How to create a contractor portfolio in 3 easy steps

A portfolio should both showcase your best work and highlight key qualifications. While it can include a variety of items, the most important one is photos. So, it's important to select a visual format — consider the following:

Your website: Updating your site with recent projects keeps it looking fresh and can help potential customers find you when they’re searching the internet. A “blog” section can often be added relatively easily to an existing website, and you don’t have to write a novel when explaining a project — focus on photos and short descriptions that share key details.

Social media: An account on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn will allow you to share your work in a place where your potential customers can easily find you. The drawback is that developing an active presence on social media is an ongoing commitment — it’s one with big potential payoff, but it’s a commitment nonetheless. If you don’t have the time or resources to devote to social media, check out our next suggestion.

A PDF: Use PowerPoint software or a similar program to create a presentation that can be saved as a PDF document. This type of software makes it easy to create a professional looking piece — you don’t have to be a graphic designer! A PDF portfolio is a great item to include in follow-up emails after a customer visit, and it’s simple to update over time.

Bottom line: Choose a format that you can take on today. It’s kind of like saving money: Better to start today doing what you can than to wait until circumstances are just right. Create a portfolio that’s easy for you to create, maintain, and share right now.

You not only want homeowners to feel confident that you’re the right company for the job, you also want to get them excited about realizing their home improvement dreams. To do that, your portfolio should feature content that demonstrates the quality of your work, shows the scope of your capabilities, and underscores your credibility. Here’s how to do that:

It’s not just about pretty pictures. It’s also about pictures that tell a story your customers are eager to hear.

• Before and after pictures are a great way to tell a project story. If your customers are asking for black windows, take photos that show the transformation from white windows to black. Take these photos from the same angle to make the change easy to see, and try to capture both vertical and horizontal photos of each since different platforms might favor one over the other. For example, Instagram favors vertical photos but your website might favor horizontal.
• Don’t overlook the value of photos (or video!) taken during the middle of the project. Process photos and videos demonstrate your skill and show the care your team takes when inside a customer’s home — a clean work site also makes for a better backdrop. If you post these photos or videos on social media, use profile tags to increase visibility. For example, it can be a good idea to tag the profiles of other pros working on the project, dealers, and manufacturers. Psst … The company featured in the video below tagged us when they posted on Instagram. We loved their video so much that we asked their permission to share it on our own social media channels.
• Remember to get permission from the homeowner, especially if you plan to post on social media or your website. Take steps to protect the homeowner’s privacy, like making sure they don’t appear in the background of photos and keeping their personal information out of view (think address next to a front door).