A company called Leeway Inspections is paying regular people to drive out and take photos of properties and construction sites, and you do not need any special training to do it.
What is Leeway Inspections?
Leeway works with lenders who give out construction loans. When someone borrows money to build a home or office, the lender needs proof that work is actually getting done before they hand over the next chunk of cash. Leeway sends freelancers out to snap photos of the site, and those photos help the lender decide if the project is on track.
This is the kind of story that sounds confusing at first but is actually pretty simple once you break it down. That is the whole point of a site like this one: explain what is going on in plain terms so you do not need to look anything up just to understand the news.
How the gig works
You do not need a camera, a degree, or any background in construction or real estate. Cora Auckland, Leeway’s hiring manager, says the company often hires real estate agents and hobby photographers to do these inspections.
Here is what you actually need
- A car, so you can drive to the property.
- A smartphone with internet access, so you can take and send photos.
- Willingness to travel 20 to 30 miles for a job.
- Ability to get to the site and take the photos within two days of getting the request.
Once you are on site, the job itself is quick. You take somewhere between 20 and 40 photos of the property and send them in. A Leeway staffer then writes up the official report and sends it to the lender. Most of your time is actually spent driving, not shooting photos.
How to apply
The best way in is to check Leeway’s careers page for openings near you. Auckland says it is smarter to wait for a listing in your area than to fill out a general application, since it could be months before Leeway has work where you live.
Leeway already works with about 900 freelance inspectors, but the company keeps growing into new areas. As of September, it was looking for inspectors in cities across California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Nevada, Georgia, and Illinois.
What this means for you
If you are thinking about signing up, here is the honest picture of what you will earn and how often the work shows up.
- Pay is a flat fee per job, usually between $45 and $60.
- Mileage is not reimbursed, so part of that fee covers your gas and wear on your car.
- Even on a quick 20-minute inspection, once you count driving time, you will likely end up earning around $15 to $20 an hour.
- Work is not steady. Leeway partners with more than 80 lenders nationwide, but at any given moment they may only need a few dozen inspections done.
- In busy areas, you might get a few jobs a week. In quieter areas, you might wait months between assignments.
- Payment comes by direct deposit once a week.
Auckland is upfront about the limits here. She calls it “just a side hustle” and says it is “not close to a full-time job.” That is why she tells people to sign up only when they spot an open listing in their area, since jumping in too early could mean a long wait with nothing to do.
Despite the modest pay, freelancers who have worked with Leeway describe the company as friendly and easy to reach. Unlike a lot of gig apps, you can actually call and talk to someone at Leeway on the phone if you have a question.
Is this worth your time?
This is not going to replace a paycheck. The money is too small, and the work is too occasional to count as steady income.
But it could make sense in specific situations. If you are a real estate agent who already drives around looking at listings and wants to stay current on local inventory, these gigs fit naturally into your day. If you are a photographer who likes finding stock photo opportunities anyway, an inspection job could cover your gas money while you are out shooting.
Leeway is not the only company paying people to take photos for a living on the side. Other similar sites mentioned alongside it include Ivueit, ProxyPics, and WeGoLook, which work in similar ways by sending freelancers out to document properties.
Your next step
If this sounds like something you would try, go check Leeway’s careers page to see if there is an open listing in your city before you fill out any application. That way you are not waiting around for months with nothing to do.
