Before and afters, seasonal tips and honest pricing, filmed on the job
Homeowners hire plumbers, electricians, roofers and cleaners the same way: something breaks or needs doing, they search, and they call whoever looks trustworthy and close. Short videos help with that last part. A profile full of clean before and afters, honest pricing explainers and simple seasonal tips tells a stranger that you know the work and you will show up.
You already have most of the material. Every job is a before and after. Every service call ends with a question the homeowner asked you at the door. The ideas below turn those into reels for plumbers, HVAC techs, electricians, roofers, landscapers, cleaners and general contractors, and almost all of them can be filmed with a phone while you work, with no one talking to the camera.
Updated 24 October 2026 ยท by Danish, who makes TallyReel
What a permit is and when your project needs oneSay it depends on your city or county.Make this
Tips homeowners save
Small fixes you can do yourself this weekend, and when to stopSafe DIY only, like a running toilet flapper or a clogged aerator.Make this
The one thing you should never pour down your kitchen drainMake this
How often to change your HVAC filter, honestlyMake this
Where your main water shutoff is and why you should find it todayMake this
Why your outlets feel warm and when to worryMake this
How to keep a freshly cleaned bathroom clean for a weekMake this
Behind the scenes
A day on the truck: six service calls in sixty secondsClips of the van, tools and finished jobs. No homeowners on camera.Make this
What is inside our service van and why each tool is thereMake this
How we prep a job site before we start workMake this
Meet the crew: what each of us does on a roofing jobOnly with each person's OK. Hands and tools work if people prefer not to be filmed.Make this
Scripts you can copy
About 30 seconds each when read aloud. Paste one into TallyReel as your own script, or change the details first.
The script behind the video above
Is This a Plumbing Emergency?
1
Not every plumbing problem needs a call at midnight. These three usually do.
2
One, water where it should not be. A burst pipe or a leak you cannot stop can damage floors and walls fast.
3
If that happens, turn off the main water shutoff first. Find yours today, before you need it.
4
Two, no water at all in the house. It can point to a main line or supply problem.
5
Three, sewage backing up into a drain or tub. Stop using water and call a plumber.
6
A slow drain or a dripping faucet can usually wait for a normal appointment. Save this for later.
Script 2
Five Things to Do Before the First Freeze
1
The first hard freeze is coming. Here are five things to do this weekend.
2
Disconnect your garden hoses and drain them, so water does not freeze in the outdoor faucet.
3
Shut off and drain outdoor faucets if your house has an inside valve for them.
4
Change your furnace filter, and book a heating check if it has been a year or more.
5
Clear your gutters, so melting snow can drain instead of backing up under the roof.
6
And insulate pipes in cold spots like crawl spaces and garages. Save this checklist.
What to post each week
Three posts a week is a good target for a small crew, and the work gives you the content for free. Take ten seconds of video before and after each job and you will never run out. Tips and checklists get saved; before and afters get shared and bring in calls from people who have the same problem.
Plan around the seasons. HVAC companies should post cooling tips in spring and heating tips in fall. Roofers post after storms. Landscapers follow the growing season. Cleaners do well with spring cleaning and holiday prep. Write the seasonal posts a month ahead so they are ready when people start searching.
Monday: a before and after from last week's jobs
Wednesday: a seasonal tip or an "is this an emergency?" explainer
Friday: a pricing explainer, a hiring tip, or a behind-the-scenes clip
Every week: post the best one as a Google Business update with a photo and a link to book
Faceless ways to film on the job
Most tradespeople do not want to talk to a camera, and the best home service videos do not need it. Prop your phone up and film your hands, the tools and the work. Shoot the before and after from the same spot. Add a short voiceover that explains what you found and what you did, and let captions carry it for people watching on mute.
When you have no job footage for a tip video, stock clips of furnaces, gutters, pipes and lawns cover the gap. Always ask the homeowner before filming inside their home, and keep house numbers, family photos, faces and anything personal out of the frame.
Use Google Business, not only Instagram
When a pipe bursts, people search "plumber near me" on Google, not on Instagram. Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing they see, and recent photos, videos and posts make it look active and trustworthy. Post your before and afters and seasonal tips there every week, with a line of text and a link to call or book.
Ask happy customers for a Google review after each job, and reply to every review, good or bad, calmly and briefly. Never offer discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews, since that breaks Google's rules.
What to avoid
Filming inside a customer's home, or showing their address, without permission
Showing unsafe work practices on camera, like working on live circuits or skipping fall protection
Scare tactics that make every problem sound like an emergency
Quoting firm prices in a video when the real price depends on the job
Showing DIY steps for work that needs a license or permit in your area, like gas or panel work
Using music you do not have the rights to
Making and scheduling it with TallyReel
Type one idea, like "five things to do before the first freeze", and the app drafts a short script you can edit before anything renders. Upload your job photos and clips to the Library and it uses those instead of stock footage, then adds the voiceover, captions and music. You can make a week of videos from the truck on your phone.
TallyReel schedules each video to Google Business, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn from one place, so the posts keep going out while you are on jobs.
Questions
What should a plumber or HVAC company post on social media?
Before and afters from real jobs, seasonal maintenance tips, "is this an emergency?" explainers and honest pricing explainers. Post the best ones on your Google Business Profile too.
How do I get more calls from Google Business for my home service business?
Keep your profile complete and current, post photos or videos every week, and ask every happy customer for a review. Reply to all reviews calmly.
Can I film inside a customer's home for social media?
Only with their permission. Ask before you start, keep faces, addresses and personal items out of frame, and focus the camera on the work.
How often should a contractor post on social media?
Two or three times a week is realistic for a small crew. Short clips from real jobs are enough, and they do not take long to make.
Should home service businesses post prices online?
Explaining what goes into a price builds trust. If you share numbers, keep them as starting points or ranges and say the final price depends on the job.
Type the idea into TallyReel, read the script, and it makes the video for you: in the browser, on your phone, or in Studio on your own computer. Start on the free plan.