Free calculator
See what inspection paperwork costs you.
Put in how many inspections you run, and how long the paperwork takes. You'll see the hours and the cost per year, and what a number you believe would change.
Also calledPaper vs digital inspection cost, Cost of paper checklists, Inspection time savings calculator
Result
Hours a year on paper
--
Cost a year
--
Fill in the first four numbers.
Every number here is yours. We don’t assume a phone is faster. This only shows what the paperwork costs you today, and what a number you believe would change.
This does arithmetic on what you type. Nothing leaves your browser. Check the result against your own rules and procedures.
How it works
- Hours a year on paper = (minutes to fill in + minutes to collect, file or retype) × inspections a week × weeks a year ÷ 60.
- Cost = hours × your own hourly rate.
- If you add a minutes-on-a-phone estimate, it shows the difference in hours and cost.
Be honest with the inputs
- Every number is yours. We don't assume a phone is faster. Count the time spent chasing a missing or unreadable sheet, because that's the part nobody tracks. Run it for one inspection that causes the most grief first, and use what you actually observed.
Run this in the field.
Run the same inspection on a phone, with a photo on a failed step, no signal needed.
Get new free tools by email.
A new template, calculator or guide when we publish one. No spam, and you can leave any time.
Common questions
- What should I count as paperwork time?
- Filling the form in, collecting the sheets, filing them, retyping data into another system, and chasing a missing or unreadable one.
- Does this say a phone saves time?
- Only if you tell it so. The phone number is your own estimate. The calculator just does the arithmetic on it.
- What isn't counted?
- The cost of a missed defect, a rushed check that looks like a real one, or a record you can't find in an audit. Those matter, but they're hard to put a number on.
More free tools
Free tool
Checklist builder
Build and print your own inspection checklist
Free tool
Forklift pre-use checklist
A daily check for forklifts and powered industrial trucks
Guide
Paper vs digital inspections
Paper vs digital inspections: when paper is fine, where it breaks down, what a phone adds, what to watch for, and how to switch one inspection at a time.
Glossary
Digital checklist
A digital checklist is an inspection or task list filled out on a phone or tablet, with photos, signatures and a time-stamped record the lead can see.
Free tool
Vehicle pre-trip checklist
A walkaround and in-cab check before a truck leaves the yard
Free tool
Aerial lift inspection checklist
A pre-use check for boom lifts, scissor lifts and bucket trucks