Photo QC Standard
For Photo QC Specialists, Processors and Coordinators who review vendor work. After this page you will be able to check any order's photos against the Narqix standard, score it pass or fail, and explain every fail in one clear sentence.
Track: Property Preservation · Role: Photo QC Specialist, Work Order Processor, Vendor Network Coordinator · Time to complete: 40 min
Why photos are everything
In property preservation, the reviewer never visits the house. The photos are the only evidence the work was done, done right, done on time, and done at this address. A perfect grass cut with bad photos is a rejected grass cut. A missing photo can cost the full price of the task.
Photo QC is the most important skill on the Work Order Desk. It is also the one that separates Narqix from desks that only "upload pictures".
Coach's note: look at every photo and ask three questions. Where was this taken? When was it taken? What does it prove? If you cannot answer all three from the photo and its label, the reviewer cannot either.
The ten rules
1. Date stamp on every photo
- Every photo shows the date (and usually the time) it was taken, either printed on the image or in the file data, as the client requires.
- The date must be on or after the order date, and must match the visit date in the update.
- Bid photos have an age limit with many investors (often about 30 days). Older photos need a new visit.
2. Before, during and after from the same angle
- For every task, the before and after photos are taken from the same spot, same direction, same framing.
- A reviewer should be able to place them side by side and see only the change.
- "During" proves the work was done by this crew on this visit (mower on the lawn, board being fixed, antifreeze being poured).
3. Address verification first
- Front of the house from the street, the house number, and the street sign.
- These are the first three photos in every order.
4. Full coverage
- Exterior: front, both sides, rear, and every outbuilding.
- Interior (when ordered): one photo per room showing floor, walls, ceiling and windows. Basement and garage included.
- Every task, every area, every fixture the order covers.
5. Proof items visible
| Task | The proof that must be visible |
|---|---|
| Grass cut | Yardstick in before photos, readable |
| Snow removal | Yardstick showing depth |
| Board-up | Tape measure across both dimensions |
| Debris | Tape measure on pile or trailer, load numbers, receipt |
| Winterization | Antifreeze colour in each trap, gauge reading, tags |
| Lock change | Key in new lock, lockbox code |
| Utilities | Meter dial or display readable |
6. Clear, upright, well lit
- No blurry, dark, sideways or upside-down photos.
- Subject fills enough of the frame to see the detail.
- Flash or a light for dark basements and closets.
7. Only photos that belong to the order
- No selfies, no truck interiors, no neighbour's house, no photos of other jobs.
- No more duplicates than the client asks for. Three near-identical shots of the same toilet make the reviewer's job harder.
8. Correct label and correct slot
- Each photo has a label that says what it shows.
- Each photo goes in the portal slot that asks for it. A lockbox photo in the "water heater" slot is a rejection even if the photo is perfect.
9. Answers match photos
- If the photos show furniture, the house is not "vacant, no personal property".
- If the photos show a broken window, the update cannot say "no damage".
- If the photos show debris, "debris present" must be "yes".
10. Original photos only, from this visit
- Every photo is taken at this property, on this visit, for this order.
- No photo is ever reused, borrowed, edited, cropped to hide something, or taken from any other source.
Never do this: never reuse a photo from a previous visit, another property, another order, an internet image, a map service, or a different crew. Never change a date stamp. Never edit a photo to hide or add anything. This is fraud. Reviewers and software compare photos across orders and find copies. It can end the vendor's contract, cause all payments to be clawed back, and lead to legal action. If anyone asks you to do this, refuse politely and tell your Team Lead the same day.
The labeling standard
Use the client's labeling rule if it has one. If not, use the Narqix standard.
File name format: order number, task, stage, location, sequence, all separated by hyphens.
4471820-GRASS-BEFORE-FRONTYARD-01 4471820-WINT-AFTER-BATH2TOILET-03 4471820-BOARD-DURING-KITCHENWINDOW-02
Stage words: ADDRESS, BEFORE, DURING, AFTER, DAMAGE, BID, RECEIPT.
Portal caption format: Task, stage, location, and what is visible.
Winterization, after: bathroom 2 toilet, antifreeze visible in bowl, tag posted on tank.
Board-up, before: kitchen window, rear elevation, tape measure shows 36 in wide.
Coach's note: a good caption answers the reviewer's question before they ask it. "Antifreeze visible in bowl" tells them where to look. Reviewers who find what they need fast approve more and reject less.
The QC process, step by step
- Open the order instructions first. List every task and every special instruction.
- Count. How many tasks, rooms, fixtures, openings, areas? Write the expected photo count.
- Check the address set. Front, number, street sign. Does the number match the order?
- Check dates. Sample at least five photos across the set. All dates on or after the order date and matching the visit date.
- Walk each task. For each: before, during, after present? Same angle? Proof item visible?
- Check coverage. Every room, every side, every fixture.
- Cross-check answers. Read each answer in the draft update and look for a photo that agrees or disagrees.
- Check for copies. Compare against the previous cycle for the same property (grass and inspections especially). Look for identical shadows, cars, cloud patterns or leaves.
- Check labels and slots.
- Score with the scorecard below. Pass, or send back with a list of fixes.
Pass or fail scorecard
Score each line. A critical fail stops the order, no matter the total score. Minor items reduce the score.
Critical items (any fail means the order fails)
| # | Check | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | All photos are original, from this property and this visit | No sign of reuse | Any photo appears reused, edited or from another source |
| C2 | Date stamps present and consistent with visit and order dates | All dated correctly | Any missing, wrong or older than allowed |
| C3 | Address verification set present (front, number, street sign) | All three | Any missing or number does not match |
| C4 | Before and after for every ordered task | Every task covered | Any task missing before or after |
| C5 | Answers agree with photos | No conflicts | Any conflict (vacant with furniture, no damage with damage) |
| C6 | No task marked complete without proof | All proven | Any task completed in update without proof |
Quality items (each worth points)
| # | Check | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Before and after from the same angle on every task | 15 |
| Q2 | Proof items visible (yardstick, tape, antifreeze, tags, gauge, receipt) | 15 |
| Q3 | Full coverage: all elevations, rooms, fixtures, areas | 15 |
| Q4 | "During" photos present for every task that needs them | 10 |
| Q5 | Photos clear, upright, well lit | 10 |
| Q6 | Labels follow the standard | 10 |
| Q7 | Each photo in the correct portal slot | 10 |
| Q8 | No unnecessary duplicates or off-topic photos | 5 |
| Q9 | Comments short, factual and complete | 5 |
| Q10 | Measurements recorded in the update (lot size, CYD, UI, area) | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Result
| Result | Rule | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | No critical fails and 90 points or more | Submit |
| Fix and pass | No critical fails, 75 to 89 points | Fix on the desk (labels, slots, comments), recheck, submit |
| Fail | Any critical fail, or under 75 points | Hold. Request missing photos or a return visit. Do not submit. |
These thresholds are Narqix starting targets. Your campaign may raise them for clients with strict reviewers. Never lower them without Team Lead approval.
Worked example
Grass re-cut, order 4471820: scoring walk-through
Order: re-cut front, sides and rear. Edge walks and driveway.
Received: 14 photos.
| Check | Finding | Result |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Different car in driveway than last cycle; shadows match time of day | Pass |
| C2 | All stamped today, order issued 3 days ago | Pass |
| C3 | Front and number present, street sign missing | Fail |
| C4 | Before and after for front, left side, rear. Right side has after only | Fail |
| C5 | Update says "no debris". Photo shows two tyres by the garage | Fail |
Result: Fail with three critical items. Do not submit.
Message to crew (see the Field crew follow-up script):
"Hi (CREW NAME), order 4471820 at (PROPERTY ADDRESS). We need three things today please: 1. Street sign photo. 2. Right side yard before photo with yardstick, same angle as your after photo. 3. Close photo of the two tyres by the garage. Thank you."
Desk fix: change "debris present" to yes, add a comment about two tyres, and prepare a small bid if the client requires one for tyre removal.
Lesson: the right-side before photo cannot be "taken later" if the grass is already cut. Report it honestly to the client with the after photo and let the client decide.
Common QC mistakes by the desk
| Mistake | Better habit |
|---|---|
| Checking only that every slot is filled | Check what is in each slot |
| Trusting the crew's task list instead of the order | Always start from the order instructions |
| Fixing answers to match a "clean" story | Fix answers to match the photos, always |
| Skipping the copy check on recurring orders | Compare with the previous cycle every time |
| Sending the crew ten separate messages | Send one numbered list of everything missing |
Check yourself
1. A photo set passes 9 of 10 quality checks for 95 points, but one bathroom sink has no antifreeze after photo. Pass or fail?
Fail. A task without an after photo is a critical fail (C4), no matter the points.
2. What three photos come first in every order?
Front of the house from the street, the house number, and the street sign.
3. The crew says, "The grass looks the same as last time, just use those photos." What do you say?
No. Every photo must come from this visit. Reusing photos is fraud and can end the vendor's contract. Ask the crew for today's photos.
4. Write a caption for an after photo of a board-up on the rear bedroom window.
"Board-up, after: rear bedroom window, exterior, clear-board fully covering opening and secured." (Any caption with task, stage, location and what is visible is correct.)
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