Home Inspection

Horizon Is Shutting Down: An Honest Guide to Your Options

Published August 14, 2026 · 6 min read · By the Inspection Authority team

For Horizon inspectors · Updated August 2026

On December 15, 2026, Carson Dunlop's Horizon inspection software goes dark. If you've built your inspection business on it — some of you for a decade or more — you've been handed a deadline you never asked for, along with a strong nudge toward one specific replacement.

We're a competitor, so read everything here with that in mind. But we're going to try to earn your trust the same way you earn your clients': by telling you the whole picture, including the parts that don't favor us.

First — three things to do no matter which platform you choose

1. Export your report archive from Horizon now. Your past reports are your legal record. After sunset, retrieving them may range from inconvenient to impossible. Download everything — reports, agreements, invoices — while the lights are still on.

2. Export your comment library. Your comment language is years of accumulated judgment — it's the most valuable thing you own besides your reputation. Get a copy out of Horizon in whatever format it allows, even if it's ugly. Any platform worth joining can work with it.

3. Export your contacts. Clients, agents, past customers. Your referral network is your marketing engine; don't leave it inside a product that's being turned off.

The default path — and why "default" should worry you a little

Carson Dunlop has partnered with Spectora for migration, and to be fair: Spectora is capable software with a large team behind it. Many Horizon inspectors will land there and do fine.

But it's worth pausing on how you got here. You're in this position because you built your business inside a platform whose owner made a business decision that didn't include you. The single most important question to ask your next platform isn't about features — it's this: "If I ever need to leave, does my work leave with me?" Ask it directly, and get the answer in writing before you commit years of work again.

What to compare when you're comparing

Pricing structure. Base subscriptions, added inspectors, optional per-report features, and annual terms can all affect the total. Run the math at your actual headcount and volume using current vendor pages and written quotes.

Termite/WDO. If you do WDO work, distinguish form support from a dedicated workflow. Spectora's current page lists special forms including WDI and NPMA-33; separately verify diagrams, authorizations, completion notices, chemical logs, and recurring service billing.

The business layer. Bookkeeping, mileage, invoicing, tax summaries, email marketing. If the platform doesn't do these, you'll pay for two or three more tools on top — count that in the real price.

Data ownership. Not "can I export a PDF" — can you export your library, your contacts, your financial records, in usable formats, without asking permission or paying a fee?

Where we fit — the short version

Inspection Authority is built by a Certified Master Inspector who still inspects daily. It publishes separate home and termite/WDO base plans, per-active-inspector pricing, and no per-inspection fees on its current pricing page. It also offers a 3,000+ finding library, WDO diagrams and state forms, bookkeeping, mileage with IRS deduction tracking, sales analytics, and year-end exports.

For Horizon inspectors specifically: we migrate your comment library and narratives free, and everything you bring or build here is exportable, anytime, forever. That's not a feature — it's the policy that would have saved you this headache the first time.

If we're not the right fit, choose whoever is — but choose. The worst outcome of a forced migration is drifting through the chute without ever making a real decision.

Read the full Horizon switch guide →

Horizon and competitor information reviewed August 19, 2026 from Carson Dunlop's sunset notice and the vendors' official pages.

See it in the field, not a sales deck

Inspection Authority was built by a Certified Master Inspector who still inspects every week. Home inspections, termite/WDO reports, recurring pest-control billing, and true offline mode — in one app.

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Frequently asked questions

When does Horizon inspection software shut down?

Carson Dunlop's Horizon inspection software sunsets on December 15, 2026. After that date, access to the platform ends, and retrieving past reports may be difficult or impossible. Export your report archive, comment library, and contacts before the deadline.

What should Horizon inspectors export before the sunset?

Three things, no matter which platform you choose next: your full report archive (your legal record), your comment library (years of accumulated language), and your contacts (clients, agents, and past customers). Download them while Horizon is still online.

What are the alternatives to Horizon?

Carson Dunlop's official recommended migration platform is Spectora, with a published one-click migration path. Inspectors can also choose another platform. Compare current pricing, data export, offline workflow, WDO needs, and migration support before deciding.