Photo documentation before covering work is most useful when the images show an identifiable location and the detail relevant to the check. Plan the record while the work is still accessible. A photograph taken after a wall or ceiling is closed cannot recreate what was visible beforehand.
Plan the record before the next activity
Review the work sequence with the people responsible for the relevant checks. Identify which details will become concealed and when they can be recorded. Agree the evidence the project requires, rather than applying a general rule that every activity needs the same photographs.
Connect each photography task to the inspection or control point it supports. Where the project requires a check before work continues, taking a photograph does not by itself release the next activity. Keep the agreed inspection and decision process in place.
Take an overview before the detail
Begin with an image that helps a later reader recognise the area. Then take the detail needed to understand the observation. Use consistent room, level or zone references so the photographs can be connected to the drawings and the rest of the project information.
A close-up may show a detail clearly but leave its location uncertain. An overview alone may identify the area without showing the relevant feature. Use the combination the particular record needs, rather than collecting many almost identical images. Our guide to photo documentation on site covers the general rules for a usable evidence photo.
Check clarity while you can still retake the photo
Review the image on the phone before you leave the area. Check lighting, focus and whether anything hides the subject. If a measurement is relevant, record the measured value and method separately: a photograph without a clear reference in frame cannot be expected to establish a dimension.
Keep the original observation clear when you add markup. Use marks to direct attention to a feature, with a written explanation of what the reader should notice. Avoid marks that cover the very detail being documented.
Add the context the image cannot show
Write a short note stating what was observed, where it was found and which task or control point it relates to. Include the relevant drawing or instruction reference and the date of the check, and identify the person making the record.
For example, a note might name a particular room and the drawing revision used for a check before closing. This illustrates a record structure. It does not establish technical acceptance or prescribe which details are sufficient on a given project.
Review the evidence before the work is covered
Give the responsible reviewer access to the record at the required stage. Check whether the photographs and notes actually answer the inspection question, and resolve missing context while the feature can still be examined.
If an image is missing or unusable after the work has been covered, record the gap honestly. Refer it to the appropriate project person, who decides what further investigation is needed. Never recreate an image and present it as evidence of the original check.
Keep photographs linked to the reporting task
Store each image with the record it supports, not in an unrelated camera folder. Use a reference that carries through to the report, so a reviewer can connect the photograph with the observation and any follow-up.
How Lite Report handles photos before covering
Lite Report is available today. The project manager sets up the report and its tasks on the web, and each task shows the control point, the building part and a completion date. The person on site opens the task on the phone, takes the photos, adds comments, marks up the photo or the PDF drawing to show where the check was made, and submits the task. Each photo is stored with its task as evidence, so there is no separate photo library to sort afterwards, and an activity log records who did what and when. A structural engineer or another reviewer can be invited to the project with read access to follow the documentation.
Photos are taken with the in-app camera only, and each one is stamped with the date, time, GPS position and place name. Photos already in the phone's gallery cannot be added later, so set up the tasks before the work is covered and take the photos in the app while the detail is visible. The app needs an internet connection today to register tasks and upload photos. Offline mode is on our roadmap, so check the signal in basements and shafts before you rely on registering there.
Documenting is free. You pay 149 DKK excl. VAT (186.25 DKK incl. VAT) when you generate a report. See pricing for the details.
Lite Report organises the evidence. The app does not approve the work or decide whether it may be covered: that stays with the inspection and decision process agreed on the project.
Frequently asked questions
Can a photograph prove that the work is compliant?
It can support an assessment, but its usefulness depends on what it shows and on the evidence the project requires. Some checks also need measurements, tests or direct inspection.
How many photographs should each item have?
Enough to show the location and the relevant detail clearly. Agree the scope for the particular check rather than setting one fixed number for every task.
Does the date and GPS stamp prove when the work was checked?
It shows when and where the photo was taken. In Lite Report every photo taken with the in-app camera carries the date, time, GPS position and place name. It does not show that the check was complete or that the work is acceptable: the written note and the responsible reviewer's assessment do that.
What if the required record was missed?
Record the missing evidence and involve the responsible project person. Do not label an unverified item as checked merely to complete the report, and do not present a later photo as the original record.