Photograph the overall area, relevant existing conditions, identifiers, hidden work before it is covered, approved changes, and the completed result. Attach each image to the correct job with a phase, caption, date, and responsible user.
What to carry into the work
- Get permission and avoid unnecessary personal information.
- Use a wide, medium, and detail sequence so close-ups have context.
- Capture concealed work before walls, soil, or equipment covers it.
- Store photos on the job record—not only on a technician’s phone.
1. Start with purpose and permission
Take photos because they support estimating, safety, progress, customer communication, warranty, or completion—not because storage is cheap. Tell the customer when documentation is part of the work and follow site-specific rules.
Avoid people, personal documents, computer screens, vehicle plates, family photos, access codes, and unrelated areas. Commercial sites may prohibit cameras or require written authorization. When unsure, ask before recording.
2. Record the starting condition
Begin with a wide image that establishes the room, elevation, equipment, or landscape area. Add a medium image showing where the issue sits, then details of damage, wear, model numbers, shutoffs, connections, measurements, or other evidence relevant to the work.
Photograph pre-existing damage near the work area before tools or materials arrive. A close-up without location context is difficult to interpret later, so pair details with wider views.
- Overall work area and access route
- Reported issue and surrounding condition
- Equipment labels, model numbers, or measurements
- Nearby surfaces that could be affected
- Safety, access, or disposal conditions
3. Capture work that will disappear
Progress photos are most valuable when a later step will conceal the work. Record substrate preparation, in-wall or underground connections, flashing, fasteners, waterproofing, wiring, or other details before they are covered—when permitted and relevant to the trade.
If scope changes, photograph the discovered condition and attach a caption explaining what was found. The photo supports a conversation; it does not replace customer approval for additional work.
4. Match completion photos to the promise
Use the accepted scope as the completion checklist. Capture the finished area from comparable angles, include tested operation when a still image can show it, and record cleanup or removed materials when those were part of the job.
A visually attractive “after” photo is useful for the customer, but the job record also needs practical evidence: controls restored, panels closed, fixtures secured, debris removed, or required labels installed.
5. Make every image retrievable
Upload photos to the job before leaving or at the end of the workday. Label the phase—before, progress, after, issue, or document—and write a short factual caption. Retain the original timestamp and the user who uploaded it.
Do not rely on a personal camera roll, text thread, or folder named only with a customer’s first name. Access should follow workspace permissions, and customer photos should not be reused for marketing without separate permission.
Progress — north wall supply connection after pressure test, before insulation and drywall; no visible leak at 3:20 p.m.