Construction is one of the riskiest jobs and fields in the world. A few moments are enough to ruin the job site without giving someone the time to assess the guilty party of the destruction. This is the main reason contractors, project managers, and site owners have to face numerous claims and delay issues while playing the blame game.
Construction photography has emerged as a great solution to this blame game in recent times. The involved parties can take pictures of every nook and corner of the job site to track the progress. It can also provide them constructive support in a time of need.
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Common Photography Options for Construction Jobsite
The following are some most common and feasible photography documentation options for your construction project job site.
- Smartphone photography
- Tablet photography
- Drone photography
- 3D photography
Explore this article to learn in detail why you should do photo documentation of your construction projects.
Top 8 Reasons to Do Photo Documentation of Your Construction Site
Construction projects involve a variety of internal and external risks. The involved parties can forecast the external risks to a limit and develop the strategies to mitigate them. The internal risks are too sudden to know the cause or fix it. Such incidents later lead to claim issues. However, construction photography has changed the scenario.
The following are some crucial reasons you should do photo documentation of your construction job site.
1). Proof Against Claims
The construction industry faces different types of claims on a routine basis. The details of all the projects are not included in documents, which causes trouble for the parties when they try to prove their stance. Most of the construction parties now ensure proper construction photography, and hire a construction claim management consultant to provide the proof against claims and turn the situation in their favor.
2). Error Free Field Reporting
Field reporting on a daily basis is crucial in the instruction industry. The workers responsible for this task are often the new hires, so they can commit a few mistakes. The mistakes may seem small but can lead to bigger issues. Construction photography helps ensure error-free field reporting of every nook and corner of the job site.
3). Constant Site Updates for Higher Management
Most of the time, higher management does not get the time to visit construction sites daily. They can receive the documented report; however, the lack of time can bury the report under piles. A feasible solution to this issue is photography documentation, which they can review in a few minutes and stay aware of the updates at the construction site.
4). Lots of Marketing Opportunities
The construction industry is facing huge competition, especially in the developed countries of the world. Construction companies must think and work hard to win the projects. Doing proper construction photography can open new avenues of marketing. They can show this to the interested parties and win their trust to seal the deal.
5). Visual Timeline of Site Progress
Schedule delays are one of the most common issues in construction projects. The involved parties try to blame the material, equipment, weather, lack of needed support, etc. for the issue. Having a visual timeline of the site progress can better shed light on the culprit of such issues and help the parties resolve it without wasting any more time.
6). Boost in Quality Control
Quality control is another great challenge for construction project owners and contractors. Negligence of a few seconds can cost them a fortune while making them suspect each other. in such a scenario, photography is the best option. It can help them document the quality and introduce the measures to improve it.
7). Paves the way for Approval of Change Orders
Change orders are considered the worst situation in the construction industry. No doubt, they are introduced to improve the quality and sustainability of the project; however, they lead to wasting time and resources. Due to this, it is considered a negative tactic in construction. Doing job site photography can highlight the need for change orders, as well as pave the way for their approval.
8). Evidence of All Little Details
Every little thing and detail matter a lot in the construction industry. However, all such details are not accounted for in the contracts and documents, which lead to issues later on. Construction photography helps account for all the little details which the experts can review and utilize to resolve the issue. For that, you should ensure proper photography and hire quantum experts to review the evidence and help you win the claims or other issues.
Bonus tips to take professional photos!
Now that you are aware of the importance of photographic documentation of your construction project, you should not do it just for the sake of formality. Try to put some effort into and deliver the best output. You can learn from these bonus tips and prepare perfect evidence while involving the experts to utilize it and deal with all the issues.
- Take care of lighting
- Add notes to photos
- Use scale in construction photography
- Add annotations
- Organize photos according to project