Live video inspections, on the record.
Live video inspection software for contractors whose building department inspects over a call. Schedule the call from the inspection, the inspector joins from a link in their email and guides the phone camera, and the recording goes into the same signed package as your photos and video.
Three people, one call
A link, not an account
They open the link in their email in a browser. No account, no download, nothing to install.
- The inspection’s steps sit beside the video.
- “Ask for a closer look” pops up on the phone at the site.
- They record the result on the same page.
One phone, the back camera
The homeowner in the Sentra Inspect app, or your technician in the crew app, holds the phone and shows what the inspector asks for.
- Mute and flip the camera any time.
- A Recording indicator stays on screen.
- If the signal drops, the call shows Reconnecting and picks back up.
Scheduled and watched from the portal
Book the call on the inspection with a time and the inspector’s name and email. Everyone gets the link and a calendar invite.
- Reschedule or cancel and the invite is sent again.
- Watch the call live with your camera and microphone off.
- See who agreed to the recording, and when.
How it works
- Office
Set the template
In a template’s How it’s done setting, choose Recorded, Live video or Either.
- Office
Schedule the call
Pick a time and add the inspector’s name and email. They get the link and a calendar invite.
- Everyone
Agree and join
Join opens 15 minutes before. Everyone agrees to the recording first, and the recording starts when the phone holder joins.
- Inspector
Inspect live
The inspector watches, follows the steps and asks for closer looks. Your office can watch too.
- Inspector
Result and record
The inspector records the result on the same page. The recording goes into the signed package.
What the inspector sees
One page in the browser: the video from the site on the left, the inspection’s steps and checklist on the right.
- Quick prompts like Move closer, Turn on a light or the flash and Show the label so I can read it are one click, and they can type their own.
- Every step has Ask to see this, so the person at the site knows exactly what to show next.
- Each prompt shows Seen once it has popped up on the phone.
- The Result tab has the same choices as a recorded inspection: passed, fix it and send new photos or video, fix it and re-inspect in person, stop for an in-person inspection, or need more.
- They can record it during the call or after, and the link keeps working for 7 days.
What the person at the site sees
A full-screen camera view with the back camera already on, so the work fills the screen.
- The inspector’s request appears across the top in large type, with their name.
- Mute, Flip and End are big buttons at the bottom, and the Recording indicator and call timer stay at the top.
- Before joining, they see the time, the inspector’s name and a plain recording notice to agree to.
- Homeowners use the Sentra Inspect app; technicians use the crew app they already have.
What your office sees
The Live video call card on the inspection shows the time, the inspector, a Copy link button and the call’s status.
- Watch opens the call in the portal with your camera and microphone off, so you can follow along without getting in the way.
- People lists everyone with the time they agreed to the recording and when they joined and left.
- After the call, the recording appears on the card with its length and SHA-256, already in the evidence package.
- Reschedule or cancel from the card, and the invite goes out again.
Everything in a live video inspection
Live, recorded or either
Each template’s How it’s done setting decides which an inspection can use.
Scheduled from the inspection
A time and the inspector’s name and email. Email link and calendar invite included.
Invites that stay current
Reschedule or cancel and the inspector, and the homeowner if they’re filming, get the update.
No account for the inspector
A browser link that opens 15 minutes before the call and works for 7 days after.
Steps beside the video
The inspector follows the template’s steps and checklist while they watch.
Ask for a closer look
Quick prompts, typed prompts and Ask to see this on any step, each marked Seen.
Back camera first
The phone holder can mute, flip the camera and end the call.
Everyone agrees first
Each person agrees to the recording before joining, and the time is stored.
Recorded from the start
Recording starts when the phone holder joins, and everyone sees that it’s on.
In the signed package
The recording is SHA-256 hashed and added with call times, who joined and the result.
Watch from the office
Follow the call from the portal with your camera and microphone off.
The inspector’s result
Recorded on the call page, during or after the call. You’re emailed.
Live video or recorded: the building department chooses
Under AB 1738, the inspector picks live video or recorded photos and video. Sentra Scheduler does both, from the same templates, consent and evidence package.
| Recorded | Live video | |
|---|---|---|
| When it happens | Whenever the customer or technician follows the steps; your office reviews before it goes out. | At a scheduled time, with the inspector watching. |
| What the inspector opens | An expiring link to the package, with Check files. | A call link from their email, then the same package afterwards. |
| Asking for more | The result can ask for new photos or video. | “Ask for a closer look” during the call. |
| What goes in the package | Every photo and video with its SHA-256 and capture facts. | The call recording with its SHA-256, call times, who joined, their recording consent and the result. |
| Price | Included in the per-user price. | Metered by the minute on top of the per-user price. |
How live video is billed
Metered by the minute
Live video is the one part of Sentra Scheduler billed by use. Minutes on a call and recording minutes are metered per company, on top of the one price per field user, and listed in Admin › Usage so you can see every call. Recorded inspections stay included. Ask us for rates.
What it doesn’t do
- Sentra Scheduler doesn’t file anything in a building department’s own permit system. The inspector joins from your link.
- Whether a job can be inspected over live video is the building department’s choice, and the inspector can still require an in-person inspection.
- The package shows the recording hasn’t changed since it reached us. It doesn’t decide whether the work meets code.
- The Sentra Inspect app is on its way to the App Store and Google Play. Technicians can already film calls in the crew app.
This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Requirements come from the chaptered text of AB 1738 on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and from each building department’s own remote inspection protocol. California’s rules on recording calls are why everyone agrees before joining; ask your own counsel how they apply to you.
Common questions
Does the inspector need an account or an app?
No. They get an email with a link and a calendar invite, and join from a browser. The link opens 15 minutes before the call and keeps working for 7 days, so they can record the result afterwards.
Who holds the phone?
The homeowner, in the Sentra Inspect app, or your technician, in the crew app. They film with the back camera and can mute or flip it.
Is the call recorded?
Yes. Everyone agrees to the recording before they join, and each agreement is kept with its time. Recording starts when the phone holder joins, and the recording is added to the signed evidence package, the PDF and the share link.
Can our office watch?
Yes. Watch on the inspection’s Live video call card opens the call in the portal with your camera and microphone off.
What if the signal drops?
The phone shows Reconnecting and the call picks back up when the signal returns. If the inspector can’t see enough, they can ask for more or require an in-person inspection.
Can one inspection use both live video and recorded steps?
Yes. Set the template’s How it’s done to Either. Recorded steps work the same as on the recorded remote inspections page, and a live call can be scheduled too.
How is live video billed?
By the minute, on top of the one price per field user: minutes on the call and recording minutes, metered per company. There are no dollar amounts on this site; ask us for rates.
Does AB 1738 require live video?
No. It lets the inspector choose live video or recorded photos and video. Ask your building department which it accepts. Sentra Scheduler does both.