The short answer
A one-person inspection business needs software that runs the whole job in one place: online booking, the agreement, payment, reminders, the report and delivery. When those live in one account, a booking sends the right agreement, the client pays before the report opens, and publishing sends the report without you writing an email.
Hive Inspect covers all of it, on your phone and on the web, for $99/month however many inspections you do, with every AI tool included.
Why one account matters when you're the whole company
When you work alone, every handoff between tools is a job you do by hand. Copying a booking into a calendar. Emailing an agreement. Checking whether the client paid before you send the report. Each one takes a few minutes, and each one is a chance to forget something on a busy day.
The steps below follow the job in order. For each one: what the software should do, and how it works in Hive.
1. Booking
Clients and agents should be able to book without calling you. They pick the service and add-ons, see a price and choose a time that's actually open.
In Hive, clients book from a scheduler on your website or a link. They pick services and add-ons from a menu, travel fees are added by distance to the property, and the scheduler only offers times inside your working hours and service area. When someone calls instead, book the job from the mobile app.
Your inspections show up in Google Calendar. You can also set it up so busy events in your Google Calendar block those times on your online scheduler.
2. The agreement
The pre-inspection agreement should go out on its own, filled in with the client's details, and be signed before you arrive.
In Hive, each service has its own agreement, sent automatically when that service is booked. The client signs it electronically in the client portal.
3. Payment
Get paid before you deliver, without chasing anyone.
In Hive, clients pay by card, bank transfer or Affirm from the same portal. You can keep the report locked until they've paid and signed. If a client needs it early, you unlock that one inspection.
4. Confirmations and reminders
The emails and texts that keep a job on track should send themselves: the booking confirmation, a reminder before the inspection, and the report-ready message.
In Hive you set these up once as automations, for clients and agents. You can also add your own number for two-way texting.
5. The inspection and the report
Write the report on site, in the app, so it's mostly done when you leave.
In Hive, you type or say each finding into Smart Add. It finds the matching comment in your template or drafts a new one for you to check. The app works without signal and syncs when you're back online. Inspectors report Smart Add and AI Comment Assist together save them 40–50 minutes per inspection. For the full routine, read how to finish home inspection reports on site and send them the same day.
6. Delivery
Publishing should be one tap that does the rest.
In Hive, you publish from the phone. Publishing makes the PDF and sends the report-ready email or text to the client and agent. The client opens the agreement, the invoice and the report in one portal. Agents get their own portal listing their clients' inspections. You can see who opened the report and when.
7. After the inspection
Two things follow most jobs: the agent asks for a repair request, and the payment needs to reach your books.
In Hive, agents and clients pick defects from the report and build a repair request with photos, without calling you. If you use QuickBooks Online, your invoices and payments copy into it every night.
What to set up once
Do this on a computer, in one sitting, before your first real job:
- Your company details, logo and hours.
- Your template. Upload it from your old software or import one from the Template Hub.
- Your agreements, then your services and fees, then connect Stripe.
- Your contacts and automations.
- A test inspection, booked with your own email, all the way to a published report.
If you're moving from other software, our team can move your templates, agreements, contacts and services for you. See how to switch home inspection software without losing your templates and past reports.
What it costs
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $99/month, however many inspections |
| Annual | $999/year |
| New-inspector plan | $39, $59 and $79 for months one to three, then $99/month |
| 10-report pack | $99 for 10 reports, no monthly plan |
| Free trial | 5 free reports, no credit card |
The new-inspector plan and the 10-report pack are for single-inspector businesses. Every plan includes every feature and every AI tool. A website and your own texting number are optional extras.
A checklist for choosing software when you work alone
- Can clients book, sign and pay without a phone call?
- Does the right agreement go out on its own for each service?
- Can the report stay locked until the client has paid and signed?
- Can you write and publish the report from your phone?
- Does the price stay the same in a busy month?
See how Hive works for solo inspectors, or see every feature, step by step.