---
title: "Create an Inspection Form"
slug: "form-builder-create-an-inspection-form"
updated: 2026-10-28T14:24:20Z
published: 2026-10-28T14:24:20Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/form-builder-create-an-inspection-form"
---

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

# Create an Inspection Form

Inspections follow a pattern: identify the site, work through a checklist, capture evidence for anything that fails, and sign off. This article covers how to build that pattern in the Form Builder.

## How an inspection form is structured

Most inspection forms have 4 parts. Building them in this order keeps the form manageable.

| Part | What it captures | Typical fields |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Site details | Where and when the inspection happened | Location / GPS, Date/Time, Text, Option List |
| Checklist | The pass or fail result for each item | Yes/No/NA |
| Evidence | Proof and detail for anything that failed | Multi Photo, Long Text |
| Sign-off | Who completed it and their confirmation | Acknowledgment, Signature |

The checklist is the core. Yes/No/NA is the right field type, because *not applicable* is a real answer during an inspection, distinct from *no*.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/inspection-01-form-structure.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T02%3A43%3A47Z&se=2026-10-30T03%3A43%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=CJm822Jpk9CIjGiWLBnSX6dqS3XTTTc45Fiz7gyIEt8%3D)

*An inspection form on the canvas with General Information, Checklist Items, Photos, and Sign-Off sections*

## Start the form

1. In the portal, go to **Forms** > **My Forms**.
2. Select **New Form** > **Form**, then select **Form Builder**.
3. Choose how to start.

- **Have a paper or PDF form?** Select **Upload PDF or Excel** or **Take a photo**, and FastField builds the form from the document
- **Describe your form:** Select **Describe your form**, describe the inspection and the checklist items you need, then select the send icon
- **Start from scratch:** Select **Open blank builder** and add the fields yourself

For example, you can describe the inspection like this:

*Create a site safety inspection for field technicians. Include a section for site details with location, inspection date, and inspector name. Add a safety checklist with Yes/No/NA items for fire extinguishers accessible, exits clear, PPE in use, first aid kit stocked, and signage visible. Add photos and notes for any failures, then an acknowledgment and inspector signature.*

FastField drafts the form and opens it in the Form Builder. Refine it from there.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> FastField saves the new form as a draft as soon as you start it. Users don't see it until you publish it.

## Build the checklist

Each checklist item is a Yes/No/NA field with the item as its label. Phrase every item so *Yes* always means the good outcome. Mixed wording is the fastest way to get unreliable inspection data.

1. Select **Add Fields** in the side bar.
2. Under Yes/No, select **Yes/No/NA**.
3. In Field Settings, enter the checklist item in **Field Label**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image-1792764886148.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T02%3A43%3A47Z&se=2026-10-30T03%3A43%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=CJm822Jpk9CIjGiWLBnSX6dqS3XTTTc45Fiz7gyIEt8%3D)

*The Add Fields tab with Yes/No/NA under Yes/No, next to the Checklist Items section on the canvas*

> [!NOTE]
> Tip
> 
> To add many items at once, ask the Assistant. Learn more in [Build the form with the Assistant](/fastfield/docs/form-builder-create-an-inspection-form#build-the-form-with-the-assistant).

## Make the important fields required

A required field can't be left blank, so a technician can't submit a half-finished inspection.

1. Select the field on the canvas.
2. In Field Settings, on the **General** tab, turn on **Required Field**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image-1792765054121.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T02%3A43%3A47Z&se=2026-10-30T03%3A43%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=CJm822Jpk9CIjGiWLBnSX6dqS3XTTTc45Fiz7gyIEt8%3D)

*Field Settings for a Yes/No/NA field, with the Required Field setting*

> [!NOTE]
> Tip
> 
> To make several fields required at once, select their checkboxes, then select **Bulk Edit** in the canvas toolbar.

> [!NOTE]
> Tip
> 
> To mark fields as required, or turn on GPS or timestamp capture, without opening field settings, select Settings in the Form Builder toolbar and turn on Show Quick Settings Icons.

Make the checklist items and the signature required. Leave the notes and photo fields optional, then use skip logic to require them only when an item fails.

## Ask for evidence when something fails

Instead of a photo field that's always visible and often ignored, use skip logic. Photo and notes fields then appear only when a check fails.

1. Select a checklist field on the canvas.
2. In Field Settings, select the **Behavior** tab, then select **Field Rules**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image-1792765294906.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T02%3A43%3A47Z&se=2026-10-30T03%3A43%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=CJm822Jpk9CIjGiWLBnSX6dqS3XTTTc45Fiz7gyIEt8%3D)

*The Behavior tab of Field Settings for a Yes/No/NA field, with Field Rules*

1. Select **Add Rule**.
2. Set the rule, for example: when the field **Equals** *No*, perform **Show** on the matching photo and notes fields, and otherwise perform **Hide**.
3. Repeat for each check that needs evidence.

For rules that depend on more than one field, select **Settings** in the bottom toolbar, then select **Advanced Form Rules**.

## Record a variable number of findings

An inspector might log 2 findings on one site and 9 on another. Put the finding fields in a repeating section or a subform, so the inspector can add an entry for each finding.

Learn more about [repeating sections](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-create-and-use-repeating-sections) and [subforms](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-create-and-use-subforms).

## Reuse your site list

If you inspect the same sites repeatedly, don't have technicians type the site name. Use a list, a Lookup List, or a Data Table so they choose from a saved set. That removes typos and makes filtering submissions by site reliable.

For assets labeled with barcodes or QR codes, a scan can fill in the asset details. Learn more about how to [set up a barcode scanner with QR codes](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-how-to-set-up-a-barcode-scanner-with-qr-codes).

## Add sign-off

Close the inspection with 2 fields:

- An **Acknowledgment** field the inspector must check to confirm the inspection is complete
- A **Signature** field to capture their signature

![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image-1792766070216.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T02%3A43%3A47Z&se=2026-10-30T03%3A43%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=CJm822Jpk9CIjGiWLBnSX6dqS3XTTTc45Fiz7gyIEt8%3D)

*A Sign-Off section with an overall result, comments, and 2 Signature fields*

## Validate, publish, and test

1. Select **Validation** in the side bar, and fix any errors it lists.
2. Select **Save Draft**, then select **Publish**.
3. Open the form in the FastField mobile app and run a real inspection through it. Confirm the skip logic works on a failed check.

> [!NOTE]
> Tip
> 
> To test before you publish, use **Preview on my device** in the Preview tab. Learn more about the [form preview](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-form-preview-function).

After users submit inspections, use Global Workflow to send them where they need to go, by email, forwarding, or third-party integrations. Select **Workflow** in the bottom toolbar to set it up.

## Build the form with the Assistant

The Assistant can add whole sections of checklist items, make fields required, and set up skip logic.

1. Select **Assistant** in the side bar.
2. Describe the change, for example *Add a Yes/No/NA checklist for ladders, scaffolding, and guardrails, and make each item required* or *Show the photo field when Exits clear is No*.
3. Send the message.

To get ideas for missing items, select the Assistant icon in a section header, then select **Suggest Fields**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image-1792766227261.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T02%3A43%3A47Z&se=2026-10-30T03%3A43%3A47Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=CJm822Jpk9CIjGiWLBnSX6dqS3XTTTc45Fiz7gyIEt8%3D)

*The Assistant menu for the Checklist Items section, with Suggest Fields, Suggest Improvements, Configure Rules, and quick actions*

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> Assistant changes aren't saved until you select **Save Draft**.

If your inspection is too large or complex to build yourself, our forms team can build it for you. Learn more about how to [request a form quote](/fastfield/docs/en/requesting-a-form-quote).

## What's next

- [Yes/No/NA (three state)](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-yes-no-na-three-state)
- [Create and use repeating sections](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-create-and-use-repeating-sections)
- [Form preview function](/fastfield/docs/en/form-builder-form-preview-function)