Field guide
Before and after job photos
Before and after photos do two jobs for a trade business: they settle questions about the work, and they show future customers what you do. Both only work if the photos are taken the same way every time. This is the routine we built JobProof around.
Why crews take them
- Questions after the job. "Was it like that before you got here?" is easier to answer with a timestamped before photo.
- Getting paid. A customer who can see the finished work is quicker to approve the balance.
- Hidden work. Once the wall is closed or the panel cover is on, photos are the only record of what's inside.
- Marketing. A clean before and after pair is the most persuasive thing you can post.
A six-step routine for every job
- Shoot before you touch anything. Take the before photos when you arrive, before tools come out. A wide shot of the area, then close-ups of the problem: the failed part, the leak, the burnt connection, the label or model plate.
- Use the same spot and angle for the after. Stand where you stood for the before and frame it the same way. Matching angles are what make the pair convincing to a customer, a property manager or an adjuster.
- Capture the during shots that disappear. Anything that gets covered up: pipe behind drywall, wiring inside a panel, flashing under shingles, a cleaned coil before the cover goes back on. These are the photos you can't take later.
- Show what you replaced. Photograph the old part next to the new one, and the serial or model plate of the new unit.
- Let the record carry time and name. A photo is stronger evidence when it's tied to a time and to the tech who took it, not just sitting in someone's camera roll.
- Send the customer one link. One page with the before, during and after shots answers most "what did you actually do?" questions without a phone call.
Trade-specific shots worth getting
HVAC
Old and new equipment data plates, the condition of the coil and filter, the line set and the condensate drain, and the thermostat after setup.
Plumbing
The leak or failure point, shut-off valves, open walls before they're closed, and the water heater label and venting.
Electrical
The panel before and after with the cover off, any damaged or burnt components you removed, labeling, and the finished device or fixture.
How JobProof records them
Every JobProof job has before, during and after buckets. Field techs open the job's camera link and shoot; they don't need their own login. The office gets a record of each photo with its note, time and who took it, a public customer gallery to send as a proof link, and a PDF proof pack. Deposits and balances can be collected from the same customer gallery.
If you want designed before and after templates for social posts, CompanyCam offers a Before & After tool with logo templates (source: CompanyCam's Before & After page, checked Oct 4, 2026). JobProof is the simpler, flat-priced option; see JobProof vs CompanyCam.