Do I need professional photos?

No. A phone camera in good daylight is usually fine. Avoid harsh midday shadows when you can, and clean the lens before shooting.

How many photos should I send?

Four to eight is usually plenty for a first review. One or two wide shots, two or three close-ups, and a couple from different angles cover most projects.

Should I include measurements?

Approximate measurements are helpful for mailboxes, porches, and walls. A tape measure or even a known reference (a doorway, a step height) in the photo helps.

Will you still come out for an in-person estimate?

Often yes. Photos are a great first step. For most projects, an in-person visit is part of the final written estimate. The photos help us prepare for the visit and give early feedback.

What Photos to Send for a Masonry Estimate

Most masonry projects start with a few photos. Good photos help us understand the project before we ever drive out, and they let us give early feedback about the likely scope of work. Bad or missing photos slow things down. This short guide covers what to send and why.

What to send us

1. A wide shot of the full area

Stand back and capture the whole structure in one frame. For a chimney, that is a photo from the yard that shows the full chimney against the house. For a porch, it is a photo of the porch with steps and the surrounding entry. For a mailbox, it is a curb shot that shows the mailbox in context.

2. Close-ups of cracks or damage

Move in and capture the worst-looking areas in clear focus. Hold the phone steady. Tap to focus on the damage so the photo is sharp. Include a small reference such as a coin or finger near the damage when scale matters.

3. Photos from multiple angles

Two or three angles around the project tell us much more than a single shot. For a chimney, walk to a different side of the yard and take another wide shot. For a mailbox, take a photo from the front, both sides, and the back.

4. Photos showing access

Access affects how a project is scheduled and priced. Photos that show the path from the driveway to the work area, surrounding obstacles, fences, gates, low power lines, and parking are all useful. For chimney work, the roof pitch and any nearby trees matter.

5. A short written description

A few sentences go a long way:

City or neighborhood
The address (we keep this private)
What you are seeing and when you first noticed it
Any past repair history if you know it
Your timeline (asap, this season, next spring, no rush)

A few quick tips

Take photos in daylight when you can
Avoid shooting straight into the sun
Wipe the camera lens first (most phone photos are blurry because of a dirty lens)
Send original-resolution photos when possible, not heavily compressed images
Include a wide reference photo with each close-up so we can place it

What we do with the photos

We review them, ask any follow-up questions, and let you know our first impression. For some projects, photos plus a short conversation are enough to give a ballpark and schedule the visit. For other projects, the photos help us bring the right materials and equipment to the visit so we are not making a second trip.

Use the contact form to upload your photos and details. For more background on the categories of work we do, see our pages on chimney repair, brick mailboxes, and porches and steps.

Before You Call a Mason: What Photos Should You Send?