A California inspection company has developed a new electronic home inspection system that it says provides a more accurate, more thorough report to consumers in less time and for no more money.

The system was developed by Inspectech, based in San Ramon, Calif., which is generally considered the third largest inspection company in the United States and the largest in California.

Inspectech reported this week it had developed a product called VISTA Advanced Inspection Management System which it says goes well beyond other inspection report writing systems.

The electronic clipboard is operated by pen. As inspectors walk through a home, the system prompts the inspector on what general systems need to be looked at, and then reminds the inspector to look at the components of those systems as well.

"For instance, a water heater is something that would typically be inspected," said Scott Clements, a company vice president. "But the water heater has 13 components that also need to be inspected -- like the ventilation system, the strapping, the relief valves, and there are subcomponents.

"The software guides the inspector through those inspections -- Are the straps there? Are they in good condition? That sort of thing."

The system, which can be loaded onto laptops or handheld hardware, contains a library of some 13,000 comments. Again, the inspector need only mark with his pen each comment that needs to be included in the final report.

"We've found that a lot of comments are pretty routine from one house to another, whether its up in Seattle or in Los Angeles," Clements said. "You need to report that a window is broken or the water heater leaks. Those are pretty standard comments and are built in.

"And condition reports are pretty standard. Is an item in good condition? Does it need maintenance?"

Electronic hardware to outfit a single inspector costs about $4,000. The software cost more than $1 million to develop, Clements said.

"What we're trying to do is develop consistency and accuracy in the reports," he said. "The system won't do everything. You can't just hand it (to a layman) and expect it to work. But it will make a good, well-trained inspector even better," which, he said, is critical since most states still do not have licensed inspectors that must meet specific standards.

Inspectech drew its criteria for the system from the American Society of Home Inspectors and the California Real Estate Inspectors Association.

Although the system is fully electronic, Clements emphasizes there still is a place for inspectors to give their personal answers the most important questions they're asked, which typically are, "Do you think I should buy this place?" "Am I going to have to spend a lot of money to keep this place up?" and "Is this house worth the price?"

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