Paperwork or Digital Records for Plumbing Checks - Which Works Better?

If quick retrieval is the main priority, I’d lean digital: searching for a past inspection detail seems easier than paging through a stack of notes. Your point about paper staying usable without a battery or software still matters, though, especially when you need to consult a record on the spot. I’d weigh that trade-off based on how often you actually need to look things up.

For a hypothetical job with several past inspection records, digital search could quickly pull up earlier notes about the same issue. But if you need to check a record while your device is unavailable, paper is immediately usable.

A hybrid might cover both concerns: keep the digital log as the main searchable record, and print only the pages you’re likely to need at the job site. That way you’re not maintaining two full sets, but you still have a paper reference if your device isn’t available.

A printed page can become outdated after the digital log changes. It may help to date each printout and treat it as a snapshot, so it’s clear which record is current when someone checks it later.

When looking back through inspection records, what details would you most want to find quickly - past notes on a recurring issue, dates, or something else? That could make searchability a bigger factor than simply choosing paper or digital.

I’d want the inspection date and any item that still needs follow-up to be easiest to find. The date puts the notes in sequence, while a clear status helps distinguish an old observation from something still unresolved when you search later.

For follow-ups, would you mark them resolved with a date so a later search distinguishes completed items from ones still open?

Yes - I’d mark it resolved with the date, while keeping the original observation in the record. That way a search shows both what was found and when it was addressed, rather than making the earlier issue disappear.