Why inspection data is valuable
Most project records describe what was planned. Inspection records describe what was actually found: defects, non-compliances, workmanship issues and how they were put right. Tools for automated defect detection, quality checking and compliance review need many examples of real problems, which is why inspection reports and their photos are useful.
Who holds this kind of data
- Building control. Since April 2024, private building control in England has been carried out by registered building control approvers (formerly approved inspectors), with records of plan checks and site inspections.
- Clerks of works and quality inspectors, who keep site inspection reports, non-conformance records and photo logs.
- Building surveyors, who produce condition surveys, defect diagnoses and dilapidations schedules.
- Specialist inspection and testing firms, covering fire stopping, façades, M&E testing and the like.
- Drone and survey firms, holding aerial inspection imagery, roof surveys and measured surveys. See the DroneDeploy guide.
What's most useful
- Defect records with photos, especially where each photo is tied to a written finding.
- Consistent report templates used across many inspections, because structure makes data far easier to use.
- Before-and-after records showing a defect and its remedy.
- Volume across building types and ages.
What to check
- Client terms. Reports are usually prepared for a client under terms that may restrict disclosure. Anonymisation (removing addresses, client names and identifying features) often matters more here than anywhere else.
- Regulatory duties. Building control bodies operate under statutory and regulatory requirements, including oversight by the Building Safety Regulator for registered approvers. Check what those mean for sharing records before including any.
- Homeowners and occupiers. Residential inspections are full of personal data: names, addresses and photos inside people's homes. This has to be removed or protected under UK GDPR.
- Who owns the photos. Usually your firm, if your staff took them, but check your terms with clients.
Getting ready
- Estimate how many inspection reports and photos you hold, and in what systems or formats.
- Identify the report types that are most consistent and complete.
- Flag anything carrying regulatory or client restrictions.
Our reports are PDFs, not database records. Is that a problem?
No. Many archives are PDF-based. Consistent templates make them more useful, but the format itself isn't a barrier.
Can photos of private homes ever be included?
Only with personal data removed or protected and with care over anything that identifies the property or the people in it. Raise it early in scoping.