Once you open an inspection from your dashboard, you are in the form. This guide explains how the form is organized, how to move through it, how to add repeating items like windows, and how the app saves your work.
How Forms Are Organized
Every inspection form has three levels:
| Level | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Section | The top-level chapters of the inspection (for example, "General Info" or "Building Envelope"). |
| Group | A related bundle of fields within a section. Groups can often be collapsed to reduce scrolling. |
| Field | The individual question — a text input, a dropdown, a number, a date, a yes/no switch, a photo attachment, and so on. |
Choosing Your View
The app gives you three different ways to view a form. Your choice is a personal preference — pick whichever feels most natural for how you like to work.
| View | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Tabbed | Sections appear as tabs across the top. Tap a tab to jump to that section. Best for inspectors who like to bounce between sections as they gather information. |
| Accordion | Sections are stacked vertically. Tap a section header to expand it; only one is open at a time. This is the default. Best for working through a form start to finish. |
| Grid | Sections appear as a grid of cards. Tap a card to open that section in full-screen. Best on small devices where you want maximum focus on one section at a time. |
Change your view in Settings > Inspection View. You can switch any time — your in-progress work is not affected.
Field Types You Will See
Forms use several different field types, each designed for the kind of data you are entering.
| Field Type | How to Use It |
|---|---|
| Text | Tap to open the keyboard and type. Used for names, free-form notes, and similar. |
| Numeric | Tap to open a number keypad. Only digits (and a decimal point, where appropriate) are accepted. |
| Date | Tap to open a date picker. |
| Dropdown | Tap to see a list of valid choices. Pick one. |
| Yes / No | A toggle or pair of buttons. Tap to switch between values. |
| Radio | A row of mutually exclusive options. Tap the one that applies. |
| Read-only | A pre-filled value from the house plan or the project record. These are there for your reference and cannot be edited in the app. |
| Photo | An + Add Photo button lets you capture or select an image. See Taking and Attaching Photos. |
Required Fields and Validation
Fields that are required show an asterisk (*) in the label. If you try to submit an inspection with required fields empty, the app stops you and scrolls the form to the first problem.
Invalid fields are highlighted in red, and a short message above or below the field explains what is wrong — for example, "This field is required" or "Enter a number between 0 and 100." Fix the field and the error clears automatically.
Tip: You can fill out fields in any order. Validation only runs when you try to submit, so there is no pressure to fix red fields before moving on.
Values That Come Pre-Filled
Some fields arrive with values already in them. These will come from the projected model in RATER
When you edit a pre-filled value, your change is tracked separately from the original. The original is preserved on the server, and your change is what gets submitted as an update.
Repeating Items (Windows, Equipment, and More)
Some things in an inspection can appear any number of times — windows, HVAC equipment, water heaters, and so on. These are called indexed sections or groups. Each item gets its own numbered block with its own set of fields.
To add an item: Scroll to the bottom of the group and tap the + Add button (for example, + Add Window). A new block appears for you to fill in.
To remove an item: Tap the X icon next to the item you want to remove. The app confirms before deleting.
Minimum counts: Some groups require at least one item. If you try to remove the last one, the app will not let you — you need to keep at least the minimum number.
Tip: Each added item is a full copy of the field set, not a reference to an earlier item. Editing window #2 does not change window #1 — they are independent.
Saving Your Work
You do not need to save manually. As you type, toggle, or pick values, the app saves your changes to your device automatically. This is true whether you are online or offline.
What this means in practice:
• Closing the app mid-inspection is safe. Your in-progress answers will be there when you reopen it.
• Losing connection mid-inspection is safe. Auto-save writes to the local device, not to the server.
• Switching between inspections is safe. Each inspection’s in-progress state is stored separately.
Auto-save is not the same as submission. Your answers live on your device until you tap Submit at the end of the form. See Completing an Inspection.
Navigating Efficiently
| # | Tip |
|---|---|
| 1 | Collapse groups you are not working in. In Accordion and Tabbed views, collapsed groups reduce scrolling and help you focus. |
| 2 | Jump between sections using the tabs (Tabbed view) or section headers (Accordion view). You do not have to fill out sections in order. |
| 3 | Take photos as you go for the field you are on, rather than batching them at the end. The photo is attached to the specific field you are viewing when you tap + Add Photo. |
| 4 | Skip and come back. If you are waiting on information for a field, move on. Nothing prevents you from returning to it later — and auto-save keeps your partial progress safe. |
| 5 | Review before submitting. When you reach the submit step, download the summary report to your device to make sure everything looks as it should. It is faster to catch a missed field yourself than to wait for the validation to flag it. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I cannot edit a field that shows a value. Why?
A: Some fields are read-only — they reflect information from the house plan or the project record and are not meant to be changed in the app. If you believe a read-only value is wrong, the fix belongs in RATER or with your dispatcher.
Q: I switched from Accordion view to Tabbed view halfway through an inspection. Did I lose anything?
A: No. The view setting only changes how the form is displayed. All of your answers are preserved.
Q: I added a window by accident. How do I remove it?
A: Tap the X icon next to the window you added and confirm when prompted. If the group has a minimum item count and removing would drop below it, the app will not allow the removal.
Q: Some groups are collapsed when I open the form. Is that intentional?
A: Yes. Groups start collapsed when they are optional, lengthy, or infrequently used. Tap the group header to expand. Your answers inside are preserved either way.
Q: I closed the app after typing for an hour. When I reopened, everything was there. Is that normal?
A: Yes. The app auto-saves continuously to your device, so closing the app (accidentally or on purpose) does not lose work.
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