Common area site inspection report, October 2026, Wexcombe Residences
Site inspection report template with condition ratings and a photo log
A site inspection report has to record what was looked at, what condition it was in, the evidence for that, and who will fix what by when. This four page report by a building manager rates 16 common area items on a four point scale, ties each to its photos, and turns the four poor or unsafe items into six dated defects.
The document, page by page
Every page as it renders and as it prints, with nothing summarised. Read the wording before you reuse it.
Section by section
What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.
- Inspection details
- Property, date and time, inspector, reference and the committee the report goes to.
- Scope and headline figures
- Areas covered and excluded, weather, and counts of items, ratings and defects.
- 1. Rating scale
- Four ratings from Good to Unsafe with the response time each sets.
- 2. Items inspected
- Sixteen items by area with rating, note and photo references.
- 3. Photo log
- The photos that show a defect, with location and what each shows.
- 4. Defects and follow up
- Six defects with priority, action, contractor and due date, and the pool closure notice.
- 5. Since the last inspection
- Status of last quarter's defects, the next date, and the inspector's signature.
How to adapt this document
First, for a construction site visit rather than a finished building, replace the areas with work zones and add columns for the trade responsible and whether the work matches the drawings, keeping the rating scale. Second, for a rental property inspection at the start or end of a lease, rate each room instead of common areas and have both parties sign, because the report becomes evidence about the bond. Third, if you inspect monthly, drop the photo log and keep only the defects table, carrying open items forward until they close.
What makes this document work
The rating scale sets the response time
Each rating carries its own deadline: Poor means repair within 7 days, Unsafe means make safe the same day and repair within 24 hours. So when the pool gate and the stairwell light are rated 4 Unsafe, nobody has to argue about how fast to move.
Every finding points to its evidence
The items table gives photo references for all 16 items, and the photo log describes the ones that matter, such as P11 and P12 showing the bay 31 slab with a ruler on the 20 mm lip. A contractor can quote from the photo before visiting.
It closes the loop on last quarter
Section 5 reports that six of seven July defects are closed and the seventh, the level 2 carpet, is now quoted. It also notes the two urgent defects are new and adds a monthly test of both, which is how an inspection regime improves itself.
Questions people ask
How often should common areas be inspected?
Quarterly walk throughs are common for apartment buildings, with some items checked more often: fire doors, exit lights and pool gates are often tested monthly, and fire equipment on the schedule set by the relevant standard. The owners or their manager set the frequency, and local law may set minimums for fire safety and pools.
Should the inspector fix problems on the day?
Anything that could hurt someone should be made safe before the inspector leaves, even if the repair comes later. Here the pool was closed and its gate chained, the stair landing given a portable light, and the car park lip coned off. Making safe is a temporary control; the report still needs a dated repair.
How many photos should an inspection report include?
Take enough to show the condition of every item, and at least one close and one wide photo of each defect, with something for scale. Keep the full set in a dated folder and list only the defect photos in the report. A report full of embedded pictures is hard to read and slow to send.
Who should sign a site inspection report?
The person who did the inspection, confirming that the report records what they saw on that date. Here the building manager signs alone. Where a contractor or engineer inspects a specialist item, such as a lift or balustrade, they issue their own report or certificate, and this report refers to it rather than repeating it.
What is the difference between a site inspection and a building condition report?
A routine site inspection checks the day to day condition and safety of what people use, and turns faults into repairs. A building condition report is a deeper, less frequent assessment, usually by an engineer or surveyor, of structure, roofs, services and remaining life, often to plan long term maintenance funding.
Can residents see the inspection report?
That depends on the building's rules and who commissioned the report. Owners committees often share a summary, especially when an amenity such as the pool is closed. If the report is shared, remove anything personal, such as which apartment reported a problem, and keep the defect list and dates, which is what residents want to know.
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