Before the crew arrives

The days before exterior work are a good time to resolve small practical questions. Where will deliveries go? Which entrance will you use? What should be moved? A short conversation can make the household and project team’s expectations clearer.

Use this guide to prepare that conversation. Your contractor’s site-specific instructions and the agreed scope should determine what you actually do before work begins.

Confirm access and delivery arrangements

Ask which areas need to be accessible and where materials or equipment are expected to go. Discuss driveways, gates, parking and any restrictions affecting the property. If a neighbor’s access could be involved, raise the issue before assuming an arrangement is available.

Identify the entrance your household expects to use and ask how access will be managed as work moves around the building. Share any mobility or accessibility needs early so they can be considered in the plan.

Review outdoor belongings

Walk the exterior with your contractor and discuss furniture, planters, decorations, hoses and other movable items. Ask what you should relocate and what the project team will handle. Agree where belongings should go so they do not create a new obstruction.

Point out landscaping or features you particularly want considered. Ask what protection is included and whether any preparation is needed. Avoid trimming, disconnecting or removing something solely on the assumption that it will be necessary.

Plan for people, pets and routines

Explain school runs, deliveries, work-from-home needs and other routines that affect access. Discuss the expected working arrangements and how you will receive updates if they change. Plan how pets will remain separate from active work areas, using the site arrangements you have agreed.

If someone will be away, identify who is authorized to answer project questions and approve changes. Make sure that person has the current scope and knows how to reach the project contact.

Keep decisions in one place

Save the accepted proposal, material selections and written clarifications together. Before the start, review any unresolved choices and ask when an answer is needed. Confirm that the project contact has the same final information.

Ask how newly discovered conditions or requested changes will be documented. A photograph and a clear explanation can help the discussion, but additional work should follow the agreed approval process rather than an informal assumption.

Look ahead to completion

Discuss cleanup and the final review before work begins. Ask which product records, care instructions and other agreed documents will be provided. Keep a list of questions as the project progresses so they can be addressed at the appropriate time.

Still at the planning stage? Tell Tremor about your project, including your city, the type of exterior work and your preferred timing. You can also mention household access needs early; they are useful information for a project conversation, not something to save until installation day.