Checklist · Records · 5 min read
Site evidence and photo records checklist
Evidence is only worth having if it can be found. This checklist covers what to capture and how to keep it organised.
Capture before it is covered
- Existing conditions before you start, including neighbouring property and access routes
- Excavations, foundations and any ground conditions encountered
- Damp-proof courses, membranes and insulation before closing up
- First fix services runs before boarding and plastering
- Structural connections, straps and fixings
- Completed works at each payment stage
Record the context, not just the picture
- Date and, where possible, location metadata retained
- A short caption saying what the photo shows
- Which stage or variation the evidence relates to
- Delivery notes and product data sheets stored alongside
- Inspection and certificate references linked to the same stage
Store it once, properly
One project record per job beats photos spread across personal phones. A digital Project Passport keeps images, certificates and stage records in date order and produces a handover pack at completion.
Find your gaps in two minutes
The free Builder Standard Assessment scores you out of 100 across contracts, payments, records, customer care and insurance, then shows exactly where you are losing marks. If documents or processes are missing, the £295 Professional Standards Audit helps you compile them.
This guidance is general information, not legal advice. Builder Standard is an independent platform and is not a government body, statutory regulator or government-endorsed scheme, and it cannot register or certify contractors for any government scheme.
Questions
Common questions
How long should I keep project records?
Keep them for as long as you could reasonably face a claim or query about the work. Many contractors retain domestic project records for at least six years; take your own advice on limitation periods relevant to your contracts.
Are phone photos good enough?
Yes, provided they are dated, captioned and stored centrally rather than left on individual devices where they are lost when a phone is replaced.
Keep reading
Related guides and checklists
Documentation
What a Digital Project Passport actually contains
One dated record per project: evidence, certificates, variations, stage sign-offs and handover documents, ready to share.
Compliance
The UK builder compliance checklist
Twenty-eight things a professional UK contractor should be able to produce on request — grouped by contracts, insurance, records, safety and customer care.
Completion
The construction handover pack checklist
What to hand over at completion so the customer has everything they need — and you have a clean, defensible close-out.