5 Things to Do Before Your Contractor Arrives
Avoid the chaos, impress the crew, and keep your construction dreams on track.
Getting ready to kick off a building construction project? Whether you're working with a general contractor to remodel your kitchen, break ground on a custom home, or pour ready mix concrete for a new patio, preparation is key. The last thing you want is to delay progress because your dog won’t stop chasing the construction worker or your garage is still full of holiday decorations.
Here are five fun (and essential) things to do before your contractor shows up at the door with blueprints, a backhoe, and dreams of floating floors.
1. Clear the Stage (a.k.a. the Construction Site)
Picture this: Your home builders show up ready to form your foundation, but they can’t even get to the yard because your inflatable flamingo collection is in the way.
Declutter like you’re staging your home for HGTV. That means removing furniture, plants, and anything precious (like your grandma’s porcelain flamingo) from the construction site. If you're working on a remodel, clear the path from the door to the work area too. Bonus points for labeling rooms to match your floor plan—it helps everyone stay on the same page.
Keywords: construction site, foundation, form, floor plan, home builders
2. Lock Down the Pets, Kids & Curious Neighbors
Construction is exciting—there’s framing, footers, and flashing, oh my! But for safety (and sanity), it’s best to keep pets, kiddos, and nosy neighbors away from the action.
Not only are expansive soils, glulam beams, and half-dug trenches a hazard, but an energetic golden retriever is no match for a crew trying to install fascia or GFCI outlets.
Consider setting up a temporary fence or gate, and give your contractor a heads-up about who else will be around the property.
Keywords: framing, footer (footing), flashing, fascia, GFCI, expansive soils, glulam
3. Have Your Questions & Vision Ready
A good general contractor will walk you through the floor plan, review the blueprints, and chat with you about everything from fascia to forced air heating. But that doesn’t mean they can read your mind.
Before they arrive, jot down your goals, must-haves, and dealbreakers. Bring your Pinterest boards, magazine clippings, or that napkin sketch you made over tacos. Be ready to review the bid, talk cost codes, and ask about contract types (cost-plus or fixed price?).
Being clear up front helps avoid surprises—and change orders—later.
Keywords: general contractor, blueprints, floor plan, bid, cost codes, cost-plus contract, change order, forced air heating/cooling
4. Prep the Parking and Power
Your construction company won’t show up in a Prius. Think builders’ trucks, trailers, maybe even a backhoe or a concrete mixer full of ready mix concrete.
Make sure your driveway or street parking is clear, and let neighbors know what’s up (especially if there’s going to be some major flatwork or foundation digging). Inside, check that there’s power where it’s needed, or talk with your contractor about running extension cords or setting up temporary GFCI power.
Oh, and confirm bathroom access. Yes, really.
Keywords: construction company, builders, ready mix concrete, backhoe, flatwork, foundation, GFCI
5. Review Documents Like a Pro (Or at Least Pretend To)
Don’t wait until Demo Day to skim the paperwork. Review your bid, daily reports, BIM files (if they’re using building information modeling), and make sure you understand your contract terms—especially how change orders work.
Look over the CAD drawings, check if your project uses green board or fire-rated materials, and ask about damp proofing, felt underlayment, or passive house upgrades if you're aiming for green building goals.
No need to be an expert—you’ve got a contractor for that—but knowing the basics makes you a dream client.
Keywords: bid, daily report, BIM, building information modeling, CAD, green board, fire-resistive (fire-rated), damp proofing, felt (underlayment), passive house, green building, contractor
Final Tip: Be Friendly, Be Flexible
A little kindness goes a long way. Offering cold drinks or simply greeting your construction worker crew each morning sets the tone. A great builder-client relationship can keep your project on track even when things get dusty (and they will get dusty).
Getting ready for your next big project? At E.H. Construction, we’re here to guide you every step of the way—from footer to fascia. Let’s build something awesome.