> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.1nspect.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build Your First Inspection Template

# Build Your First Inspection Template

Templates define the structure of an inspection — the sections, subsections, and data fields that your inspectors work through on-site. 1nspecT ships with a pre-built **TREC Texas Residential** template. You can use it as-is, customize it, or build a completely custom template from scratch.

***

## Navigating to Templates

1. In the web admin, click **Templates** in the left sidebar.
2. You will see a list of all templates associated with your account.
3. Click **+ New Template** or tap an existing template to edit it.

***

## Template Structure

Every template is organized as a two-level hierarchy:

```
Template
 └── Section  (e.g. "I. Structural Systems")
      └── Subsection  (e.g. "I.A. Foundations")
           └── Fields  (informational data capture fields)
```

### Sections

Sections correspond to the major divisions of your inspection report (e.g. Structural Systems, Electrical, Plumbing). Each section gets its own PDF chapter with a color-coded header.

### Subsections

Subsections are the individual inspection areas within a section. Each subsection generates a rating row in the PDF (Inspected / Not Inspected / Not Present / Deficient) and can contain any number of data capture fields.

### Fields

Fields capture structured data per subsection. Field types available:

| Type              | Use                                                                               |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `informational`   | Text, number, or select inputs shown in the tech-spec grid of the PDF             |
| `rating`          | Drives the I / NI / NP / D rating boxes (handled automatically by the mobile app) |
| `comment`         | Free-text area for inspector narrative notes                                      |
| `photo_container` | Anchor point for photo attachments                                                |
| `signature`       | Signature capture (used in client-facing agreements, not inspection fields)       |

***

## Using the Schema Builder

The Schema Builder is the visual editor for building your template structure.

### Adding a Section

1. Click **+ Add Section** at the bottom of the section list.
2. Enter a section name (e.g. "Electrical Systems") and an optional short name for PDF headers.
3. Click **Save Section**.

### Adding a Subsection

1. Expand a section by clicking its row.
2. Click **+ Add Subsection**.
3. Enter a subsection name. Short names (under 20 characters) are displayed on the mobile inspector app's navigation bar.
4. Click **Save**.

### Adding Fields to a Subsection

1. Expand a subsection.
2. Click **+ Add Field**.
3. Choose a field type, enter a label, and set whether the field is required.
4. **Informational fields** will appear in the tech-spec grid in the PDF report for that subsection.

### Reordering

Drag sections, subsections, and fields to reorder them. The PDF renders in the exact array order of the template schema.

***

## The TREC Texas Residential Template

If you are performing residential inspections in Texas, the pre-built TREC template is ready to use. It includes:

* All required TREC sections (Structural Systems through Optional Systems)
* TREC-compliant I / NI / NP / D rating schema
* Pre-configured subsections matching TREC Standards of Practice
* Informational fields for system age, capacity, fuel type, etc.

> **Tip:** You can clone the TREC template and customize it rather than editing the master, so you always have a clean copy to revert to.

***

## Canvas Design Settings

After building your template structure, use the **Canvas** tab to control how the PDF report renders for that template.

Key canvas settings:

| Setting                                 | Description                                                                      |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Margins**                             | Page margins in pixels (96 px = 1 inch) for preamble, section, and summary pages |
| **Primary / Secondary / Accent colors** | Override global branding for this specific template                              |
| **Rating column layout**                | Width of the I/NI/NP/D column in section pages                                   |
| **Finding card style**                  | Border, background, and typography for deficiency cards                          |
| **Photo grid**                          | Caption position (above/below), grid columns                                     |

Changes to Canvas settings affect all **future** PDF generations for that template.

***

## Publishing a Template

When your template is ready:

1. Click the **Publish** toggle on the template detail page.
2. Published templates become available to inspectors on the mobile app when creating a new inspection.
3. Unpublished (draft) templates are only visible to admins.

***

## Next Step

With your template built, you are ready to [Create Your First Order](/1nspect/getting-started/create-your-first-order).