Tell the Story with Photos

Pictures can assist in creating estimates, explaining an invoice and helping to protect from unwarranted litigation. Interested parties may have questions that are easily answered just by looking at the photos. But not all photos are worth taking and saving. These are some tips to visually document job sites quickly and efficiently.  

Initial Inspection Photos

Start by documenting how the home was found. What prompted the customer to call and was there existing damage in the area that was non-related to the service call. This is a clear record of the condition the home was in before work was performed.

Stages of Work Photos

Document the overview of every room after each stage of work. Photos in two opposite corners can sometimes be enough to capture the entire room. If a picture is taken in the exact same location each time then it is easy to see what is happening in each phase. This can become a way to walk through a project after all work has been completed.

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Close Up Photos

Be very selective about what close up photos are taken. Some interested parties will not be able to be onsite throughout the project and will rely only on pictures. Close up photos with no context can be hard to figure out what is going on. Be sure to capture the overview before zooming in to help others effortlessly understand what they are being shown.

Final Photos

Finally, document the home after all work is complete on the last day of the job. Simply capture an overview of each room. Take pictures of any remaining concerns that were addressed with the homeowner. This is a record of the condition the home was left in.

Save Photos in One Location

There needs to be one online location where all photos are saved and assessable to the entire company. Everyone in the field that takes photos should not keep them on their phone. Utilize apps like Company Cam, Encircle or even Drop Box. Some apps allow pictures to separated by room and easily organized to create professional photo reports. These reports can be sent in with the invoice and increase the value of the photos taken.

Conclusion

Photos are easy to take and won't be a waste of time if taken with precision. Get in the habit now of visually documenting every project at the beginning, after each phase, and at the end. This is a simple way to get estimating and billing to run more smoothly.