Two inspections on the same day can produce similar filenames, near-identical room photographs and notes recorded only a few minutes apart. If one image or paragraph enters the wrong drafting pack, a polished report may still describe the wrong property.
When using outsourced Level 2 report writing, make property identity a separate check at handover and review. The aim is to keep every finding attached to its instruction, even when several reports are moving through the same workflow.
Give each instruction a stable identity
Use one unique practice job reference throughout the folder, instruction sheet, notes and returned draft. Pair it with the full property address and inspection date inside the controlled pack. A reference helps distinguish files; it does not replace checking the actual property.
For flats, annexes or similarly numbered houses, identify the precise unit and any areas included in the instruction. If the booking, notes and template disagree, confirm the correct details from the instruction record before drafting. Do not ask the writer to choose whichever address appears most often.
This supports a broader professional obligation. The RICS Rules of Conduct, checked on 11 November 2026, include example behaviours covering adequate work records, accurate and current data, and effective quality assurance under Rule 3. The controls below are suggested working methods, not an RICS-prescribed filing system.
Keep the pack separate before uploading it
Create a dedicated pack for each instruction rather than sending a mixed daily camera export. Check the contents as well as the folder name. A correctly named folder can still contain another property’s boiler photograph or an old template populated with previous findings.
Use a short pack manifest:
- Instruction: job reference, property identity, inspection date and agreed report scope.
- Notes: the current inspection record, with the same job reference.
- Photographs: the selected image set, with locations sufficient to connect images to findings.
- Documents: each supplied record identified by property, source and date where available.
- Template: the agreed version, checked for retained client details and previous property narrative.
Record the number of supplied images as a simple reconciliation aid. Matching counts can reveal a missing upload, but cannot prove that the images belong to the correct property. Check their content and provenance too. Our inspection pack checklist covers the wider material needed for drafting.
Make discrepancies a reason to ask
A writer may notice that the notes describe one roof form while the supplied photographs show another, or that a document names a different flat. The useful response is a precise query, not an attempt to blend the records into a plausible description.
Identify the conflicting files, explain the discrepancy and ask the inspecting surveyor which material belongs to the instruction. Keep uncertain material out of the report until resolved. A contradiction may have a legitimate explanation, but neither the writer nor an automated drafting tool should invent it.
A worked example: two neighbouring inspections
In a fictional handover, a surveyor inspects two neighbouring houses on the same morning. Both have similar kitchens. One pack contains a boiler image from the second house, although its folder and instruction sheet identify the first.
The drafter notices that the boiler image conflicts with the surveyor’s located notes and raises a query. The surveyor checks the original inspection record, identifies the misplaced image and supplies the correct one. The affected services description is then checked against the corrected pack.
Renaming the photograph would not resolve the evidence problem. The surveyor must confirm its origin. If drafting has already used the wrong image, review every statement it influenced, including any repeated description in the summary. A corrected file should not leave an unsupported sentence behind.
Review identity before reviewing style
When the draft returns, confirm the job reference, address, unit, inspection date and supplied client details first. Then compare the property description and selected photographs with your inspection record. Search for distinctive details that could have survived from another job, such as an unexpected basement, garage or heating system.
If a mismatch appears, pause approval and establish its extent. Use the amendment workflow to record the correction and identify the revised draft. If another client’s material is involved, also follow your practice’s confidentiality and incident procedures; the secure handover guide addresses that separate concern.
The Survey Edit prepares Level 2 drafts from your inspection notes, photographs, supplied template and instructions. A clearly identified pack helps preserve your findings through the writing stage. You retain the professional judgement, review and amend the whole draft, approve the advice and issue the final report. Discuss the handover for your next Level 2 instruction.
You inspect. We write.