There are two ways to add observations and notes to inspection photos. Manage Gallery (multiple photos at once) & Observations (one photo at a time). In this guide, we will cover how to add notes to one photo at a time using Observations.

Click here to view our guide to adding observations to multiple photos at once using Manage Gallery.

Use the Observation section when you want to add notes to one inspection photo at a time. This is helpful for specific, detailed comments for an observation.

Tip: When starting an inspection, use the Manage Gallery feature to quickly organize your photos by zone by completing the S, C, and M only. You do not need to add the observation notes right away.

Select Photo

Attach Section

Add Observation

Select Determination (roof Only)

Below are detailed steps to add observations to one photos at atime

Select “Observation”

Select photo for observation

The first photo will appear. You can jump around your collection of photos using the toolbar above the window. Note: this is where you can also edit the image to add arrows to the picture.

Attach section

Select the S, C, M

S = Section. What zone are we looking at?

C = Component. What roofing component are we looking at?

M = Material. What material is the roofing component made of?

We recommend that you do not add specific notes to the S, C, and M sections (example: setting M to “Damaged Composition Shingles”). Instead, add any specifics to the Observation Entry.

Adding new S, C, Ms

If you can’t find the proper S, C, or M for your photo, you can always create a new one using the green plus arrow to the right of the form.

Click the button and type in the description (make sure there are no spelling errors and we recommend capitalizing the first letter of each word). Click add to save it to the database and then go back to the menu to find the new item you created.

Add the observation notes

There are four sections for observation notes. You are not required to complete all 4.

Adding observations to summary

You can create a summary page for your clients so they easily understand the condition of their roof. You can do this for both individual and grouped observations.

To add to the summary, click the check box next to observation. A window will pop up asking you to summarize the condition or cause of the observations for the photo(s)

After adding the observation to the summary you can view what it looks like with the Preview Report feature. Here is an example:

Showing remedy in the estimate

You can quickly build proposals for clients by filling out the recommended repairs to remedy the damage. If you select the “show remedy in the estimate” then it will create a line item in the Proposals tab.

To view the remedy and finalize the estimate, go to the Proposal tab located on the left-hand menu and then select the edit icon for the appropriate remedy.

After adjusting the details within the quote, click update and you can review the pricing changes on the menu.

Quotes will generate a proposal which will be added to the inspection report by default (to hide click the green check under show report). Here is an example of what the end proposal will look like.

Selecting the Determination (Roof zone only)

The determination section will only appear if you are adding observations to photo(s) that were marked as roof in the Attach Section

There are 3 types of determinations

Roof Repair Required for Certification

Roof Replacement Required for Certification

Not Required

If the client is not requesting a LeakFREE^® roof certification or if you are not interested in being liable for a LeakFREE^® certification select “Not Required”

Select “Add” to save

Bonus: Saving observations to the library

The observation library is a tool to help you complete inspection reports faster over time. The NRCIA will update the standard library, but you are also able to create and save your own templates.

Note: the library saves and pulls up conditions based on how you set S, C, and M in the Attach Section

Using the library

To add in a saved condition, simply click the condition you want to use. You can adjust any of the notes after adding the condition without affecting the saved condition.

Saving conditions to the library

You can save new observations to the library using the “Save to Library” button. Remember that saved observation conditions are based on the S, C, and M. It is also recommend to save generalized notes that can apply to multiple situations

Feeling overwhelmed by the options and choices? Contact support@nrcia.org to setup a workshop for 1-to-1 help!