How Are Inspection Scores Calculated?

How Are Inspection Scores Calculated?

When an inspector finishes an inspection in the mobile app, Clean Smarts shows a total score and a percentage. That number is the sum of the points earned on each rated checklist item, divided by the total points that were possible for the items that counted.

This article explains the default scoring system, walks through a real example, and points you to custom scoring when you need pass/fail, 10-point scales, or heavier weight on certain tasks.

Applies to: Account administrators who configure checklists and scoring templates, and managers or inspectors who run inspections in the mobile app. You need the Checklist (Company) module on your role to manage scoring templates in the web portal.

How the Total Score Works

Every checklist task in an inspection can earn points up to that task's maximum score. The inspection total is:

Points earned ÷ Total possible points × 100 = Inspection percentage

Only tasks the inspector actually rated count toward both the numerator and the denominator. Tasks marked N/A are skipped entirely—they add zero points and do not increase the possible total.

Completed inspections also show subtotals for each checklist section (for example, "Restrooms" or "Lobby"). Those section scores use the same rules: add the rated items, divide by the possible points for those items, and roll everything up into the score at the top.

Clean Smarts Default Scoring

If a task has no custom scoring template assigned, it uses Default scoring—a three-level scale worth up to 5 points per task:

N/A means the task does not apply at this location (no urinals, no blinds, and so on). Because it scores 0 out of 0, it is excluded from both the earned total and the possible total.

In the web portal, open a checklist under Quality > Checklists and look at the Scoring Template column. Tasks that say Default use this built-in scale.

Worked Example: Default Scoring

Imagine an inspection with five tasks:

The earned total is 5 + 5 + 5 + 1 = 16.

The possible total is 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20—not 25, because the N/A task does not add to the denominator.

The final inspection score is 16 out of 20, or 80%.

What Inspectors See in the Mobile App

Inspectors rate each task from the inspection screen in the Clean Smarts mobile app. For default-scored tasks, they tap one of four buttons: Good, Ok, Bad, or N/A.

As they rate items, the running total at the top updates. When they submit the inspection, that same total appears in Quality > Inspections on the web and in inspection emails or PDFs sent to customers (when those notifications are turned on).

If a task uses a custom scoring template instead of Default, the inspector sees labeled buttons with the colors you configured—such as Pass / Fail or numbered scores on a 10-point scale.

Custom Scoring Templates

Default scoring works for many teams, but you can define your own point values and labels when you need more control:

• Pass/fail tasks that should only be worth 1 point
• 10-point scales for more granular ratings
• Weighted tasks where an important item can be worth more than a routine one
• Mixed templates in the same inspection—some tasks on the default scale, others on a custom template

Create and manage templates under Quality > Inspection Scoring Templates.
Then assign a template to individual tasks when you edit a checklist (Quality > Checklists, open a checklist, edit a task, and choose a Scoring Template other than Default).

You do not have to use one template for the whole inspection. A restroom task might stay on the default 5-point scale while a high-priority safety item uses a 10-point template so it counts twice as much in the final percentage.

For step-by-step setup, see How do I create custom scoring for inspection tasks?

Tip for N/A on custom templates: When you build a custom template, give the N/A option a negative value. That tells Clean Smarts to exclude the task from the score, the same way default N/A works.

Troubleshooting Common Score Questions

The percentage changed after I submitted, or it looks wrong while I'm still inspecting.

While the inspection is in progress, the total only includes tasks you've already rated. Unrated tasks are not part of the math yet. Finish rating (or mark non-applicable items N/A) before comparing your final number.

A location doesn't have certain fixtures, but my score is lower than expected.

Rate items that truly do not apply as N/A, not Bad. If you score a missing urinal as Bad (1 point), it still counts against the possible total. Marking it N/A removes it from the calculation entirely.

The score shows something like 50/10 or over 100%.

Check whether the task's Scoring Template matches how the inspector rated it. A pass/fail template expects 0 or 1—not the default 5/3/1 buttons. Edit the task on the checklist and confirm the assigned template, or re-rate using the correct options.

Different checklists in one inspection show their own subtotals.

That is expected. Each checklist section totals its own rated items, and those roll up into the inspection score shown at the top.

Related Articles

• How do I create custom scoring for inspection tasks?
• How do I create checklists?