Gradelog generates inspector-ready as-built PDFs directly from field data: set up the job with design elevations and benchmark info, log field shots in real time with the mobile app, review the shot log for completeness, then generate the PDF with one button. The report includes cover page, benchmark info, equipment records, a complete data table with deviations and pass/fail, elevation profile for pipe runs, and a signature block — no Excel, no reformatting.
Why PDF Generation from Field Data Matters
Traditional as-built documentation workflow: field crew writes in notebooks, office staff transcribes into a spreadsheet, someone formats the spreadsheet into a PDF, someone else reviews it for errors. Three or four people touch the data between the field and the inspector’s hands. Each handoff is a chance for an error, an omission, or a transcription mistake.
Gradelog’s as-built generation eliminates the middle steps: the data you enter in the field is the data in the PDF. No transcription, no reformatting. The timestamp, GPS location, and equipment ID are captured automatically at the moment of measurement.
Step-by-Step: From Field to PDF
Step 1: Set Up the Job
Before going to the field, create a job in Gradelog:
- Enter the job name, location, owner, and contract number.
- Set the benchmark: ID, description, datum, and published elevation.
- Enter design elevations for each measurement point (pipe inverts at each manhole, pad elevation at key grid points, etc.).
- Assign instruments: select the level, GPS rover, or pipe laser being used, with its serial number and calibration date.
- Set the project tolerance (e.g., ±0.05 ft for sewer inverts).
Step 2: Log Field Shots
From the field, open the job in the Gradelog mobile app. For each measurement point:
- Select the point (by station, manhole ID, or grid coordinates).
- Enter the rod reading or measured elevation.
- The app immediately calculates deviation (measured − design) and shows pass (green) or fail (red).
- Add a photo if required.
- Add a note for any unusual conditions.
All entries are timestamped and GPS-located automatically. Failing shots are flagged immediately — you know in real time if a grade check fails, before backfill.
Step 3: Review the Shot Log
After the field session, review the shot log in the Gradelog dashboard:
- Verify all required measurement points have been logged.
- Check that all failing shots have been re-checked and that the re-check passed.
- Confirm the benchmark re-verification shot (at end of session) is logged.
- Review photos attached to any flagged shots.
Step 4: Generate the PDF
From the job dashboard, click “Generate As-Built Report.” Select the report type (grade verification, sewer as-built, pad certification, or compaction report) and click Generate. The PDF is ready in seconds and includes:
- Cover page: Job name, owner, contractor, date, permit number.
- Control information: Benchmark ID, description, datum, elevation used, and instrument details.
- Data table: All measurement points with design elevation, measured elevation, deviation, and pass/fail.
- Profile chart (for pipe runs): Visual elevation profile comparing design vs as-built invert at each station.
- Signature block: Contractor and inspector signature lines with date.
Step 5: Share or Print
Email the PDF directly from Gradelog to the inspector, upload it to the project portal, or share a public link. The inspector opens it on their phone or computer without needing a Gradelog account. Or print and sign for projects requiring wet signatures.
What Inspectors Say
Common inspector feedback on Gradelog as-builts: the benchmark and equipment information that is often missing from contractor-submitted as-builts is always present; the deviation column eliminates the manual check they would otherwise have to do; and the digital timestamp means they do not have to ask “when was this measured?”