Building a cleaning inspection checklist

An inspection checklist is a reusable template you run at a location to verify the work got done. Build it once: add the items a manager or team member should check, mark which ones are required, and turn on photo evidence where the record needs it. Then your team runs the same checklist at every site, so quality is measured the same way everywhere.

What is an inspection checklist?

A checklist is the template, not the inspection itself. You build it once and run it many times, at any location, by any assigned team member. Each run produces a separate result you can report on. Think of the checklist as the standard (“restrooms stocked, floors dry, trash emptied”) and each inspection as one graded pass against that standard. Build the checklist first; running it comes next in running an inspection. For a worked example, use the toilet inspection checklist to plan your checks and evidence rules.

How do I build a checklist?

1. Open Inspections and choose New checklist.
2. Give it a clear name that says where or what it covers (“Lobby walkthrough”, “Restroom standard”).
3. Add an item for each thing the person running the inspection checks. Keep each item to one specific check.
4. Mark items required where the person running the inspection must not skip.
5. Turn on photo evidence on the items where a picture strengthens the record.
6. Save. The checklist is now available to run at any location.

Keep items concrete and singular. “Floors mopped and dry” is one check; “restrooms clean” is five checks hiding as one.

How do I mark an item as required?

Mark an item required when the person running the inspection must answer it before they can finish. Required items cannot be left blank, so the inspection cannot be submitted with gaps. Use it for the checks that matter for a pass or fail. Leave the rest optional so a quick walkthrough is not blocked by a check that does not apply that day. The aim is a checklist that is thorough without becoming a wall the team cannot get past.

How do I ask for a photo on an item?

Set the photo rule once for the checklist: not needed, optional or required. The person running the inspection captures photos on mobile, and each photo stays beside the item it explains. Agree the evidence your client or manager needs before choosing the rule.

Where to go next

Run the checklist you just built in running an inspection, or see how inspections fit the rest of the product in inspection software with scoring and signatures.