The field record
Walk-Through Survey Field Notes Template & Example
Last updated 2026-08-15
Field notes are written for one reader — the version of you writing the report three days later — and they fail in one predictable way: they record conclusions instead of observations. 'Roof shot' is a conclusion. 'Granule loss across south slopes, mat visible at three locations building 4, cupping at ridge all buildings' is an observation, and only one of the two can be defended in a report.
The structure below is built for dictation on site, which is how most assessors actually work: hands full, gloves on, moving. It is deliberately organised by where you are rather than by report section, because reordering notes into report order is easy afterwards and remembering an unrecorded observation is impossible.
The example is a set of real-shaped notes from the fictional Bellwether Commons walk-through, including the messy parts: a question left open, an interview answer that conflicted with what was observed, and a note to return to a location that never got revisited.
Jurisdiction
Written primarily against US practice: the ASTM E2018 baseline, agency scopes such as Fannie Mae Form 4099, and — where a page says so explicitly — California statute. Client scope governs any individual engagement and may expand or reduce what is described here. State and local inspection obligations differ, and licensure requirements for the work described vary by state. Outside the US, treat the structure as transferable and the standards and statutes as not.
Walk-Through Survey Field Notes template
Free Word download, no email required. Or open it in Professional Drafter — it lands in your template library, ready to draft against.
When to use this document
- During the walk-through itself, dictated or typed on site.
- As the raw material a report is drafted from, rather than as a deliverable — these notes are usually not issued to the client.
- As the record you rely on if a finding is questioned months later, which is the reason to write down what you saw rather than what you concluded.
Worked example
Fictional. Walk-through notes from Bellwether Commons, Columbus, Ohio, 4 March 2026 — a 132-unit 1987 garden apartment property, three inches of snow on the northern half of the site, rent roll received that morning.
Visit Header
4 March 2026. On site 08:40, off site 16:25. Overcast, 34°F, no precipitation during the visit; approximately 3 inches of snow remaining on the northern half of the site from the storm on 2 March. Drive aisles ploughed, northern parking area and walkways serving buildings 9-11 not cleared. Accompanied by Ray Okafor, maintenance manager, for the exterior and mechanical spaces (08:40-12:15) and by Denise Halloway, property manager, for unit access (13:00-16:00). Rent roll received by email 07:52 this morning; days-vacant and move-out reports not received. Residents notified of inspection by management per Halloway.
Site and Exterior
Paving: drive aisles ploughed and observable. Alligator cracking through wearing course across northern drive aisle between buildings 6 and 9, worst adjacent to the dumpster enclosure — approx 40 x 60 ft area, base failure suspected, surface deflects underfoot. Transverse cracking 1/4 to 1/2 inch throughout southern parking, no sealing evident. Okafor: overlay 'about 2011, maybe 2012', no records, not sealed or striped since. Northern parking area under snow, not observed — note for limitations. Measured site paving from plan supplied? No plan supplied — estimate 118,000 sq ft from aerial, verify.
Walkways: concrete, generally sound. Counted 14 locations with vertical displacement at joints, 3/4 inch or greater by tape, concentrated buildings 6-9 walkway. Walkways at 9-11 under snow, not observed.
Site lighting: 34 poles counted, fibreglass, single head, appear original. 9 inoperative during evening drive-through 18:10 (returned after site departure) — 2 of those on the same run at NE drive aisle, may be circuit rather than lamp. Fixture lenses yellowed and crazed throughout.
Dumpster enclosures: 4, CMU with wood gates. Gates damaged at 2 of 4 (bldg 3, bldg 9), hardware missing. Not life safety, note as deferred maintenance.
Drainage: sheet flow to two grass swales east side. Cannot assess north swale, snow. No standing water observed where visible. Okafor reports no flooding complaints.
Pool: closed for season, covered. Deck concrete cracked at 3 locations, spalling at NE corner. Enclosure fence 5 ft, north gate does not latch on release — self-closer failed, gate rests open. LIFE SAFETY, immediate.
Building Exteriors and Roofs
All 11 residential buildings: 2-storey, wood frame, vinyl siding over what appears to be original hardboard at the areas visible behind detached trim. Siding chalking throughout, cracked/missing panels noted at buildings 2 (N elev, 6 panels), 4 (W elev, 3 panels), 7 (N elev, ~10 panels plus impact damage at grade), 9 (E elev, 4 panels). Estimate 12% of wall area affected across the property — extrapolated from these four, others walked and appear better; flag as estimate.
Roofs, all residential: 3-tab asphalt shingle, approx 4:12. OBSERVATION METHOD: ground + ladder at eave, none walked — pitch plus brittle/cupped shingles, not safe and would damage roof. Binoculars for ridge/field. Granule loss heavy on all S-facing slopes, mat exposed at 3 locations building 4 S slope. Cupping at ridge lines all buildings. Valleys at buildings 3 and 7 patched with non-matching shingle, patches lifting at both. Okafor: leaks 'every winter, always 3 and 7'. Staining observed inside units 3-204 and 7-201 confirming. Gutters aluminium, sagging at building 5 N, downspouts discharge to grade, 2 disconnected (bldg 2, bldg 10).
Exterior stairs: 22 runs total (2 per residential building). Rot at stringer-to-landing connection confirmed at 6 runs by observing behind trim already detached — buildings 2 (both), 5 (one), 8 (both), 11 (one). Building 8 east stair MOVES under load, audible. LIFE SAFETY. Buildings 5 and 11 second runs: same staining at stringer base, soft on probe, trim intact so not opened — assume same condition, note as assumption. Handrails loose at 4 of the 6 opened.
Clubhouse: single storey, low-slope membrane roof. NOT ACCESSED — no ladder on site of adequate length (Okafor confirms none), no interior hatch. Viewed approx 1/3 of area from bldg 1 second-storey east window: field membrane appears intact, no ponding in area seen. Okafor: 'recoated about eight or nine years ago', no records, original install date unknown. FOLLOW UP — ask client whether to return with a lift.
Interiors and Units
15 units observed of 132 — 11.4%, against the 10% tier Form 4099 sets for a 51-300 unit property, though this is not a Fannie loan and the 15 was the agreed scope. Selected on site with Halloway from this morning's rent roll (no days-vacant/move-out data to weight selection — note in limitations). NOT a random selection prepared in advance: rent roll arrived 07:52, spread across unit type, building and floor by hand at the leasing office — record as such, do not describe as random. 4 down units reported by management, all 4 offered and all 4 observed, counted within the 15. 2 originally selected not entered: 5-103 resident declined at door, 9-202 dog loose in unit; substituted 5-107 and 9-204, same type, same buildings.
Units observed: 1-101 (occ, 1BR), 1-204 (occ, 2BR), 2-102 (down, 2BR), 3-204 (occ, 2BR — ceiling staining at bedroom, confirms roof leak), 4-101 (vac ready, 1BR), 5-107 (occ, 2BR), 6-203 (down, 1BR), 7-201 (occ, 2BR — staining at closet ceiling), 7-104 (occ, 1BR), 8-202 (vac ready, 2BR), 9-204 (occ, 2BR), 10-101 (down, 2BR), 10-203 (occ, 1BR), 11-102 (down, 1BR), 11-201 (occ, 2BR).
General unit condition: original kitchens and baths in 11 of 15, cabinets worn, laminate counters. Carpet worn in occupied units, replaced in the vacant-ready ones. Windows vinyl replacement throughout, operate, no failed seals observed. No structural distress observed in any unit. Bathroom exhaust discharges to attic in 4 units checked at the fan grille — could not confirm termination without attic access, attics not accessed.
Common areas: clubhouse interior dated, HVAC unit 2009 nameplate, flooring worn. Emergency lighting: 5 units, 3 FAILED push-to-test. LIFE SAFETY, immediate. Laundry room: 12 machines, Halloway says leased/vendor maintained — request lease, not provided.
Equipment and Nameplate Data
Water heaters, in-unit, 40 gal gas, transcribed from the 15 units observed: 1-101 Rheem XG40T06EC38U1 mfg 2014-08; 1-204 Rheem mfg 2019-03; 2-102 A.O. Smith GCR-40 mfg 2021-06; 3-204 Rheem mfg 2013-11; 4-101 A.O. Smith mfg 2022-01; 5-107 Rheem mfg 2016-04; 6-203 A.O. Smith mfg 2020-09; 7-201 Rheem mfg 2012-05 (weeping at TPR discharge — note); 7-104 A.O. Smith mfg 2019-11; 8-202 Rheem mfg 2015-02; 9-204 A.O. Smith mfg 2023-03; 10-101 Rheem mfg 2018-07; 10-203 Rheem mfg 2011-09; 11-102 A.O. Smith mfg 2021-10; 11-201 Rheem mfg 2017-06. Note bldg 8 mechanical closet: TPR discharge terminates approx 18 inches above finished floor, no receptor. Flag.
HVAC condensing units, pad-mounted, sampled at the same 15 units plus a count of the pads: 132 pads counted total. Nameplates legible on 14 of 15 — mfg dates ranging 2008 to 2024, 6 of 14 dated 2017 or later. Models Goodman GSX13/GSX14 and Rheem RA13/RA14 predominantly.
ELECTRICAL — PROBLEM: unit panels, 2 opened (1-101, 8-202) with Okafor present. Manufacturer labels PAINTED OVER in both, illegible. Breaker handles unmarked as to make. Cannot identify panel type. No panel schedules posted, no original electrical drawings provided. Building service equipment at bldg 6: 400A, meter bank, utility-owned enclosure not opened. FOLLOW UP — this matters, see open items.
Interview Notes
Ray Okafor, maintenance manager, on site since 2013, interviewed 08:40-12:15 throughout the exterior walk. Roofs original to construction, 'never been done, just patched'. Leaks at buildings 3 and 7 every winter, always the same valleys. Clubhouse roof recoated 'about eight or nine years ago', no paperwork. Paving overlay 'about 2011, maybe 2012', southern lot only he thinks, though later said 'the whole thing' — CONFLICT, recorded both, resolve in report by treating northern area as unverified. Exterior painting last done 2018, contractor's name not recalled. Four units currently down for turnover. No ladder on site over 12 ft. No structural problems known; 'the stairs at 8 have been bouncy a while' — recorded verbatim, this is the building where movement was observed under load.
Denise Halloway, property manager, since 2021, interviewed 13:00-16:00 during unit access. Occupancy 94% today. Residents notified of inspection by notice on doors 48 hours prior. Prior condition report 'from when the owners bought it in 2019' exists somewhere, could not locate, will look and send — not received as of report date. Laundry equipment leased, vendor maintains, lease not provided. No open building department matters known to her.
Open Items and Follow-Ups
1. ELECTRICAL PANEL IDENTIFICATION — unresolved on site and unresolved at issue. Labels painted over in both panels opened. Certain panel types of this era carry recalls and lender flags; if these are such panels the immediate repairs schedule changes materially. Resolution: electrician to identify make and model across a sample of buildings; nominal cost against the exposure. Reported as an open matter in the executive summary rather than priced.
2. Clubhouse roof — 2/3 unobserved. Resolution: return with a lift, or drone. Asked Halloway whether a lift could be arranged same-week; she would need owner approval. Not resolved before issue. Carried conservatively in reserves, difference stated.
3. Northern parking area under snow — not observed. Resolution: return visit after thaw. Aerial reviewed (April 2025) as a partial substitute; Okafor interviewed about condition. Carried at same treatment as observed areas — the less conservative choice, flagged as such in limitations.
4. Bathroom exhaust terminations — could not confirm in 4 units, attics not accessed. Not resolved. Noted in report; not priced.
5. Documents outstanding at issue: days-vacant report, move-out report, warranties, permits, prior condition report, laundry lease. All requested 20 Feb, re-requested by email 5 March. Listed as requested-and-not-provided.
6. Site paving quantity estimated from aerial at 118,000 sq ft — no site plan provided to verify against. Note as estimated quantity in the reserve schedule.
Section-by-section guide
What each section is for, what a good one contains, and where they typically go wrong.
1.Visit Header
Date, arrival and departure times, weather, who accompanied you, and who you spoke to. Times matter more than they look: they establish how long the survey took, which is the first question asked when the depth of an assessment is challenged.
2.Site and Exterior
Work outward-in or building-by-building, consistently. Record quantities as you go — counts of light poles, approximate areas, numbers of stair runs — because a quantity recovered later from memory or from an aerial is a different quality of number.
3.Building Exteriors and Roofs
One block per building, with the observation method recorded for each roof. Note the method at the moment you use it — the difference between a roof you walked and one you saw from a ladder is invisible in a photograph and disappears from memory within a day.
4.Interiors and Units
Record each unit by number, its type, its status — occupied, vacant, down — and how it came to be selected. Record refusals and substitutions when they happen, not afterwards. Record the count against a benchmark as well as in the absolute: ASTM E2018-24 sets no minimum number of units anywhere in the guide, but agency scopes do, and on a Fannie Mae loan Form 4099 sets a tiered floor by property size along with an expectation that selection is randomly distributed across unit type, buildings and floors. The numbers are in the FAQ below. Where no agency scope applies, the sample size is a scope term to agree in writing and record here — not a default anyone can point to afterwards.
5.Equipment and Nameplate Data
Manufacturer, model, serial and manufacture date, transcribed exactly, plus where the equipment is. A nameplate date is documentary evidence of age; 'appears original' is an inference, and the two do very different work in a reserve schedule.
6.Interview Notes
Who, role, when, and what they said — in their words where it matters. Where an answer conflicts with an observation, record both and resolve it in the report rather than in the notes.
7.Open Items and Follow-Ups
The list that saves the report: what you could not determine, what you meant to return to, and what you need to request. Keep it live during the visit and check it before leaving the site, because the cost of an unresolved item is a second trip or a conservative assumption.
Common mistakes
The failure modes that show up most often when this document is reviewed later.
Recording conclusions instead of observations.
'Roof needs replacing' cannot be defended three months later; 'granule loss across all south slopes, mat exposed at three locations on building 4, cupping at all ridges' can. The conclusion is easy to reconstruct from the observation and impossible to reconstruct the other way.
Not recording the observation method at the moment you use it.
Whether a roof was walked, laddered, droned or viewed from a window is invisible afterwards, including in your own photographs — and it is exactly what a reviewer asks about.
Cleaning up a conflicting interview answer on the spot.
When the maintenance manager says the overlay covered the southern lot and then says it covered everything, record both. The conflict is data — here it is the reason a whole paving line is treated as unverified.
Recording that units were sampled without recording how the sample was chosen.
'Fifteen units observed' answers the wrong question. The one a reviewer asks is whether the fifteen were representative — Form 4099 expects selection distributed randomly across unit type, buildings and floors, and expects the report to say plainly when it was not and why. Substitutions, refusals and a rent roll that arrived too late to plan against are all answers to that question, and all of them are gone by the following morning.
Leaving the site without checking the open items list.
Almost every item on it is cheap to resolve while you are standing there and expensive afterwards. The ladder you needed was a five-minute conversation at 09:00 and a second mobilisation at any later time.
Writing down quantities as adjectives.
'Extensive cracking' cannot be priced. Fourteen displaced walkway joints, 34 light poles, 22 stair runs — counts survive the trip from the site to the schedule, impressions do not.
Questions
- Should field notes be issued to the client?
- Usually not, and the engagement should say so. Notes contain unresolved conflicts and working assumptions that the report exists to resolve. They should nonetheless be written as though someone might read them one day, because occasionally someone does.
- How many units do I have to observe?
- It depends entirely on who the client is, and it is worth being blunt about where the number comes from. ASTM E2018-24 sets no minimum: no unit count, and no percentage, appears in the guide. The agency scopes do. Fannie Mae Form 4099 (Section 3.2.C) sets a tiered floor — for a property of 5 to 50 units, a minimum of five occupied units plus all vacant units to a maximum of fifteen; for 51 to 300 units, a minimum of 10 percent of all units; for more than 300 units, a minimum of 5 percent but not fewer than thirty — and in every tier adds all units vacant longer than 90 days and all down units on top. Freddie Mac's Multifamily Seller/Servicer Guide, Chapter 62, Section 62.5(b) sets a different floor: at least 10 percent of residential units, including at least half the vacant units and at least half the down units, plus 100 percent of commercial units. The two are not interchangeable, so the report should name the one it was measured against. Where neither applies — a private acquisition, a lender with its own scope, an owner's own assessment — no standard reviewed here sets a minimum at all, and the honest thing is to state the number agreed, who agreed it, and what it was based on.
- How do I choose which units to observe?
- Fannie Mae's PCA FAQ describes the expectation at Q8: use the current rent roll, days-vacant report and move-out report to choose vacant units, and interview the maintenance manager, who may be more forthcoming. Where those reports are not provided, say so and say how you selected instead. Form 4099 adds the mechanics — reasonable effort to distribute the selection randomly across unit type, buildings and floors, a list of units typically given to the site contact 24 to 36 hours ahead, and a report that identifies each unit observed by building and unit number, type, occupancy status and floor, states whether selection was random, and if it was not, explains how units were chosen and what prevented a random selection. Where the minimum could not be met at all, Form 4099 expects the lender to be notified and the deviation and its cause documented in the report.
- Can I dictate field notes?
- Yes, and most assessors do — hands are full and gloves are on. The structure above is built around dictation, organised by where you are standing rather than by report section, because reordering is easy afterwards and remembering is not.
- How long should a walk-through take?
- As long as the scope requires, and the answer belongs in your notes rather than in a rule of thumb. Recording arrival and departure times is the cheapest protection available against a later suggestion that the survey was cursory.
The blank template
Exactly what is in the Word download, so you can see the structure before deciding whether you want it.
Visit Header
Site and Exterior
Building Exteriors and Roofs
Interiors and Units
Equipment and Nameplate Data
Interview Notes
Open Items and Follow-Ups
Download this template
Free Word download, no email required. Or open it in Professional Drafter — it lands in your template library, ready to draft against.
Sources
- Fannie Mae — Frequently Asked Questions: Property Condition Assessment Reports (2024-05-01)
- Fannie Mae Form 4099 — Instructions for Performing a Multifamily Property Condition Assessment
- ASTM E2018-24 — Standard Guide for Property Condition Assessments: Baseline Property Condition Assessment Process
- CCPIA — International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties (ComSOP)
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This page is a documentation aid — not engineering advice, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the standard or client scope your engagement runs under. A template cannot tell you what your assessment requires. The worked example describes a fictional property, and its costs, quantities and service lives are illustrative only.