Nexus OS Field Manual

The complete user guide for the Nexus OS field app. Read it start to finish once, then keep it open on the job. The Academy turns every page of this into a practice job you can run with fake data first.

Quick start

Open the field app on your phone. The header shows NEXUS FIELD and an online badge.
Load the job. Under Scheduled & Waiting to Start you see today's booked appointments. Tap one, or type the address in the box. Suggestions appear as you type. An APPOINTMENT badge means it is a scheduled booking (always pick this so the customer and add-ons attach to the job). An EXISTING badge means an inspection file already exists for that address.
Tap Start Inspection.
Choose how you are conducting it (see the four modes below).
Capture photos, video and notes. Everything lands in the This Session list and uploads in the background.
Complete Inspection when you are done. Keep the app open until uploads finish.

Golden ruleWait for green. Every item in This Session shows a status: queued, uploading, uploaded or error. Uploaded is the only status that means it is safe on the server.

The four modes

After you tap Start Inspection, the app asks How are you conducting this inspection? Pick by what the customer actually asked for.

Mode	Use it when	What you get
Templated Inspection	A full home inspection. Best for new inspectors and the certification course.	A stage bar that guides you through the house so nothing is skipped, plus the required Property Systems Profile.
Free Style	You have your own established workflow.	The normal field app with no imposed structure.
Bird Dog	An investor or buyer wants a fast look: photos, video and your overview. No written inspection.	Property overview box, live walkthrough recorder, and an AI-written walkthrough report built from your narration.
Scope of Work	The customer named exactly what to inspect ("just the roof and the panel").	Capture limited to those items. Every shot is tagged as a Scope of Work comment. Mark each item PASS or FAIL.

Templated inspection

Templated mode adds a stage bar in the order a professional works a house:

Client Walkthrough
Drone / Roof
Elevations (Clockwise)
Garage / Auxiliary
Sewer Scope
Electrical Panel
Structural
Plumbing / Water Test
HVAC
Room-by-Room

Working a stage

Tap the stage chip. It becomes the current stage (teal outline).
Capture your photos and video for that stage.
Tap ✓ Mark "Stage" Done. The chip turns green.
If the thing is not on the property (no garage, no sewer cleanout), tap Mark N/A — Not Present. The chip is struck through. This records that you checked.

Never skip silentlyAn unmarked stage is an unexplained gap in the report. Done or N/A, every time.

The Property Systems Profile

Before a Templated inspection can be completed, the app shows the Property Systems Profile. It identifies the property's core systems for the report: main water supply line, water distribution, foundation material and type, roof type, roof service life remaining, roof condition, attic insulation, floor insulation, rim joist insulation and more. Every question is required except the free-text "Other" boxes. Pick what you actually observed. Choose Unable to Determine or Unknown when that is the honest answer.

Scope of Work

Pick Scope of Work at the mode screen.
The Scope of Work — Customer Requested box lists exactly what the customer asked you to inspect.
Capture only those items. Every shot is tagged as a Scope of Work comment.
Mark each item PASS or FAIL as you go.

Why it mattersStaying inside the scope protects you. You documented what you were hired to do, nothing more, nothing less.

Bird Dog

Bird Dog is the quick-recon product for investors and buyers. No written inspection report. You deliver a property overview, a walkthrough video, photos, and an AI-written walkthrough report that is built from what you say on camera.

Step by step

Property Overview. Type a few sentences: condition, obvious red flags, general impression for the investor. Tap Save Overview.
Record Walkthrough (Video + Audio). This is the live recorder. One take records the video for the client and automatically extracts the audio file the AI needs. Nothing extra to do.
- Tap ● Start Walkthrough. The recording auto-splits into 30-second clips as you go. Just keep talking and walking.
- Tap ■ Finish Walkthrough only when you are actually done.
Photos. Use Camera: New Finding (Photo) for evidence shots.
Complete Inspection when done.

Live record vs uploadRecord Walkthrough captures video and the AI audio in one take. Upload Already-Recorded Clip(s) is for footage you already have, and it does not extract audio automatically. If cell signal is weak, still record live in the app and let the uploads finish later when signal returns.

Multi-unit playbook (apartments, flats, commercial)

The AI report is only as good as how you narrate and shoot. These rules are what make a 17-unit building come out as 17 clean unit sections instead of one blur.

Rule 1 — Say the unit firstThe first thing you say for each unit is its number, clearly: "Unit 101." The AI cuts your narration into units by that announcement. Do it every time, for every unit, including common areas ("Laundry room", "Utility room").

Rule 2 — One unit at a timeNarrate a unit, finish it, then announce the next. Do not wander between units while describing the first one. If you mention another unit's number in passing, say it clearly as part of the current unit's story or wait until you are in it.

Rule 3 — Photos right after each unitWhen you finish a unit's narration, take that unit's photos immediately, then tag them with the unit as the location (for example Unit 101). Photos are matched to units by their location label and by timestamp, so shoot unit by unit, not all at the end.

Rule 4 — Name common areasGive the exterior sides (A side, B side), laundry room, utility room and similar their own labels. They get their own sections.

Narration tips

Talk like you are walking the buyer through it: what is done, what is left.
Be specific: "kitchen base cabinets are in, countertop needs to be set" beats "kitchen okay".
Say counts when it helps: "four windows missing screens".
Stay positive and factual. Reports are written to be shown to buyers.

Capturing media

Button	What it does
Camera: New Finding (Photo)	Opens the in-app camera. Take as many shots as you need for one finding (wide shot for context, close-up for detail). Close with X to add them to the session.
Video	Records a video clip directly.
Upload from library	Attach photos or videos already on your phone.
Flashlight	Toggles the light for dark spaces such as basements, panels and crawlspaces.
Add Media by Drive Link / Import Whole Drive Folder	For media that was uploaded to Drive outside the app, or redoing an old inspection where every file is named "Location, Finding description".

Uploads and completing

The session list

Everything you capture appears under This Session with a status. Uploads run from the phone in the background. Keep the app open, the screen on if you can, and stay on a good connection until items read uploaded.

Completing with videos still uploading

Videos are big and signal is slow. If only videos are still uploading when you tap Complete Inspection, the app asks whether to complete anyway. Choose Complete anyway. The uploads continue from your phone. If anything other than videos is still pending, finish those first.

Other inspections' unfinished uploads

The app only uploads the inspection you currently have open, so a stuck old job never blocks today's. If another inspection has unfinished uploads, a banner says so and they are paused. Tap Upload now on the banner when you are on good signal to push them.

Your report

Bird Dog report

Once your clips are uploaded, the AI transcribes your narration, splits it by unit, and writes the report: a headline and overview, then a line-item scope of work for each unit with trade, materials, and material and labor cost ranges, photos grouped under their unit, a cost analysis by trade, and a grand total range. The tone is positive and plug-and-play so you can put it in front of a buyer.

Costs are estimatesThe figures are planning-level estimates based on market rates. They are not contractor quotes. Always tell the buyer to get actual bids before making financial decisions.

Other reports

Full inspections are compiled into a client report with a draft review step before delivery, including PDF export. This section of the manual is being expanded as the Academy grows.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Do this
Videos stuck on "uploading"	Stay in the app on a stronger connection (Wi-Fi if available). Do not force-close the app. Large videos can take a while on weak signal.
Complete Inspection will not go through	Something other than a video is still pending. Wait for those items to read uploaded, then try again. If only videos remain, choose Complete anyway.
A banner says another inspection has unfinished uploads	Those are paused on purpose. Tap Upload now when you have good signal.
A unit is missing or merged in the report	The unit was probably not announced clearly at the start of its narration. Re-record that unit with the unit number first, or tell your instructor so the report can be rebuilt.
Photos show under the wrong unit	The photos were tagged with the wrong location, or shot long after the unit's video. Tag by unit right after each unit.
No signal at the property	Still capture everything. Items queue on the phone and upload when signal returns. Do not clear the app's data before they finish.

Field checklists

Before you leave the truck

Phone charged, storage free, app updated.
Job loaded from the appointment list.
Right mode picked for what the customer asked.

On site, every unit (Bird Dog)

Say the unit number first.
Narrate: what is done, what is left.
Photos right after the unit's video.
Tag the photos with the unit.

Before you drive away

Every stage Done or N/A (Templated).
Systems Profile filled in (Templated).
Items uploaded, or you are on good signal and the app stays open for the videos.
Inspection completed.

Photo technique and the Field Walk

Good photos make a good report. Use the same habits on every job:

Wide, then close. One wide shot shows where something is; one close-up shows exactly what is wrong.
Fill the frame with the subject, keep it sharp, and use the flashlight toggle in dark rooms.
Label as you go. Tag photos with the unit, room or side of the building (A, B, C, D).
Not there? Say so. Mark the item N/A, Not Present instead of skipping it silently.
Keep people and personal papers out of frame. Retake the shot.
Safety and access first. Be cleared to be on site, stay in the areas you were hired for, and never open panels or touch live electrical parts.

The Field Walk in the Academy trains these habits on a real property. Use your phone: inspection points appear around you, a compass shows which way to turn, and you locate the real item, frame it and photograph it. The AI photo check reviews each shot and does not store it. The Reference Library in the Academy show real photos from PCI jobs with what to look for in each area.

The Nexus AI coach

Inside the Academy, the Nexus AI coach rides with you on every practice job. It knows which step you are on, gives hints, and answers questions in plain language. Ask it why a rule exists, how a screen works, or to explain a mistake. It only coaches on what is covered in this manual and will tell you when something is outside its training. It will not give out final-exam answers.