Proof the empty building was really checked.
Insurers often require a vacant building to be inspected on a schedule, with a record of each visit. Put a QR code at the doors, the water shutoff and the panel. Each visit is stamped with the time, the place and photos, and you're emailed if an inspection is missed.
Vacant property inspections
What a vacancy clause asks you to prove.
Every policy words it differently, so read yours. Most come down to the same few things, and a log you can hand the insurer if there's ever a claim.
Confirm with your insurer or broker what records they'll accept.
- Inspected as often as required
- Set the days a visit is due, like every Monday. A missed one emails you that evening.
- Still secure
- A checklist at each door and window: locked, intact, no sign of entry.
- No leaks, no freeze-ups
- Checks at the water shutoff, the heat and the panel, with photos.
- Problems dealt with
- A Problem opens an incident with photos, which stays open until you resolve it with a note.
- Records you can hand over
- Print any day, or export every visit as a spreadsheet for your insurer or broker.
How it works
Set up in minutes, from your phone.
No readers, no wands and no app to roll out. If your people can take a photo, they can scan a checkpoint.
- 01
List the spots to check
Each entrance, the water shutoff, the heat, the panel, the roof hatch. Pick the days a visit is due.
- 02
Post the codes
Stick a QR code at each spot, or use NFC tags where a sticker won't last.
- 03
Scan every visit
Whoever checks, you or a contractor, scans with their own phone. No app or account.
An example route
What a weekly inspection route looks like.
Due twice a week? Pick both days. Several buildings? Give each its own route and schedule.
Checkpoints
In walking order- FE01Front entrance Photo required
- Locked and intact?
- No sign of entry?
- RD02Rear door
- Locked and intact?
- WS03Water shutoff Photo required
- Water off, no leaks?
- BO04Boiler
- Heat on, no freeze risk?
- RH05Roof hatch
- Secured, no water coming in?
Weekly inspection
Mon · 8 AM – 6 PM · one round
Missed checkpoints are emailed as each round ends, by name.
A Problem on any checklist needs a note, and is emailed to you as an incident.
What you get
Everything the record needs. Nothing to learn.
Visits on a schedule
The days an inspection is due and the hours it can happen: weekly, twice a week or daily.
Missed-inspection alerts
If the day ends without every spot checked, you get an email naming what was missed.
Photos at every stop
Require a photo at any checkpoint, so the record shows what the building looked like.
Time and GPS stamps
Every scan is stamped and checked against the spot it belongs to.
Safety alone in an empty building
One-tap SOS with location, and an alert if the person checking goes quiet.
Records for the insurer
Print any day's report, or export every visit as a CSV with its checklist answers and notes.
Plus everything else in PatrolBadges: NFC tags, PINs, incident reports, offline scanning, CSV export and four sticker layouts. See all features
Pricing
Free to start. Priced by the checkpoint after that.
One building with up to 5 checkpoints is free. Four buildings with five each is $19 a month.
Free for up to 5 checkpoints. Pro is $9 a month for your first 10 checkpoints, plus $1 a month for each one after that. Officers, routes and scans are unlimited on both. No per-user fees, hardware, contracts or setup costs.
$9 for your first 10 checkpoints, plus 10 × $1.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
The quickest answer is to try it: add your checkpoints and scan one from your phone in about two minutes. No card. Or ask us.
How often does a vacant building need to be inspected?
Your insurance policy says, so check its vacancy or unoccupancy conditions. Weekly is common, and some policies ask for more. Set the route to match: the days a visit is due and the hours it can happen. A missed visit emails you, so you can send someone the next morning.
Will my insurer accept these records?
We can't promise that, since each policy and insurer differs. What you'll have is a dated record of every visit: who checked, when, where each scan happened, the checklist answers and photos, plus any visit that was missed. Ask your broker what they need to see.
Can I track several vacant properties?
Yes. Give each building its own route and schedule, so a missed visit names the building. One daily report covers all of them. 5 checkpoints are free, and Pro is priced by the checkpoint after that.
Who does the inspecting?
Anyone you send: you, a property manager, a contractor or a security patrol. They scan with their own phone, with no app or account. Turn on PINs so only people you've given one can log a visit.
What if a visit was missed for a good reason?
Excuse it with a reason, like "site closed for the storm". The reason shows on the report next to the missed visit, so the record stays honest.
Will the codes survive outdoors?
Use weatherproof label paper, or card stock in a laminate pouch. NFC stickers hold up well too, and can go behind a sign or inside a door frame.
Know the empty building was checked this week.
Add your checkpoints and scan them from your phone, right off your screen. No card, and sign up only when you're ready to keep it.
- Vacant Property Inspection Checklist (Free Printable Template)A one-page checklist for each visit to an empty home or building: area, check, OK or problem, photo and notes.
- How to Know Your Security Guards Are Really Doing Their RoundsCheckpoints, schedules and alerts: how to prove rounds happened, and the tricks to watch for.
- PricingFree for 5 checkpoints. Pro is priced by the checkpoint, with unlimited officers.
More ways to use PatrolBadges
- Guard toursSecurity patrols with a QR code at every checkpoint and alerts when one's missed.
- Fire watchRounds every 30 minutes while the alarm or sprinklers are down, logged for the fire marshal.
- HOA & apartmentsNightly rounds of gates, garages and amenities, with a report the board can read.
- Construction sitesAfter-hours rounds of the gate, containers, fuel and equipment, proven with a scan at each.
- WarehousesAfter-hours rounds of dock doors, yards and fence lines, with a checklist at each stop.
- Church safety teamsDoor and building checks by a volunteer safety team, before, during and after services.
- Facility roundsDaily walks of the boiler room, risers, generator and roof, with a checklist at each stop.
- Night checksOvernight hall and door checks in group homes, shelters and dorms, with safety for staff working alone.
- Restroom cleaningA QR code in place of the clipboard on the door, with a checklist and a photo at every clean.