Title: Construction portfolio examples: show scope | Cercha
Description: Choose construction portfolio examples by trade. Add job context, before-cover details, finished views, scope captions, and job records.
Canonical: https://cercha.pages.dev/guides/construction-portfolio-examples/
# Construction portfolio examples by trade
Portfolios and profiles
Choose portfolio shots for the trade scope you want to discuss. Use context, before-cover details, and completed views from identifiable projects.
You have job photos. The next builder needs to see the specific work your crew handles. Choose construction portfolio examples that show where you worked, what was visible before cover, and what you finished.
Match the photos to the assembly. Do not use the same room shot for every trade.
Use the shot lists below to plan your photos. They are not installation specifications, proof of compliance, or accounts of real Cercha projects. Fill each project card with your own records and images.
## Start with the question each example must answer
Choose the trade and the next scope you want. Write the question the photos should answer. For a window installer, that might be who installed the flashing. For a trim crew, that might be how the crew handled an irregular existing wall.
Do not start by selecting the most expensive-looking house. Start with the work you can explain. Use a context image, a relevant detail, and a completion image when those stages are available.
Keep the same project label across the set. State who performed the work. If the photos come from different projects, separate them into different cards. A before image from one job must not become the before image for another.
Use the [construction portfolio guide](/guides/construction-portfolio/) for the project record. Use this article when you need to choose the actual views.
## Framing and deck examples
For framing, plan a wide shot of the structure and a detail tied to the approved drawings. Ask the crew to identify the member or connection shown. Finish with a view of the framed area at the documented stage.
For decks, include the connections you are responsible for documenting. [Simpson Strong-Tie's Deck Connection and Fastening Guide](https://www.strongtie.com/resources/literature/deck-connection-fastening-guide) addresses ledger, joist-to-beam, and beam-to-post connections. Those connections give you more to discuss than a view of finished decking alone.
Plan this photo sequence:
- Context showing the deck's relationship to the house.
- The relevant connection before decking or trim obscures it.
- A completion view showing the scope your company delivered.
- A private reference to the approved detail or applicable product instructions.
Use a caption such as: “[Deck scope], [stage]. This view shows [connection]. Our company performed [documented work].”
This is a fill-in pattern. Do not add a load rating or approval claim based on appearance.
If your portfolio only includes finish decking, say that. Do not let the reader infer that you also installed the footing, ledger, guard, or stairs.
## Roofing and siding examples
Show where a roof detail sits before showing the close-up. Plan a wide shot of the roof area, a flashing-stage photo, and a finished view of the same area. Capture from safe access already approved for the work.
[PNNL's roof-wall flashing guide](https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/step-and-kick-out-flashing-roof-wall-intersections) describes step and kick-out flashing as parts of the water-management path at roof-wall intersections. Choose photos that help the reader ask how water drains there. Use the instructions for that system to judge the work.
For siding, identify whether you installed cladding only or also handled the underlying assembly. Record which work you handled. Show a relevant transition before cover if you performed and documented it.
Avoid calling a distant roof view “proof of waterproofing.” Caption the visible stage and interface. If the detail is hidden, offer the relevant records privately or say what you did not document.
## Window and door examples
Plan a wide shot of the opening, a before-cover shot, and a finished shot. Include sill and perimeter details that matter for that unit and its installation instructions.
[PNNL's window and door guidance](https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/windows-and-doors-are-fully-flashed) emphasizes integration between flashing and the drainage plane. Ask the installer to explain that interface in the caption or accompanying note. Do not copy a generic detail into the portfolio and present it as your installed work.
State whether your scope included removal, opening preparation, installation, flashing, interior trim, or exterior trim. Leave out work completed by others. If a window supplier provided the units but another company installed them, separate supply from installation.
Keep product identification in the private job record. Publish it only when useful and accurate. Do not include order labels containing the client's address.
## Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC examples
For these trades, pair a visible installation stage with the relevant records. Plan the photo subjects with the responsible trade and permit holder. Do not open equipment or request unsafe access for a better image.
[Raleigh's inspection-defect guidance](https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/failing-inspection-residential-projects) identifies electrical labeling, plumbing supports and testing, and mechanical access and documentation among its subjects. Use those subjects to decide which records to ask about. They are local examples, not a national portfolio checklist.
| Trade | Proposed context view | Proposed detail | Record to discuss privately |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Electrical | The work area at the documented stage | Identification or labeling relevant to your scope | Applicable inspection result and scope record |
| Plumbing | The room or route containing the work | Visible support, penetration, or test setup | Actual test and inspection records |
| HVAC | Equipment location or duct route | Relevant access or installation interface | Required testing, commissioning, or inspection records |
A gauge in a photograph does not explain the whole test. Caption the setup without turning it into a pass claim. Ask the responsible professional which record confirms the result.
## Insulation examples
Choose a cavity or transition you can locate in the project. Plan a wide shot, a detail of the insulation and adjacent air barrier, and a shot after that stage is complete.
[PNNL's insulation-quality guidance](https://basc.pnnl.gov/building-science-measures/insulation-quality-installation) discusses gaps, voids, compression, and air-barrier alignment. Use those subjects to explain why a detail was photographed. Keep measured performance claims tied to actual test records.
Do not label a selected cavity as proof that the entire house meets a performance target. Name the area shown. If the photo was taken before a correction, keep that label. Add the later record so the reader can follow the change.
## Finish-trade examples
For trim, plan a room view and close-ups of the joints your company handled. For cabinets, show the run, where it meets another finish, and the completed scope. For flooring, show the layout and a relevant transition.
These are editorial photo suggestions. Use the product instructions and project agreement to decide what needs a measured check. Use a well-lit finish photo to start that discussion. Do not treat it as the final check.
For tile or another wet-area finish, separate the finished surface from any concealed assembly you documented. Identify who owned preparation and testing. Never use a finished shower photograph to imply a missing test result.
Include a difficult existing condition when it represents the work you seek. Describe the condition. Do not invent a successful result. Use “[existing condition] required [documented scope change]” only when the record supports it.
## Add scope, records, and permission to each example
Before publishing, fill these fields for every example:
1. Project type and neutral label.
2. Your company's actual role.
3. Scope included and scope excluded.
4. Image stage and visible detail.
5. Supporting record available privately.
6. Photo rights and client permission.
The [Copyright Office's photography guidance](https://copyright.gov/engage/photographers/) explains that construction ownership does not determine who initially owns a photograph. Confirm image rights before using a professional photographer's pictures.
Omit client addresses, faces, personal documents, and unapproved interiors. Check the final caption for identifying information. If you lack an image for a recommended stage, leave the gap visible in your working checklist.
Use [job-photo capture guidance](/guides/job-photos/) on the next project. Build a photo set you can repeat on real jobs.
Apply the [construction photo privacy workflow](/guides/post-work-photos-without-exposing-the-client/) before turning a capture example into a public project card.
## Where Cercha fits
The Cercha app includes a Profile portfolio of named projects with photos and a Gallery with short work captions. Use a permitted trade-specific example to make your contribution clear. Messages supports the next conversation about scope and evidence.
Published 2026.10.14. Updated 2026.10.14.
[More guides: Portfolio and profile]()
## Related guides
- [Construction project portfolio: what to include]()
- [How to take job photos that explain your work]()
- [Rough-in photos: document the work before cover]()
- [Construction photos: what they show and what to check]()
## Build your connections
[Ask about the beta]()
## Sources
1. Simpson Strong-Tie. (n.d.). *New Deck Connection and Fastening Guide*. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.strongtie.com/resources/literature/deck-connection-fastening-guide
2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (n.d.). *Step and Kick-Out Flashing at Roof-Wall Intersections*. Building America Solution Center. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/step-and-kick-out-flashing-roof-wall-intersections
3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (n.d.). *Windows and Doors are Fully Flashed*. Building America Solution Center. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/windows-and-doors-are-fully-flashed
4. City of Raleigh. (2026, February 11). *Failing an Inspection: Residential Projects*. Raleighnc.gov. https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/failing-inspection-residential-projects
5. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (n.d.). *Insulation Quality Installation*. Building America Solution Center. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://basc.pnnl.gov/building-science-measures/insulation-quality-installation
6. U.S. Copyright Office. (n.d.). *What Photographers Should Know about Copyright*. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://copyright.gov/engage/photographers/