How to record a great audio comment for your home inspection report

Voice-first inspection software lets you speak your findings instead of typing them. But to get the best results, your audio comment needs just enough structure so the AI can do its job.

What the AI needs from your comment

When you record an audio comment, the AI has to do two things with it:

1. Match it to the right section and subsection in your template. If you say "cracked tile," the AI needs to figure out whether you are talking about a cracked tile on the Roof, or cracked floor tile in the Kitchen. Your words determine where the finding lands in the report.
2. Select the most relevant comment from that subsection's comment library. Once the AI knows the section and subsection, it scans the available comments for that subsection to find the best match. Be specific enough for the AI to know which comment to select.

Your job is to give the AI enough information to do both of those things without ambiguity. The good news is that it only takes a few extra words.

Every comment has 3 parts (always)

No matter what you are inspecting, structure every audio comment around three parts. Once this becomes habit, you will do it without thinking.

1. Defect + severity

Describe what the issue is and how serious it is. The severity hint is what helps the AI pick the right language from your comment library. Without it, the AI has to guess.

Take stucco cracks as an example. These are all different comments:

• "Hairline crack in stucco"
• "Moderate crack in stucco"
• "Step crack suggesting possible structural movement"

Or consider a ceiling stain. The severity completely changes the meaning:

• "Stain on ceiling" — vague, could match multiple comments
• "Dry stain, no active issue" — informational only
• "Stain with elevated moisture" — active leak, different comment
• "Stain with signs of fungi growth" — health concern, different section entirely

2. Section + subsection

Clearly state what you are talking about. The same defect on different subsections means completely different things and belongs in different sections of your template.

• "Cracked tile on the roof" — goes under Roof
• "Cracked tile on kitchen floor" — goes under Kitchen
• "Cracked tile in shower wall" — goes under Bathroom

Same defect, different subsections, different meaning. If you just say "cracked tile," the AI has to guess which section you mean. Adding the subsection removes the ambiguity.

3. Location

Add where it is physically. This will make your report even more actionable, and help you stand out further.

• "Rear elevation"
• "Left side of house"
• "Middle of living room"
• "Second floor bathroom"

Putting it all together

Here is what a complete audio comment sounds like when you combine all three parts:

Each one tells the AI the defect, the severity, the subsection, and the location. That is everything it needs to match the right section and select the right comment.

How to control the rating system

The rating system is important and easy to control once you know the rule.

If you do not say anything about the condition, the system will default to the default rating you have in your template. To set a specific rating, say it at the end of your comment.

• "Functional condition, rating: satisfactory" → Satisfactory
• "Sliding door not operating at rear patio, rating: poor" → Poor
• "Garage not inspected due to obstruction, rating: not inspected" → Not Inspected

Duplicating components

You may choose to duplicate components on your report. The system uses numbering to determine whether you are adding to an existing component or creating a new one.

Take bathrooms as an example:

• "Bathroom" or "Bathroom 1" → same bathroom (these are interchangeable)
• "Bathroom 2" → creates a new, separate bathroom section

Setting up a new bathroom component (best practice)

When you start a new bathroom, begin by taking an overview picture of that bathroom and adding a styles and materials comment that specifies the location. This does three things at once: it names the component properly, assigns its location and type, and sets the cover image automatically.

After that one comment, the component is fully set up. From there, proceed with any defects or observations as normal. Each finding will automatically land in the correct section.

The key workflow mindset

Speak naturally, but structured. Before you record any comment, run through three questions in your head:

1. What is it? — the defect and subsection
2. How bad is it? — the severity
3. Where is it? — the location

That is the entire framework. Once it becomes muscle memory, you will find that your comments are more consistent, your reports are more accurate, and reports get done before you leave the site.

The AI is not magic. It is pattern-matching against your template. The better your input, the better your output.

Related articles

Why voice-first inspection software is the future How does AI generate accurate inspection comments? What makes a great home inspection comment library?