Documenting before work starts

The short answer

Before a trench is opened, photograph the surface as it stands. Once work begins nobody can establish what the driveway, lawn, or path looked like beforehand, and restoration disagreements turn almost entirely on that question.

It takes about fifteen minutes: wide shots that fix position, close shots of anything already cracked or settled, and a written note of the date. The purpose is not to build a case against anyone. It is to make the pre-existing condition a matter of record rather than a matter of recollection.

Keep the same habit while work is under way, and read what the proposal says restoration includes before it starts — photographs are only useful measured against a written scope.

What to photograph

Include something for scale where you can, and make sure the date is captured by the device.

• every surface along the expected work route, from more than one angle
• the driveway, walkways, and any hardscape, close up and in context
• planting, particularly anything mature or established
• fencing, walls, edging, and any feature near the route
• the equipment access route across the property
• any existing damage or settlement, so it is not attributed to this work
• interior floors, where work comes inside
• any locate marks, before they weather away

What to write down

• the agreed start date and expected duration
• the written restoration standard for each surface
• who to contact during the work, and how
• what you have been told will happen if something unexpected is found
• whether drainage will be usable throughout, and if not, for how long