A vehicle inspection is the walkaround your techs do on a job: a Pre-install inspection records the car's condition before work starts, and a Post-install inspection confirms the finished work. The customer then signs off, and the signed record is locked. Techs usually run it from the SalesThumb mobile app; it's open to anyone with installer, sales, or management mobile access. Filling out an inspection in the mobile app needs the Growth plan or higher — on Starter the app is view-only for these changes, so do them in the web app instead.
This article covers running an inspection. To build the checklists your techs see, see Setting up QC gates and inspection checklists.
Opening the inspection
- Open the job in the mobile app.
- Scroll to the Vehicle ID and Inspection section. You'll see a Pre-inspection row and a Post-inspection row, each with a status (Not started, In progress with a count of checked items, or Signed off).
- Tap Start (or Open if it's already underway).
At the top of the screen, switch between Pre-install and Post-install. If the inspection hasn't started yet, tap Start Pre-Inspection (or Start Post-Inspection). If your shop has more than one checklist for that phase, you'll see Choose a checklist instead — tap the one you want (your shop's default is tagged Default). If the shop hasn't built its own checklist, SalesThumb uses a built-in one.
Working the checklist
Once started, the inspection has three tabs: Photos, Checklist, and Sign-off. A summary line shows how many items are done, how many issues you've flagged, and whether it's signed.
On the Checklist tab, each item has three buttons: OK, Issue, and N/A. Items start with the answer your checklist pre-selects, so change any that don't match what you see.
- Issue items need detail. Marking an item Issue opens a notes box ("Describe the issue — scratch, chip, prior damage…"). You need either a note or a photo on every Issue item before the customer can sign.
- Photos: tap the camera tile on an item, choose Camera or Photo Library, then tap Upload N photos to send them. Long-press a photo to remove it.
- Extra items: tap + Add checklist item to add one, or the remove control on an item to drop it.
Tap Save progress as you go. If any item is still unanswered, the work is kept on that phone only ("Saved on this phone") and syncs to the shop once every item is marked. You'll also see "On this phone only" or "Unsaved changes" in the summary line until it syncs. Your edits are also kept on the phone if the app closes, so you don't lose them.
View Report at the top shows a plain-text summary under the customer's name, with a Share Report button.
Getting the customer's sign-off
Open the Sign-off tab. For a Pre-install inspection the customer agrees to the car's existing condition; for Post-install they approve the finished work. You have three ways to capture it:
- Text customer a sign-off link — texts the customer a link to review the checklist and sign on their own phone. The customer needs a phone number on file. Every item has to be answered first, and any unsaved changes are saved before the link goes out.
- Draw signature here — the customer signs on your device in person.
- Staff attestation — only if the customer can't do either of the above. Turn on the switch and type the customer's printed name. This is recorded as typed by staff, not as the customer's own signature.
When you're signing in person or by attestation, tap Sign off and lock. SalesThumb blocks sign-off until every item is answered, every Issue has a note or photo, and there's a signature or name.
Automatic sign-off texts
If your shop has Text sign-off link automatically turned on (on the web it's in the Customer sign-off card on the Inspections tab of Settings → Quality Control), the app texts the link on its own once every item is checked and saved. A banner counts down for 8 seconds first — tap Cancel to stop it. It only sends one automatic link per inspection.
What the customer sees
The link opens a page with your shop's name, the vehicle, and the full checklist with each item's status and notes. The customer chooses Type or Draw, enters their name, and taps Confirm & sign. Once signed, the page shows a "Signed off" confirmation with the time.
After it's signed
A signed inspection is locked — nobody can change items, notes, photos, or the signature. To fix a mistake, tap Reopen for correction. That clears the customer's signature, and the inspection has to be signed again before it counts.
On the web app, the same inspection shows on the job's page, with a Request customer sign-off button that lets you Show QR for the customer to scan or Send link by text or email.
If your shop turned on "Require a signed post-install inspection" in its QC gates, the invoice pay link can't be sent until the Post-install inspection is signed.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I save an inspection before every item is checked?
A: Yes, but only on your phone. Save progress keeps the work on the device until every item is marked OK, Issue, or N/A, then it syncs to the shop.
Q: Why can't the customer sign yet?
A: Every item must be answered, every Issue item needs a note or photo, and there must be a signature or printed name. The app tells you which rule is blocking sign-off.
Q: How do I fix a signed inspection?
A: Tap Reopen for correction. It clears the customer's signature, and the inspection needs a new signature before it counts as signed again.
Q: The Text customer a sign-off link button is greyed out. Why?
A: The customer has no phone number on file. Have them draw their signature on your device instead, or add their phone number first.
Q: Can I stop the automatic sign-off text?
A: Yes. Tap Cancel during the 8-second countdown, or have an owner, admin, or manager turn off Text sign-off link automatically in Settings → Quality Control.