Site set-up questions rarely get asked because they feel like small details compared to price and design, but they're exactly the things that determine day-to-day life in a house during works.
A short, specific list of questions before work starts sets clear expectations on both sides and gives you something concrete to point back to if standards slip once the job is under way.
Confirm what will be protected, and how
Ask specifically which surfaces and fittings will be protected, and with what — floor boarding, staircase covers, dust sheets over fixed items. A vague answer like 'we'll be careful' is not the same as a stated protection plan, and it's the plan that holds up if something does get damaged.
If you have items of particular value or sentimental importance in the path of the works, flag them specifically rather than assuming they're covered by general protection measures.
Ask how dust will be kept out of the rest of the house
If you're staying in the property, ask exactly how the works area will be sealed off from living space — a temporary stud partition, a zipped dust screen, or something less substantial. Ask how this holds up when materials need moving through the boundary repeatedly during the day.
For anyone in the household with asthma or other respiratory conditions, raise this directly and confirm the measures proposed are adequate before work starts, not after symptoms appear.
Check parking, access and delivery arrangements with neighbours in mind
Confirm where trade vehicles will park, where deliveries will be received, and whether any of this affects shared access or neighbouring properties. Where it does, it's worth letting neighbours know in advance yourself, since a courteous heads-up avoids friction that otherwise lands on the contractor mid-job.
On terraced or tightly built streets, ask specifically how larger deliveries — a skip, a concrete pump, structural steel — will be managed, since these sometimes need a road permit or specific timing.
Agree waste removal frequency, not just that it will happen
Ask how often the skip will be collected and replaced, and where it will sit in the meantime — on a driveway, on the street, or in a specific corner of the garden. A vague answer of 'we'll sort it as we go' has led to plenty of skips overflowing on driveways for weeks.
If waste is likely to include anything requiring special disposal — asbestos-containing materials in an older property, for instance — ask specifically how that will be identified and handled, since it's a different process from standard construction waste.
Ask what welfare arrangements will be in place
Confirm what facilities trades will use — toilet access, somewhere to make tea, somewhere dry to eat lunch — particularly if you're living in the house alongside the works. Agreeing this upfront avoids an awkward daily negotiation over shared facilities once work is under way.
On longer jobs, ask whether a site cabin or similar facility will be brought in, and where it will sit, since this also affects the answers to access and parking above.
Common questions
Is it reasonable to ask for photos of protection measures once installed?+
Yes, this is a simple and reasonable check, particularly if you're not on site every day. A quick photo of boarded floors and sealed doorways gives you confidence the plan discussed has actually been carried out.
What if dust still gets through despite agreed measures?+
Raise it immediately rather than waiting, since it's usually a fixable sealing issue — a gap under a door or an unsealed vent — rather than something that has to be lived with for the rest of the job.
Who arranges any street permits for skips or deliveries?+
This is usually the contractor's responsibility, but confirm it explicitly before the skip or delivery is due, since permit lead times with some local authorities can be a week or more.
Ask us for our standard site set-up checklist
We're happy to walk through protection, dust control, parking and waste arrangements before we start.