Remote site surveys before your first visit

An initial inquiry rarely contains everything you need for an estimate. A customer might ask for a replacement door, a change to a window opening or work on a fence without showing the surrounding space. A remote site survey gives you a way to review those visible details before deciding what to ask next.

Use the capture to understand the requested work, identify clearly visible measurement points and prepare questions for the visit. Combine what you can see with information from the customer. A photo can show an opening; it cannot tell you which finish the customer wants or what is hidden behind the trim.

The aim is a better-informed preliminary estimate and a more useful site visit. Whether you have enough information to give a price range is a decision for your business, based on the job, the images and the measurements.

• Create a job and share its scan link with your customer by text, email or your usual messaging channel.

• The customer opens the link on their phone. The on-screen steps guide a short sideways calibration movement and photos of the work area. They do not need to install an app or create an account.

• After processing, open the scan on your computer. Review the photos, select the measurement points and complete the photo checks when prompted.

• Use the visible details and preliminary measurements alongside your own job notes. Record any questions that still need an answer before the estimate or site visit.

This is a capture-and-review workflow. You do not need to arrange a live video call, but you do need a completed, usable capture before taking measurements. Processing time can vary.

Send the customer phone-capture guide with the link if the customer needs help preparing the area.

Start by deciding what information would change your next step. For an opening, that could be visible width and height, nearby obstructions or the floor on either side. For another service, the customer’s requested outcome and access arrangements may matter more than a measurement.

• Doors: review visible opening edges, surrounding trim and access. Use the door measurement workflow for specific capture considerations.

• Windows: review the visible frame, sill and surrounding wall. See the window measurement workflow.

• Fences: review clearly captured sections and end points. See the fence measurement workflow; do not assume an entire boundary is covered by one capture.

The same information-gathering questions can help other service businesses plan a pre-visit review. That does not establish measurement support for every trade. Check capture coverage and suitability on a representative job before relying on a new workflow.

Ask what the customer wants to change, which items are included, what must stay, and when the work is needed. Ask about access and any conditions they already know about. Keep their answers separate from what you observed in the capture.

Use the preliminary estimate checklist as a reusable job brief. It includes questions, a measurement record and a message you can adapt for your customer. These notes belong in your own job record; the checklist does not add a questionnaire to the Sightimate capture.

If a required edge is hidden, do not guess its position. Ask for a better capture or leave that measurement for the visit. Measurements are useful only when you can identify the intended end points.

A remote review leaves some questions open. Hidden condition, material specification, mounting details, final fit and other trade-specific requirements still need appropriate checks. Visible appearance alone does not establish structural condition or the state of concealed services.

Review the estimated uncertainty shown with a measurement. It is not a guaranteed maximum error. Confirm final dimensions before ordering, fabrication or installation.

Read preliminary measurements versus final installation measurements to decide which details to collect now and which to confirm on site. For the difference between a guided capture and an ordinary image, see measuring from a photo.