Creating your own inspection checklists might seem like a smart move.

You know your equipment. You know your team. You’ve got a Word doc or spreadsheet and a few hours to spare. So why not just build your own?

Here’s the reality: DIY inspections often seem efficient until they cause delays, compliance gaps, or real safety risks. That’s when businesses realize what they thought they were saving ends up costing them more.

At The Checker, we’ve spent decades helping companies across industries get inspections right. And we’ve seen time and again how choosing a purpose-built tool can prevent issues long before they happen.

The Hidden Problems with DIY Inspections

Most do-it-yourself inspection checklists start with good intentions. But over time, minor flaws add up. Here's where things usually go wrong:

❌ Inconsistent formats

Every manager, department, or shift supervisor builds their own form. This leads to inconsistent inspections and unreliable results. What one person checks might be totally different from what someone else checks.

❌ Missed details

DIY checklists often focus only on the obvious and miss critical components or signs of early failure. That leaves room for equipment breakdowns and safety incidents.

❌ No audit trail

Many homegrown systems don’t store copies in a way that’s accessible or protected. If an incident happens or you face an audit, proving that inspections were done can be tricky (or impossible).

❌ Hard to scale

What works for one site or one piece of equipment rarely works for ten. As operations grow, DIY systems become messy, outdated, and complicated to manage.

❌ Wasted time

Every minute you spend building or updating an inspection form is time taken away from actually doing inspections—and making your workplace safer.

The Better Option: Tools Built by Safety Experts

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Businesses use the Checker’s inspection tools because they’re simple, proven, and designed to make inspections easier for everyone.

Let’s break down your options:

The Checker Inspection Checklist Books

Our checklist books are made for almost 100 different kinds of equipment.

Each book features:

• 150 inspections per book—great for daily use over months

• Standardized layout so anyone can follow along

• Room for comments to document issues clearly

• 2 carbonless copies—one for the operator, one that stays in the book

• Weather-resistant storage to keep everything protected and visible

• Built-in versatility—perfect for audits, safety walk-arounds, and equipment checks

These aren’t generic forms. They’re designed by safety professionals who understand what should be inspected and how inspections really happen in the field.

The Checker Inspection Software

If your team is ready to go digital, our inspection software gives you complete control over your program.

With it, you can:

• Build custom inspection workflows for job sites, warehouses, vehicle yards—anywhere inspections happen

• Standardize inspections across departments or locations

• Schedule recurring inspections automatically

• Track issues in real-time and generate reports instantly

• Integrate inspections into your safety and maintenance systems

The best part? You can start with one location and scale with ease.

Why It Pays to Use a Purpose-Built System

Think of it this way: you wouldn’t build your own fire extinguisher. Or write your own forklift manual. You’d trust the experts.

Inspection programs are no different. You want something that’s:

• Accurate enough to catch real risks.

• Consistent enough to work every time.

• Flexible enough to grow with your business.

• Efficient enough to actually get used.

That’s what The Checker delivers.

Don’t Waste Time Building What Already Exists

When it comes to inspections, shortcuts aren’t just risky, they’re expensive: time, liability, equipment damage, and injuries are real consequences of flawed inspection processes.

Our advice? Put down the spreadsheet. Use tools that are proven to work. Whether you prefer pen-and-paper or a fully digital platform, we’ve got the system to help you do inspections right.

Ready to Upgrade Your Inspections?

Explore your options:

🔍 The Checker Inspection Checklist Books
💻 The Checker Inspection Software

Start doing inspections the way professionals do. With The Checker, it’s simple, consistent, and built to last.