How long do you keep inspection records?

Inspection reports, correction photos, work orders, vendor invoices, test logs — how far back do you keep them, and in what form? Retention rules differ by program and funder, and the file you need is always the one from two cycles ago. Share your retention schedule and your filing structure, digital or otherwise.

The retention question answers itself the first time a reviewer asks about a prior cycle and the room goes quiet. Keep the reports, the correction proof, the logs, and the invoices together per inspection, and keep them longer than feels necessary — storage is cheap and reconstruction is not. The other half is findability: a record you cannot locate in five minutes is a rumor, not a record. How many inspection cycles back can you actually reach into your files — and has an old record ever saved you in a review?