Recent changes to Wisconsin home inspection standards require specific modifiers to be used on the summary page. This has made many of the home inspection report-writing systems obsolete in Wisconsin as they cannot comply with this standard. Here is the law.
The good news? We’re happy to report that ScribeWare is one of the only report-writing solutions that provides a fully compliant template from the start!
Changes to your inspection report writing
The new law, in part, outlines the defect modifiers and summary text requirements that every home inspection report must fulfill. Section 440.975 Standards of Practice states, in part, that reports must:
1. Include a summary page that includes at least all of the following:
a. A list of conditions, labeled as defects, that are observed under par. (cm) to be defects, as defined in s. 440.97 (2m).
b. Other than items labeled as defects, a listing of components needing repairs, components needing further evaluation, items to monitor, and maintenance items.
2. The summary page shall include references to the page, heading, or item number in the detailed account for further information.
3. The summary page shall include all of the following statements:
NOTE: This summary page is provided for convenience and is not a substitute for reading the entire report and should not be relied upon as the complete list for the client’s reference.
For the purposes of the report, “defect,” as defined in section 440.97 (2m), Wis. Stats., means a condition of any component of an improvement that a home inspector determines, on the basis of the home inspector’s judgment on the day of an inspection, would significantly impair the health or safety of occupants of a property or that, if not repaired, removed, or replaced, would significantly shorten or adversely affect the expected normal life of the component of the improvement. The contract of sale may define “defect” to also include a condition that would have a significant adverse effect on the value of the property, but such a condition may not be labeled a defect in the report unless it meets the definition in section 440.97 (2m), Wis. Stats.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/440.975
The ScribeWare solution
At ScribeWare, we support unlimited modifiers that each home inspector can easily customize to meet these requirements. We also ship ScribeWare with a Wisconsin-compliant template (when you download ScribeWare, follow the questionnaire and choose Wisconsin Home Inspector to get it loaded).
We currently have experienced inspectors doing fantastic Wisconsin-compliant home inspections that they have customized themselves as well. For example, check out this Sample Wisconsin-Compliant Inspection Report!
How Do I Get Started?
The primary account in Scribeware should be set up on a computer of some type – Mac or PC. This is where templates and libraries can be customized, you enter all your business information, and your account can be paid for and managed.
The desktop version is available as a free download from our website: https://scribeware.com/download. Make sure to select that you are from Wisconsin during your initial questionnaire.
Mobile versions are linked by using the same email address and can be downloaded for free from the Android and Apple App Stores.
How do I get a Wisconsin Compliant ScribeWare Template?
There are several ways to get going:
- ScribeWare has customized its check box template to comply with state standards. When you download ScribeWare, follow the questionnaire and choose Wisconsin Home Inspector.
- If you prefer the look of the Wisconsin-compliant sample inspection report provided by Chris Christafisi, you can reach out to him here. His template is for sale and can be loaded for you.
- If you are coming from Spectora, HIP, InspectIt, or HomeGauge, we can import your existing template for you and you can then customize the summary page to meet Wisconsin standards (we’ll help!)
- If you want to build something from scratch or modify one of our other templates, you can do that too.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about customizing reports to meet state law!
