Construction Project Photo Documentation: Why It’s Important and How to Do it Right
You love your job and the satisfaction that comes with finishing a project and knowing your team did great work.
But you don’t love the never-ending administrative work that keeps you in the trailer instead of on the field.
Describing every detail of every single thing in your thorough daily field reports is really beginning to rob you of that “first-day joy” you felt when you started.
You know that your daily field reports are incredibly important, and you’ve heard from some of your peers that they are optimizing their reports with photos.
You want to know more; this could revolutionize the way you do your daily reports!
How important are construction project photos, and how can you make sure you do them right?
This guide will tell you all you need to know about how to implement construction photo documentation into your reports and how CM Fusion makes this process incredibly simple and streamlined.
- CM Fusion: Cloud-Based Construction Image Management Software
- What Is Construction Project Photo Documentation?
- 3 Reasons Construction Photo Documentation Is So Important
- What Happens if Construction Projects Are Not Photo Documented?
- How Do You Do Photo Documentation?
- Are Construction Photo Documentation Services Required?
- How CM Fusion Takes the Guesswork Out of Construction Project Photo Documentation
CM Fusion: Cloud-Based Construction Image Management Software
It has been a long day.
Your team has made massive headway on the project - and that is great - but now you have to document all of it in your extensive field report.
Twelve different people all sent you photos, ranging in quality from semi-professional to blurry flip-phone.
None of the photos want to upload correctly, and three of the photos are just images of the ground.
Your heart sinks as it hits you - you are going to be home late… again.
Does this sound familiar to you?
It does to us.
That is why we created CM Fusion, the cloud-based construction image management software that helps you stay on track and report everything with ease.
CM Fusion was created by contractors for contractors.
We identified the pain points of photo-documenting and did something about it.
We worked tirelessly to create something better, something that actually works.
The result of those efforts is CM Fusion.
We provide software that helps you document your worksite in an easy-to-use, affordable, and streamlined manner.
Just in case you are new to the world of photo documentation, read on to learn what well-taken and organized construction project photos can do for your company.
What Is Construction Project Photo Documentation?
Construction photo documentation is what it sounds like; documenting a worksite through photos.
You’ve heard it before, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
In a world of ...
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Looming deadlines
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Potential lawsuits; and
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Pricey liabilities
… those thousand-word pictures can help to ease a client, prove responsibility, and ensure protection for your team.
Photo documentation provides an easy to read visualization of where the project was, where it is now, and where it will be tomorrow.
It is a simple way to keep everyone updated and in the loop on what is happening at each stage of construction.
Utilizing our construction photo documentation services will help you be more efficient with your daily field reports, while making it possible for you to finish them in a timely manner.
Why Is Jobsite Photo Documentation Necessary?
Documenting your worksite through photos is a key component of any quality daily field report.
Photo documentation has many benefits such as:
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Offering clients a better idea of where the project is
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Creating a clean paper trail in case of conflict
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Covering you and your team if something goes wrong; and
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Creating a portfolio of projects
Here at CM Fusion, we take these benefits to the next level by geotagging and timestamping every photo.
This means that each photo has proof of where it was taken and when it was taken.
This also allows you to easily organize photos of different projects, dates, and times.
CM Fusion also allows you to avoid an inbox full of photos from a dozen people.
Through fantastic image management, CM Fusion knows how to help you have the most hassle-free experience possible.
3 Reasons Construction Photo Documentation Is So Important
There are 3 main reasons, in addition to the benefits listed above, that set photo documentation apart as the best option for documenting your worksite.
Proper documentation matters to:
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You
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Your team
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Your client; and
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Everyone else involved
Taking the right photos and documenting your job site well is a great way to protect yourself and your team.
#1: Transparent Timeline and Progress Updates
It is no secret that half of the stress in construction comes from racing clocks and making sure that the client is happy with the progress.
Using photo documentation is a great way to save your time and offer your client tangible evidence that their project is on track for that impending deadline.
Photo documentation can also help those monitoring the timeline to understand if there are delays.
Did you stumble across some issue outside of your control that is going to push the finish date further back?
Photo documentation can go a long way to build empathy with your client.
#2: Improved Site Communication
Job site photo documentation can go a long way to bridge communication gaps.
Being able to send your project manager or client photos of the worksite every day in an easy-to-view format not only helps them understand what is going on, it also builds their confidence in your work.
Instead of having to describe, in vivid detail, the events of the day and how everything looks at sundown in a wordy report, you can submit photos that speak for themselves.
#3: Reduce the Risk of Disputes
You already know that disputes and lawsuits are hazards of the job.
Mistakes on the job site can carry heavy costs and big blows to credibility.
But, if your team is not responsible for an issue, that can be hard to prove when it is your word against someone else’s.
This is where photo documentation of your worksite can be incredibly valuable.
Instead of lobbying for your team, you can provide iron-clad evidence that the issue has nothing to do with you or your team.
On the other hand, if your team does incur damage or is somehow responsible for an issue, you can make sure that you take responsibility for your part of the issue and only for your part.
With so many different types of possible disputes, covering yourself and your team is vital.
No one wants to have something unrelated lumped in with a real issue.
What Happens if Construction Projects Are Not Photo Documented?
Failing to photo document your worksite can cause massive issues.
If you do not have documentation, you could be subject to lawsuits and worse if something goes south.
When you don’t use photo documentation, you are putting ...
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Yourself
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Your team; and
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Your reputation
… at risk.
How Do You Do Photo Documentation?
There are multiple ways to photo document your worksite.
The process involves:
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Taking photos of each stage
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Collecting them into one place
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Organizing them; and
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Sharing them
There are different methods used for taking photos, ranging from professional-grade gear to the camera on your cell phone.
3 Methods of Taking Construction Project Photos
There are several different ways to take the photos you use.
Most contractors take photos of each step of the construction process and then include those photos in the daily report.
Whatever method you choose, it is important to make sure that the photos are of good quality and serve their purpose well.
Through CM Fusion, you are able to take the photos and instantly upload them to the cloud-based software, offering immediate insights to everyone involved.
#1: Tablet or Phone
Using a tablet or phone is by far the most popular option for construction project photos.
Tablets and phones provide quick, easy photos without requiring bulky equipment.
You probably already carry one or both on you most of the time, so using your tablet or phone is a quick and easy method for taking your job site photo documentation photos.
#2: 360/3D Camera
A 360 camera, or omni-directional camera, can be a great tool for taking those surround-style pictures of your site.
As their name suggests, these cameras have a 360 view of the area and are best used for immersive, big-picture photos such as panoramas.
A 3D camera is designed to highlight the depth of the scene. It makes sure the photo is high-quality and high-detail.
These can be great options for your photo documentation because they bring quality to each photo and can offer better large-scale photos.
#3: Drones and Aerial Photos
Utilizing drones or helicopters to take aerial photos can be a great way to provide a big-picture view of what is happening on the job site.
CM Fusion offers monthly aerial photos taken by helicopter to help document progress and give you a digital birds-eye-view of how the project is going.
Are Construction Photo Documentation Services Required?
No.
Professional photo services are not required for daily field reports.
However, some clients might request 3D or drone images to aid in future sales for large projects such as:
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Subdivisions
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Commercial shopping centers
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Malls
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Etc.
What Constitutes a Good Photo for Documentation?
Generally speaking, a good photo is one that clearly shows what it is meant to show. It should have the object of the photo in focus and not be blurry. It should accurately relay reality.
If the photo is meant to document the completion of the framing, it should show the completed framing with some close-ups of any problem areas or unique situations.
A good photo tells the whole story.
How CM Fusion Takes the Guesswork Out of Construction Project Photo Documentation
Photo documentation of your worksite is protection for you and your team, and it offers fantastic platforms for communication.
Here at CM Fusion, we want to help you keep everyone in the loop easily.
We know the hassle of the administrative side of construction, and we want to minimize that hassle so that you can get back to doing what you love, fieldwork.
We make the documentation process easy by:
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Geotagging
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Time-stamping,
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Helping track budget and timelines; and
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Much more
If you want to streamline your daily field reports and offer your client results in real-time, CM Fusion is for you.
Try CM Fusion, risk free for 30 Days – Your first project is FREE!
If you are trying to figure out where to look now, our company CM Fusion offers a free version of Construction Project Management Software. Not to mention, our customers brag about it’s ease of use, so you should be able to sign up and start managing your projects in minutes.