Show photos of jobs like theirs.

Why your best photos aren't enough

Most contractors use the same photos in every proposal. They pick the ones that came out best. But the homeowner isn't judging the photos. They want to see the same kind of job. Maybe on the same kind of house, or in the same town.

Say you're bidding a garage conversion. If every photo is a kitchen, they still don't know. Three finished ADUs tell them.

An example

The line under each photo matters too. "ADU in Sausal Hills" gives the type of job and the town. A homeowner nearby sees that you already work in the area.

The page ends with an offer. They can call a past client, or walk through a finished job. Most won't do it. It still helps to offer.

How to pick them

• The same kind of work first. ADUs for an ADU, kitchens for a kitchen. If you don't have an exact match, pick the closest. An addition is closer to an ADU than a bathroom is.
• Nearby, if you have it. A job in their town shows you know the area.
• Mostly finished work. One in-progress photo can help if it shows something they'll ask about, like the foundation. A page of framing looks like a job site.
• A handful, not a gallery. I keep it to about six. With forty photos, the three that match get lost.
• A label on every one. The project type and the town at least. Give the project a name if it has one.

Phone photos are fine

You don't need a photographer. Shoot in daylight, from a corner so you get two walls, after the site is cleaned up. If the dumpster is still in the shot, take it again another day.

Ask the owner before you use photos of their home. Leave out house numbers and anything else that shows the address.

If you don't have a match

Say so. Show the closest work you have. Then say what's the same: "This addition had the same foundation and utility work your ADU will need." Homeowners can tell when photos don't match. It's better to say it first.