STEP 6 OF 8
Pre-work
Prepare the people, materials, equipment, and schedule.
Make one job file
Keep the accepted quote, contract, drawings, site notes, photos, contact details, and agreed changes together. The crew should be working from the accepted scope, not an old conversation.
Create a short job brief: what is being built, where, who is responsible, and what could hold the work up. Highlight any customer-specific concerns.
Tip: Use the same file structure for each job. It saves searching through texts while someone is waiting onsite.
Confirm the site is ready
Check access, parking, delivery space, working hours, pets, gates, and any areas the customer needs to clear. Confirm relevant permissions, permits, utility-location requirements, and inspections before the work that depends on them.
Before any digging, contact BC 1 Call in British Columbia or your area’s call-before-you-dig service. This is a critical pre-work step.
Request utility information early, wait for all required responses, and follow the utility owners’ locating and safe-digging instructions before work begins. One request does not identify every buried service: contact non-member utility owners and arrange separate locating for private services where needed. BC 1 Call’s contractor guidance
Tip: Do not discover an access problem after the rental equipment arrives. Recheck any tight or uncertain access before booking it.
Line up materials and equipment
Confirm specifications, quantities, lead times, delivery dates, and where material will be stored. Arrange rentals and subcontractors around the actual sequence of work.
Check the delivery order against the accepted scope. Confirm who receives it and what to do if something is missing or wrong.
Tip: A promised supplier date is an assumption until confirmed. Keep the customer informed when availability affects the schedule.
Plan the work with the crew
Explain the scope, daily sequence, responsibilities, quality checkpoints, and site-specific hazards. Make sure the right skills and supervision are available for the task.
Identify which steps depend on earlier work, inspections, or material readiness. Build the schedule around those dependencies rather than simply filling calendar squares.
Tip: The person doing the work should know what a finished, acceptable result looks like before starting.
Send a clear start message
Tell the customer when to expect you, who will arrive, what access is needed, and what disruption to expect. Explain how they will receive updates and how to raise questions.
Example: “We’re scheduled to start [date/time], subject to [known condition]. Please keep [access area] clear. Your contact is [name/number]. We’ll update you if the plan changes.”
Tip: Only promise a fixed completion date if you can support it. Explain important weather, inspection, or supply dependencies early.
Useful references: Canada: find your local locate service · USA: contact 811 before digging