📖 Add a header disclaimer to your inspection reports

Product: Inspections & Reporting — Report Styles

Last updated: September 2026

Overview

A header disclaimer is text of your own that appears at the top of an inspection report, above the inspection content. You set it on a report style, and it appears on every report generated using that style.

It works the same way as the footer disclaimer you may already be using — the difference is only where it appears on the report. Use it for a preamble, a set of conditions, a policy statement, or a reference to another document.

This article is for anyone who manages Report Styles for your organization.

Getting Started

Turn it on

The header disclaimer needs to be enabled for your business before the field appears. Contact your Customer Success Manager to request it.

Add your text

1. Go to Report Styles.
2. Open the report style you want to change.
3. Scroll to the Header section. Header report disclaimer is the last field in that section.
4. Type or paste your text.
5. Check the preview on the right — it updates as you type.
6. Select Save.

Make sure it reaches your reports

A report style only applies to inspections whose template points at it. To check:

1. Open the inspection template.
2. Go to its report workflow settings.
3. Confirm your report style is set as the default report style.

If you generate reports manually, you can also choose the report style at the point of generating the report.

Remove it

Clear the Header report disclaimer field and select Save. Reports generated from that point on will not include it. Reports you have already generated keep the text they were issued with — see the FAQs below.

Where the disclaimer appears on the report

The header disclaimer renders at the top of the report, below the inspector and resident details and above the first inspection section. It appears centered, in a shaded box with italic text.

You will see it in all of these places:

• The live preview in Report Styles, as you type
• The report preview after an inspection is completed, on web and on mobile
• The generated report
• The report PDF

On mobile, the text is stored on the device along with the rest of the report style, so the preview works even when there is no network connection.

Using different disclaimers for different inspections

The header disclaimer is a property of the report style, not of an individual inspection template. If you need different wording for different kinds of inspection:

1. Create a report style for each variation.
2. Add the appropriate header disclaimer to each one.
3. Assign each report style as the default report style on the relevant inspection templates.

Each report style holds one header disclaimer.

Header and footer disclaimers together

You can use both at once. The header disclaimer appears at the top of the report and the footer disclaimer at the bottom, and both render in the same shaded box style.

If you were already using a footer disclaimer, its appearance changes when the header disclaimer is enabled for your business — it moves into the same shaded box. The text itself is unchanged.

The footer disclaimer field stays where it has always been, in the Formatting section of the report style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will adding a header disclaimer change reports I have already generated?

No. Each generated report is a fixed record of how it looked when it was created. Changing or removing the header disclaimer only affects reports generated afterwards. If you want an existing inspection's report to include the new text, generate the report again.

Can I format the text — bold, bullet points, or a link?

Not currently. The field accepts plain text, the same as the footer disclaimer field.

How long can the text be?

There is no set limit, but longer text takes up more of the first page of the report. Preview it before you save, and check a generated PDF if you are adding a long passage.

Does a disclaimer change what the inspection report means or how it can be used?

No. The field displays the text you enter. It does not change how inspections are conducted, how reports are produced, or how they are stored. HappyCo does not provide, review, or advise on disclaimer wording — please consult your own legal advisor.

I saved my text but it is not on the report. What should I check?

Three things, in order. First, confirm the feature is enabled for your business — if the field is not visible in Report Styles, it is not enabled yet. Second, check that the report style is set as the default report style on the inspection template. Third, if you are looking at a report that was generated before you added the text, generate it again.

The text is on the web preview but not on my phone. Why?

Your device needs to sync the updated report style. Wait for the next sync or refresh the app, then reopen the preview.

Can I use a different disclaimer for move-in versus move-out inspections?

Yes — create a separate report style for each and assign them to the relevant inspection templates.