Third-party technical inspections - by Building Control in England and Wales, NHBC for new homes, BBA for innovative products, or equivalent bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland - generate observations that carry regulatory force. In the US, third-party inspection requirements under IBC or specific state codes serve the same function. The observations recorded during these visits determine what must be remediated before a certificate is issued.
Capturing inspection observations precisely
With Listen, the project team can record the site walkthrough with the inspector (with their agreement). Every observation is captured: "Structural calculation for secondary beam on grid B-3 requires resubmission - section modulus insufficient for the revised loading. Halt all dependent works." This precision prevents the ambiguities that arise when observations are filtered through a project manager's memory. For safety-focused inspections, see our article on health and safety audits.
Managing the outstanding items register
The AI summary structures inspection observations into a numbered outstanding items list. Each item is traceable to its moment of identification. This register becomes the quality management document driving the project's compliance path to certification.
Record the site inspection and the post-inspection design team call separately - two Listen sessions, two distinct documents with clear separation between what was found on site and how the team proposes to respond.