The short version
- A before and after shows your work faster than any caption. It's the best post a service business can make.
- The photos have to match. Same spot, same angle, same height, taken before you start.
- A caption needs 3 things: what the job was, what you did and a name or town. Keep it to 3 or 4 sentences.
- Get a quick yes before you post a customer's home, face or address.
Before and after post ideas for service businesses all start with the same problem: the "before" photo never gets taken. You show up, you get to work and the mess is gone by lunch. Then you have a great finished job and nothing to compare it to.
The fix takes 10 seconds. Take the photo before you touch anything, and take the "after" from the same spot. Below, you'll find the steps, 3 caption formulas to copy and 14 ideas across the trades.
Why a before and after beats every other post
Most of what you sell is hard to explain. A clean gutter, a tight seal and a fresh edge sound like nothing in words. Side by side, a customer sees the difference in a second.
- It's proof. Nobody has to take your word for the work.
- It's local. A job in a named neighborhood tells people you work near them.
- It's easy. You already did the job. You just need 2 photos.
- It gets shared. Homeowners like showing off their own result.
A before and after fits into every trade's page. For a full list of what else to post, see what to post on your business Facebook Page.
How to take a matching before and after with your phone
The trick is to take the same photo twice. A few seconds on setup makes 2 photos look like a pair.
Take the before first
Do it before you move a thing. Once the work starts, the moment is gone. Make it a habit at the truck, like checking your tools.
Pick a fixed spot
Stand somewhere you can find again: the end of the driveway, a doorway or a corner of the room. Note a landmark, like a tree, a window or a light switch.
Hold the phone at the same height
Chest height works for most jobs. Hold it the same way for both shots. For a close-up, use a hand or a ruler for scale.
Wipe the lens and use daylight
A smudged lens makes everything look soft. Turn on the lights in a room, or shoot outside in the morning or late afternoon. Avoid your own shadow.
Take the after from the same spot
Line up your landmark. Take 2 or 3 shots and keep the best. Clean up first: pick up tools, close the toolbox, move the trash can.
Show them side by side
Post the 2 photos in a pair, before first and after second. Label them in the caption, not by writing on the photo. For more on phone photos, see how to take good photos for your business page.
Caption formulas you can copy
The photos do the work, so the caption can be short. Pick one of these and fill in the brackets.
3 caption formulas
1. The job [What it was] in [neighborhood or town]. We [what you did]. Thank you, [first name], for trusting us with it. 2. The surprise What we found at [job type] in [town] today: [one plain detail]. Here's what it looks like now. If you see [warning sign] at home, message us. 3. The question Left is [time] this morning. Right is [time] this afternoon. What would you like us to tackle next? Tell us in the comments.
Keep it under about 4 sentences, like the ideal Facebook post length suggests. Add a call to action only if it's honest, like "message us for a free estimate."
14 before and after ideas by trade
Each of these has a photo idea built in. For more ideas in your own trade, jump to the guides for lawn care, roofing, cleaning, plumbing and HVAC.
Lawn: the leaf cleanup
Halfway through a leaf cleanup in [neighborhood]. Left side is where we started. Right side is done: leaves off the lawn, out of the beds, final mow and clean edges. Everything gets hauled off.
Photo: A lawn split down the middle, half cleared.
Lawn: the edge
A fresh edge along the walk in [town]. This one took a half hour and changes the whole front of the house. Message us for an estimate.
Photo: A crisp edge against a messy one, same sidewalk.
Roofing: the new roof
Same house, same angle, brand new roof in [neighborhood]. Thank you, [first name], for trusting us with it.
Photo: The roof from the street before and after.
Cleaning: the oven
This oven door hadn't been cleaned in years. After one visit it looks like this. We take the racks out and scrub the baked-on stuff. Add it to any visit.
Photo: The oven door open, before and after.
Cleaning: grout
Gray grout, then not. Deep clean in [town] took a few hours and a good brush. Message us to book one.
Photo: A shower wall, same angle.
Plumbing: the repipe
Old galvanized pipe out, new pipe in at a house in [neighborhood]. The water pressure is back. Thank you, [first name].
Photo: Old pipe next to the new, same angle.
HVAC: the filter
Found this filter on a tune-up this morning. It's supposed to be white. If you can't remember the last time you changed yours, today's a good day.
Photo: A dirty filter next to a clean one.
Electrical: the panel
Old panel out, new panel in. Every circuit is labeled so the next person who opens it knows what's what. Thank you, [first name].
Photo: The new panel, closed and labeled.
Auto: the worn part
The brake pad on the left was in a car that came in this morning. The one on the right is new. We'll always show you the old part and explain it.
Photo: A worn pad next to a new one on a bench.
Painting: the front door
A new front door color changed this whole house in [town]. It took us one day. Thanks to the [first name] family for picking such a good color.
Photo: The door before and after, same step.
Pressure washing: the driveway
One stripe of clean concrete in a driveway in [neighborhood]. This is what [number] years of dirt looks like. The rest of it looks like the clean stripe now.
Photo: A half-cleaned driveway from above.
Gutters: the clear-out
What came out of one gutter in [town] this week. Clogged gutters send water where it shouldn't go. Gutters on the left are clear. Message us to book.
Photo: A bucket of debris beside a clear gutter.
Carpet: the stripe
One pass of the machine in [town]. The stripe on the left is what the rest of the room looked like. We finished the rest by noon.
Photo: A single clean stripe on a carpet.
Appliance: behind the washer
What we found behind the washer in [town] today. We cleaned it up and put everything back. Check behind yours once a year.
Photo: The space behind an appliance, before and after.
Before and after photos: when you need permission
You don't need a form for every shot, but you do need the customer's okay for anything that shows them or their home. A quick text is enough, and it keeps the relationship good.
Safe to post
- A single surface, like a stove, a gutter or a driveway stripe, with the customer's okay.
- Parts and equipment, like a worn brake pad or a dirty filter.
- Your own crew and your own truck.
- A yard or roofline from the street, without the house number.
Ask first, or skip
- Faces, kids, family photos or anything personal in the frame.
- An address, a house number or a license plate.
- The inside of a home that shows how someone lives.
- A "before" that would embarrass the customer.
A yes is also a good time to ask for a review. Here's how to ask customers for reviews without sounding pushy.
Fit a before and after into your week
One before and after a week is plenty. The rest of the week can be tips and crew posts.
A week with one before and after
- MonTip or seasonal noteOne thing to check this week.
- WedBefore and afterThe best matching pair from last week's jobs.
- FriCrew or thank-you postA face, a van or a customer shout-out.
