FILE PROOFTR

How to document construction progress photos

The costliest site disputes are about work you can no longer see: services buried in plaster, rebar before the pour, insulation under fill. A photo taken that day, with its date proven, says far more than an inspection months later.

What to shoot, and when

  1. Before it is covered: rebar and cover before the pour, services before plaster, underfloor heating before screed, waterproofing before backfill.
  2. On payment days: an overview of the measured work and close-ups with a tape.
  3. At handover: room by room, with close-ups of defects and missing items.
  4. After damage or a stoppage: the moment it is found, weather, affected area.

Turning photos into proof

  1. Drop each day's or each stage's photos into the Handover pack on the File Proof page. The photos never leave your phone; only their fingerprints are anchored in Bitcoin.
  2. Add a short note: “Block B, 3rd floor slab rebar, before pour”.
  3. Email the pack list and the .ots file the same day to the client, supervisor or contractor.
  4. If needed, attach the pack's QR-coded PDF report to the payment application.

As an expert witness, what I most often find missing in files is exactly this: the state of the work on that day.

This does not replace the site diary, minutes or an official inspection; it strengthens them. It does not prove who took the photo or where, and it is not a notarisation.

Written by Gökhan Ertan, civil engineer and court-appointed expert witness.

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