whether you create fancy written estimates or hand-deliver them, the vital components are always the same. They include: 

  • Description of your work: Ensure that you are ultra-clear about what the estimate covers. In some instances, all you’ll need is a one-line text to describe the work, like “installation of kitchen cabinets.” In other instances, you may need to explain the project extensively. 
  • Price estimation: You can either itemize everything or quote it in one lump sum. 
  • Important disclaimers: There are projects that start out small and end up being much bigger. For instance, if you’re going to replace a damaged siding, you may never know what you will find behind the siding. Your estimate is your chance to manage your client’s expectations so that they aren’t met with additional price charges they didn’t see coming. 
  • Benefits of hiring you: Suppose a potential client is receiving multiple estimates, it’s prudent to find a way of differentiating yourself from your competition. Otherwise, all the customers will use when choosing a handyman is the price quoted. 
  • The details of your company (name, address, email, phone number) 
  • Customer details (name and address) 
  • The date the estimate was created 
  • Project description 
  • Estimated cost 
  • Important exclusions and disclaimers 
  • The expiration date of the estimate 
  • Terms of payment 
  • Acceptable payment methods 

Handyman services usually charge by the hour. However, you can choose to charge by the hour if you feel that it’s a task that you can estimate accurately. That said, it is advisable to set a minimum service charge. This can be something like installing a doorbell or changing a light switch. It’s completely up to you if you want to create a fixed price for small tasks such as these or if you want to set an hourly rate. 

Needless to say, the more complex and larger the job, the more you’ll charge per hour. On average, the hourly rate for handyman jobs usually ranges between $60-$65, but jobs that get complex or are part of a larger company can be priced up to $125 an hour. 

Another thing you should consider when you’re calculating the price in a handyman estimate is your supplies and materials. Most jobs will require that you come with specific supplies, all of which should be billed to your client. You should also factor in taxes in your pricing estimate. 

Given that most handyman jobs aren’t recurrent, it’s likely that you’ll be billing your client once. Keep track of all your expenses and add a markup to ensure that you’re attaining your profit margin. 

An estimate is a rough calculation of the cost of work needed to be done upon initial inspection. Upon a handyman getting into a project, it’s not uncommon that the scope of the work will get expanded. Whether it is due to hidden damages that weren’t assessed or complications during the project, your invoice at the completion may be different from your estimate. An invoice is a bill for the services once a customer hires you for a project. They typically contain itemized costs and terms of payment. 

There are many options for creating paper form estimates, including Excel, Word, and Google spreadsheets. Whereas these options are free to use, there are many hidden costs and risks involved when using them. These include: 

  • Human error: When using paper forms, you can mistype formulas or make other errors and not notice that the final calculation is wrong. 
  • Version control issues: It can be challenging to keep track of the latest version of a document, especially if you have multiple versions of the same document. 
  • Lost work: This usually happens accidentally when a computer crashes and the document isn’t saved, or similar cases. 

More and more companies are turning to digital forms to create estimates. Digitizing handyman estimates can bring a number of benefits to handyman businesses. Including: 

  • Secure cloud platform for estimates 
  • Automatic calculations 
  • Digital signatures 
  • Image capturing ability 
  • Availability of reference data 

Regardless of whether you’re repairing a drywall or installing a new ceiling, a handyman’s job is never finished. With the hectic schedule and the sheer range of services you may offer, a handyman estimating software can help you manage your inventory and eliminate the sleepless nights of handling endless amounts of paperwork. 

GoCanvas estimate software for handyman businesses can help convert your paper estimates into efficient digital forms. It simplifies the contract bidding process with its mobile estimating tools that are both easy-to-use and comprehensive. 

With our estimating software, you’ll be able to: 

  • Auto-populate data like prices and parts to minimize manual input and eliminate errors. 
  • Automatically calculate the cost of labor and materials. 
  • Store estimates in the cloud so that you can review and update them anytime, anywhere. 

Try out our handyman business estimate form mobile app for free.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Ultimate Guide to Roof Inspection Report Templates

Ultimate Guide to Roof Inspection Report Templates

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As a roofing contractor, your business has a long list of forms that need to be completed on the job. This includes things like routine inspections, roof reports for clients, safety forms for employees, and a multitude of other related forms like work orders and estimates. 

Instead of relying on paper forms, contractors are converting these processes into digital forms to help simplify workflows for everyone involved. This article covers an overview on roof inspection reports and links to the digital templates you can find provided by GoCanvas. Using our roof inspection report software, contractors can easily manage and share documents all from one centralized platform.

A roof report is a document that records the current condition of the structures and features of a roof. For example, a residential roof report would document the condition of a sloped roof or a flat roof for a homeowner, whereas a commercial roofing report would be created for the building owner of a commercial space.

In general, a roof report is designed to document findings from the inspection process that looks for any sort of structural damage, decay, or deterioration. The report summarizes everything the client or owner needs to know about the roof at that given point in time, so they can make appropriate repairs or plan for them in the future. 

With many different types of building structures and purposes, there are naturally many different types of roof reports. What to include in your roof inspection report will depend on many factors like the type of building, type of roof, client information, and more. 

Rather than starting from scratch when writing a roof report, contractors can leverage pre-built templates and simply customize the form with any additional fields needed. Here is one example of the types of information that can be included when writing a basic roof report:

  • Basic information – Includes things like the client name, location, report #, date of the report
  • Roof notes – Includes things like estimated roof age and life expectancy, general roof condition, photos captured, and general roof condition notes
  • Roof diagram – Documents the roof type, slopes, and other important elements or parts of the roof
  • Signatures – Sign off with the roof inspector’s signature is included to make it official

The roof report sent to the owner or client is often a summary of key findings from the roof inspection. So what is included in a full roof inspection form? According to InterNACHI standards, a roof inspection should cover:

  • The roof-covering materials;
  • The gutters;
  • The downspouts;
  • The vents, flashing, skylights, chimney, and other roof penetrations; and 
  • The general structure of the roof from the readily accessible panels, doors or stairs.

The roof inspection standards from InterNACHI also note that the inspector should describe 

the type of roof-covering materials and should report as in need of correction, such as observed indications of active roof leaks. Other standards note that the inspector is not required to:

  • Walk on any roof surface.
  • Predict the service life expectancy. 
  • Inspect underground downspout diverter drainage pipes. 
  • Remove snow, ice, debris or other conditions that prohibit the observation of the roof surfaces.
  • Move insulation. 
  • Inspect antennae, satellite dishes, lightning arresters, de-icing equipment, or similar attachments.
  • Walk on any roof areas that appear, in the inspector’s opinion, to be unsafe.
  • Walk on any roof areas if doing so might, in the inspector’s opinion, cause damage. 
  • Perform a water test.
  • Warrant or certify the roof.
  • Confirm proper fastening or installation of any roof-covering material.

With digital roofing report templates, employees in the field can fill out forms on a mobile device or tablet and have the information automatically sync back to the office for reporting. Roofers and roofing inspection companies can use roofing inspection management software from GoCanvas to help speed up the inspection and maintenance process. Here are some examples of roofing forms for contractors:

  • Roof Inspection Checklist – As part of any building inspection, use this detailed checklist template provided in this mobile app to inspect and detail the condition of the roof and lead to early detection of any roof problem or damage (roof leaks).
  • Roof Inspection Report – Provides a simple way for roof inspectors to track the results of their work and note any issues found during the inspection services. Once the roof inspection form template is complete, the roofing contractor can sign off on the results and have the homeowner or building owner sign off as well.
  • Roofing Certificate of Completion – Use this app as a contractor when documenting successful completion of roofing for a building. Workers in the roofing industry can use this roof installation and repair form to generate new work completion forms once a job has been completed without having to return to the roofing company office.

Beyond roof inspections and reports, there are many other related roofing forms that can be used on the job site. Here are some other examples of how roofing contractors are using GoCanvas to streamline their operations:

  • Work orders – Managing work is simplified when using software for generating work orders, dispatching the right workers, and tracking the status of work in progress. GoCanvas helps provide the tools to improve workflows between the field and office, with easy-to-use software for managing roofing work orders.
  • Estimates and Invoices –  Another opportunity to streamline work is by digitizing your roofing estimates and client invoices. GoCanvas enables you to provide a digital customer experience with PDF reports for estimates, and digital invoices that allow you to get paid faster. You can even sync GoCanvas with your accounting system to automate processes and you can also use our software to manage employee timesheets to track hours worked on client sites.
  • Safety and Meetings – Roofing work requires working at heights and contractors need to ensure property safety protocols are followed on the job. GoCanvas can also function as a safety management system, with forms specifically designed for roofing safety. Use GoCanvas to provide fall prevention safety meetings, ensure proper PPE with checklists, and enable employees on the job to perform self inspections with checklists for fall protection equipment.

Get started with a free trial of GoCanvas to see all of the roofing contractor forms we have to offer. To learn more about the benefits of digital forms for the roofing industry, hear from Texas State Builders in the video below to see how they leverage work process software.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Your Guide to Property Inspection Reports

Your Guide to Property Inspection Reports

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Inspections on commercial buildings are something that happens every day. In fact, there are many cases when a commercial inspection is required by law. It is essential to understand what an inspection is and why it is so important. This is particularly true for those in the construction industry, property management, and building owners. To make it all as straightforward as possible, it is good to start with the most basic elements and move forward from there. Continue reading this article for an overview on property inspections and how you can generate digital reports using GoCanvas forms.

Society has been conditioned to think of a property inspection as a certain thing from popular television shows on the cable channel HGTV. These shows make it abundantly clear that property inspections are performed all the time on residential properties before they are sold. However, those inspections are not exclusive just to residential properties. In reality, these inspections have to take place on commercial buildings as well. 

A few examples of commercial buildings include: 

  • Restaurants
  • Shopping centers
  • Cafes
  • Office buildings
  • Hotels

These buildings and many others all require inspections to be done on them regularly for the safety and protection of the people who come inside them. The government requires that these buildings be inspected during the construction process, but also after a certain number of years have passed since construction. 

There are many options for choosing who to go with when it comes to performing inspections on commercial buildings. Property managers/owners have to decide between these options based on what they can afford and what they feel makes the most sense for their particular needs at that time. Once again, there is not a “right” or “wrong” answer, there is simply the answers that work or don’t work for that particular individual. 

The most professional, and potentially most expensive, choice for getting a building inspection is someone who works as an architect or engineer. This individual has specialized knowledge of how a building should be inspected and what to look for. They have extensive training and schooling in the art of building construction, but this also means that they are a major asset to the property owner. Thus, it is not surprising that they are able to charge more for their services than some of the other options that we will discuss. You really get what you pay for when you opt for hiring an architect. They are bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table.

 

Those who still need to get a building inspected but don’t necessarily want to spend the kind of money necessary to hire an architect may consider opting for a commercial building inspector instead. These individuals may have experience inspecting both residential and commercial buildings, but you should take caution when hiring someone for this role. 

You need to research how extensive their experience is as it specifically relates to commercial buildings. You want to get someone who clearly knows what they are doing and can put their experience into action for you. If the extent of their experience largely lies in residential buildings, then it may be necessary to continue the search until you find someone who more specifically works in commercial properties. 

We have talked a lot about commercial property inspection reports, but we haven’t dove into the question about why these reports are so important. We should establish a baseline for why these reports matter. 

Totallendersolutions.com provides an excellent example and set of reasons why these inspection reports matter. Here is what they say: 

For some businesses, like restaurants, practically everything rides on their physical space. It’s therefore critical that borrowers have a clear, detailed picture of the property they’re looking to purchase. Commercial property inspections are the crucial first step in ensuring that the business acquires a property that is a good fit for the business, will hold its value, and above all else will be a safe place for employees and customers alike.

They make it clear that a business is looking for supreme value when it goes through the processes that it needs to in order to get an inspection report. The worst thing that could happen to a company that purchases a commercial building without an inspection is that it ends up with something that does not meet its needs and is challenging to offload. Imagine getting stuck with a building that no one else wants to purchase but that doesn’t suit your needs either. The suffering that you would have to go through as a result of this is almost too much for most people to bear. 

While working on getting your inspection report, you should think about the people who are compiling that report for you in the first place. Does it make sense to hire someone that has a vested interest in the property or in your business? Probably not. They may be too biased to give you the honest assessment of the property that you really need to make your decision. Thus, it is advisable to go with a third-party provider who has no connection to your business or to the property at all. When you find an inspector like that, you are all set. They won’t push you in one direction or another. Instead, they will offer their brutally honest assessment based on the facts presented to them. 

There are different property inspections that you should know about. Here are some of the common types of property inspections that exist for different purposes.

A myriad of construction inspections are necessary during the build phase of a new property. If something is first being constructed, the government will make people perform a number of inspections before it can be built. These include: 

  • Fire inspection
  • Plumbing inspection
  • Foundation inspection

These are just a few of the things that one will have to do as they work on a new building. If you have ever wondered why it can take a great deal of time for a brand-new building to go up, it often has something to do with the number of inspections that it must go through before it can be finalized. 

When property is switching hands from one party to another, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that the property is properly inspected as it is supposed to be before it switches hands. We live to think that everyone will be honest in their transactions, but we know that this is not necessarily the case. 

An inspection conducted during a real estate transaction is done to make sure that everything about the property is on the level when it moves from one person to another. This often means that the inspector will focus on specific line items that are often missed. Perhaps the property has not undergone an inspection since it was first constructed, and it may be overdue for a number of needed inspections. If that is the case, then your third-party property inspector can let you know what needs to be done, and they can often do the inspections themselves if you are willing to pay for that service. 

Property managers need to perform inspections on the properties that they have leased out to tenants when those tenants are ready to leave. The reason for this is because they need to ensure that their tenants have not done any damage to the property that could take away from its value. There is a reason why most property managers require new tenants to make a deposit when they first move into their property. They hold on to any portion of that deposit that is necessary to repair the elements of the apartment that are left in disrepair when the tenant leaves. 

A thorough inspection of the living space by the property manager can turn up any issues that the tenant left behind when they left the property. Any damages and their estimated cost of repair must then be reported to the tenant. 

Those who wish to purchase insurance on their personal home are likely able to do so without much paperwork or frustration. However, those who need to purchase insurance for a commercial property may have to put a little more effort into getting the help that they require. The reason for this is because they will need to get an insurance company out to them as soon as possible to inspect their property and let them know if there is anything special they need to do to fix the property before it becomes insurable. 

When you are the property owner in this situation, you are hoping that no issues crop up, but you cannot guarantee this until you take the time to get an insurance inspection done. 

There are many types of inspections that are necessary to take care of the general flow of business and life. Now that you know a little more about these inspections and how they work, you can better prepare yourself for the reality of what you will need to go through when you need to have one of these inspections performed.

GoCanvas provides all of the digital tools your business needs to perform inspections. By going digital with inspection forms, your business can streamline the inspection process and instantly share digital reports with key stakeholders. Sign up for a free trial to see our inspection forms in action or contact our team to learn more.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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