The short version
- Film the site before you unload a tool: existing cracks, stains, damaged fittings, the access route and the parking.
- Film hidden work as it goes in — cable runs, pipework, membranes, substrate prep — because in a week nobody can see any of it.
- Film the finished work, with the commissioning or test where there is one.
- Hand over a report with the before, the hidden stage and the result.
- Keep your copy for the warranty period, not just until the invoice is paid.
The two disputes
The first is damage. A chipped bath, a scratched floor, a cracked tile in the hall — the client noticed it after you left, so it must have been you. Whether or not that is fair, the only answer is a dated record of the site as you found it, and thirty seconds of filming on arrival is the whole defence.
The second is doubt about value. A client looking at a finished wall cannot see the cable route, the insulation, the membrane or the substrate you prepared. When the invoice arrives, what they are pricing is what they can see. Showing the work that is now buried is the difference between a challenged final payment and an easy one.
What to record, and when
Before you start
- The work area, all surfaces, floor to ceiling
- Existing damage, cracks, stains and poor previous work
- Access route: hall, stairs, lift, doorframes
- Driveway, lawn and parking you will be using
- Meter readings if you are drawing power or water
Work that gets buried
- Cable runs and routing before boarding
- Pipework, joints and pressure tests
- Membranes, tanking, insulation, fixings
- Substrate preparation before screed or tiling
- Structural fixings, straps and hangers
At completion
- The finished work, wide and close
- Function tests: it runs, it drains, it switches
- Snagging list agreed with the client
- Site cleaned and protection removed
Handover pack
- Before and after report
- Hidden-work record with dates
- Certificates, guarantees, manuals
- Maintenance notes and what not to do
Hidden work is the one that pays for itself
Every trade has a version of it: first fix, membrane, screed, cable route, ductwork, ground preparation. It is the most skilled part of many jobs and the only part nobody will ever see again. Filmed, it becomes three things at once — proof for the client, a reference for whoever works on the building next, and your defence if a failure is later blamed on your installation.
Narrate as you film. "Twin and earth from the consumer unit, clipped at 300, through the joist at the centre line" takes six seconds and means the clip is still legible to someone else in five years.
Using it as marketing
A before-and-after report is the most persuasive thing a trade can show a prospective client, because it is specific and dated rather than a gallery of anonymous kitchens. Two rules: get the client's permission before publishing anything from their property, and never show identifying detail — door numbers, alarm panels, vehicle plates, post on the mat.
Doing it with CompareAI Inspect
- Set the project purpose to Showcase work. The AI then describes what was completed rather than hunting for damage, and rates the workmanship basic, solid or excellent.
- Use Document condition for the arrival record — same footage habit, opposite question, and the one that protects you against a damage claim.
- A scan per area or per stage, so first fix, second fix and completion sit in one project in order.
- Export the handover PDF with findings, thumbnails, dates and a SHA-256 fingerprint, verifiable at compareai.work/verify — which also makes it useful evidence if a warranty claim appears years later.
- Works with no signal on a site with no broadband; uploads catch up when you are back in coverage.
Not legal advice. This is about evidence and client relations, not about your obligations under a building contract, a warranty scheme or local regulations. Certification of notifiable work — electrical, gas, structural — is a separate matter and a video is not a substitute for a certificate.
Questions people ask
The client says we damaged something. What actually helps?
A dated clip of that surface taken before you started. Nothing else comes close — not your word, not the crew's recollection, not the fact that you are careful. It takes half a minute on arrival, and it is the reason to film the access route as well as the work area.
Is it worth filming inside walls and floors?
It is the highest-value filming you will do. Cable routes, pipework and membranes are invisible within days, they represent much of the skill in the job, and they are what gets blamed when something fails later. A short narrated clip per stage is enough.
What should the handover pack contain?
The before record, the hidden-work clips, the finished result, plus certificates, guarantees, manuals and any maintenance advice. Supplying it as one report rather than a folder of files is what makes clients actually read it — and it reads as professional, which affects whether they haggle over the last invoice.
Can I use job footage in my advertising?
Only with the client's permission, ideally written into your terms. Strip identifying detail — house numbers, alarm panels, vehicle plates, personal possessions — and remember that a property interior is private even when the work is yours.
Does this help with warranty or insurance claims?
Yes, in both directions. If a failure is blamed on your installation, dated evidence of how it was installed is your defence. If a product fails, the manufacturer will usually want proof it was fitted correctly, which is exactly what the hidden-work record shows.
Is an AI write-up good enough for a client-facing report?
Read it before you send it. It drafts the description and rates the finish, which saves the write-up time, but you are the tradesperson and the report goes out under your name. Correct anything it gets wrong — it is an aid to your judgement, not an inspection.