Landview Surveyors is a leading residential surveying firm, known for its commitment to quality, compliance, and providing thorough, reliable property reports. Founded by David Coplin-Chard AssocRICS ACABE, a Registered Valuer (VRS) and Director & Principal Surveyor, Landview has grown significantly since its inception. With a team of experienced surveyors operating across the country, the business has evolved from a small independent practice to a reputable name in the industry.
As the company expanded, the need for a streamlined, efficient, and compliant surveying solution became clear. Manual processes and traditional note-taking methods proved limiting, especially as the team grew. To maintain its high standards and ensure consistency across all surveyors, Landview turned to GoReport.
In this case study, David Coplin-Chard discusses the firm’s growth, how GoReport has transformed its workflow, and the tangible benefits they’ve experienced.
Scaling a Surveying Business with the Right Technology
David started Landview Surveyors as a one-man band, relying on traditional surveying methods. Initially, manual note-taking and dictation worked well for a single surveyor, but as demand for their services grew, it became clear that a more scalable and efficient system was needed.
“When the firm started, I was using a different software, but as we expanded and started hiring more surveyors, I knew we needed something more robust,” David explains. “The challenge wasn’t just about finding a tool for reporting, it had to be easy to roll out, simple for new surveyors to learn, and adaptable to ensure compliance.”
At the time, Landview had just four surveyors, but David had ambitious plans for growth. He knew that without a structured system in place, onboarding new surveyors, maintaining compliance, and ensuring high-quality reporting would become increasingly difficult.
Why Landview Chose GoReport
After evaluating several options, GoReport stood out for its intuitive layout, strong compliance features, and customisation capabilities. Unlike other solutions, GoReport offered a structured yet flexible system that could be tailored to match Landview’s workflow.
“I probably wasn’t the easiest client at first because I wanted to tweak everything,” David admits. “But the GoReport team really listened. There were some things they couldn’t change, but in many cases, they worked with me to adapt the system to fit our processes. The ability to customise templates, ensure compliance, and integrate our own methodology was a game-changer.”
One of the biggest factors in choosing GoReport was its ability to standardise reporting across the growing team. Landview’s reports needed to be not only comprehensive and accurate but also formatted in a way that would hold up under scrutiny.
“With GoReport, we can ensure that every surveyor follows the same structured methodology,” David explains. “If a report ever needs to be reviewed or audited, we know the site notes are clear, the methodology is consistent, and the documentation is in order.”
Seamless Integration into Daily Workflow
GoReport is now fully embedded into Landview’s daily operations. The firm uses it for on-site data capture, compliance tracking, and report generation, ensuring that every survey is conducted and documented with precision and consistency.
“It’s become an integral part of how we work,” David says. “Surveyors use it to capture site notes and observations in real time, ensuring that no details are missed. It’s helped us move away from paper-based systems, which were slow, inconsistent, and prone to human error.”
A key advantage has been GoReport’s custom clauses and categorisation system, which Landview uses to structure reports in a methodical, client-friendly way.
“We’ve categorised everything so it follows a storybook order,” David explains. “Each section has a clear beginning, middle, and end. We start with an introduction, detail the building’s construction, highlight defects and associated issues, provide a summary, and give the client a clear, concise recommendation.”
This structured approach not only improves the clarity of reports but also ensures that every surveyor, whether they are newly qualified or highly experienced, follows the same best practices.
Key Benefits of GoReport for Landview Surveyors
Since adopting GoReport, Landview has seen significant improvements in efficiency, compliance, and training. Reports that once took days to compile can now be completed much faster, allowing surveyors to focus on quality rather than admin.
Training and onboarding have become significantly easier, particularly for new surveyors transitioning from traditional pen-and-paper methods. GoReport’s intuitive design means that even those unfamiliar with digital solutions adapt quickly and begin producing high-quality reports in a short timeframe.
One of the biggest advantages has been improved compliance and audit trails. Digital site notes ensure that reports are clear, legible, and backed by a transparent audit trail, which is essential in case of client queries or legal scrutiny. Standardisation across the team means that every report follows the same structured methodology, eliminating inconsistencies in how different surveyors document findings.
Customisation has also been a standout feature for Landview. The ability to tailor reports, integrate custom clauses, and adapt templates has ensured that every report is branded and structured in a way that aligns with Landview’s high standards.
“The biggest benefit is compliance,” David emphasises. “If a client ever raises a question, we can pull up the report, see the surveyor’s notes, check the photographs, and have complete confidence in the documentation. That’s invaluable.”
A major challenge in growing any surveying firm is training new team members quickly and effectively. Landview recently brought in a new surveyor who had never used digital reporting software before, and GoReport made the transition seamless.
“He came from a traditional background, using pen and paper,” David explains. “In his first week, he was already faster using GoReport than when he started. By the second week, he was even quicker. So by the time you get to the end of your first month, second month, third month, so on, you’re flying through the onsite inspection and writing the report.”
This ease of onboarding has been critical to Landview’s growth, allowing them to expand their team without compromising on quality.
Another major advantage is the ability to work more efficiently, regardless of weather conditions.
“We’re not bogged down in kind of mucking about with paper and pencil, site notes when it’s pouring down with rain,” David explains. “You can get to the site, do the thorough visual inspection, take your notes and site notes, your photos digitally, and then be assisted with writing the report up with those prompts and clauses. Which means you can spend more time reviewing tomorrow’s property which you’re getting ready for client phone calls.”
Supporting Long-Term Growth
Since adopting GoReport, Landview has experienced over 100% growth, expanding from four surveyors to a team of 14, along with four admin staff.
“I can confidently say GoReport has been a pivotal part of our growth,” David says. “Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to scale at the rate we have.”
Looking ahead, Landview plans to continue leveraging GoReport to improve efficiency, train new surveyors, and refine their reporting process.
“We want to be the standout brand for residential surveying in the UK,” David states. “GoReport is helping us achieve that by allowing us to focus on what matters – delivering high-quality reports, ensuring compliance, and growing the business in a structured, sustainable way.”
For other surveying firms considering GoReport, David’s advice is simple: “Just do it.”
“There’s a learning curve, but once you get used to it, the time savings and quality improvements are undeniable,” he says. “If you’re looking to scale your business, improve compliance, and make training seamless, GoReport is an essential tool.”
With its ability to streamline workflows, enhance compliance, and support growth, GoReport has become an invaluable part of Landview Surveyors’ success, and will continue to play a key role in their future expansion.