Commercial roof works: what needs to be ready before the team arrives?
The installation team arrives at the agreed time. The loading area is full, the manager with the keys is away and the stock beneath the first work zone has not moved. The programme has started, but the site is not ready for it.
Client readiness means completing the access, information, clearance and operating arrangements agreed for the project before the team arrives. It is a practical handover, not simply confirmation that a purchase order has been raised.
This checklist supports that handover. It does not replace the construction phase plan, risk assessments or the contractor's responsibility for its work.
Start with the agreed first work area
Ask the site lead to identify the first phase and what must be available before it starts. Mark the area on a plan and circulate the same version to the people responsible for clearing it.
Be precise about boundaries. “Clear the warehouse” may be unnecessary, while “move a few pallets” may not provide the agreed access. State the identified zone, routes and any equipment that must remain accessible.
Ask how readiness will be checked and who confirms it. If a requirement cannot be met, raise it before mobilisation so the project team can review the sequence safely.
Use a short readiness register
| Item | Client action to confirm | Evidence or contact |
|---|---|---|
| Site entry | Gates, keys, security process and working hours agreed. | Named arrival contact and access instructions. |
| Delivery and unloading | Booking arrangements and required area available. | Delivery plan and responsible person. |
| Internal clearance | Agreed zones and routes cleared as required. | Marked plan and confirmation from the area manager. |
| Operations | Restrictions communicated to staff, drivers and affected teams. | Current operational briefing. |
| Relevant records | Available surveys, asbestos information and services records supplied. | Controlled document list. |
| Facilities and services | Agreed client provisions available and responsibilities understood. | Prestart checklist with exceptions recorded. |
| Decisions and changes | Someone available to authorise client decisions. | Main contact and deputy with contact numbers. |
| Emergencies | Site arrangements shared and coordinated. | Agreed emergency contacts and briefing. |
Record incomplete items honestly. A checkbox should represent something verified, not something everyone hopes will happen before the vehicle arrives.
Check the delivery assumptions
Confirm what the delivery includes and how unloading will take place. A booked delivery does not necessarily include the unloading equipment the site needs.
Ask about vehicle access, load dimensions, storage space and restrictions on arrival times. Identify who receives the materials, checks the delivery and reports discrepancies without losing track of the installation programme.
For an illustrative example, a narrow service yard may require a different unloading arrangement from an open industrial estate. That should be established with the supplier and project team before dispatch, not improvised when the lorry blocks the entrance.
Brief the people who actually use the site
Tell employees and visiting drivers which routes and areas will change. Explain the restrictions in operational language: which loading door is unavailable, where deliveries should report and who decides whether an area can reopen.
Do not rely only on a message to the office manager if warehouse supervisors control the affected floor. The responsible people need the current plan and a way to receive changes.
Where an activity cannot stop, explain why and agree how the project will accommodate it. A contractor cannot safely work around a restriction it learns about only after opening the roof.
Make relevant building information available
Provide current surveys, roof drawings, asbestos information and relevant services records already held. Identify known gaps so the project team can decide what further investigation is necessary.
HSE's guidance on sharing asbestos information addresses making relevant records available to people who may disturb the building. Do not assume an old report covers every new work area.
If an unexpected suspect material or condition is encountered, the affected work needs the appropriate review. Do not ask employees to remove or disturb it to keep the programme moving.
Confirm the site setup responsibilities
Check who provides each agreed facility and service, including welfare, storage, waste areas and any client supplied power or water. The allocation depends on the project arrangements; it should be explicit rather than copied from a generic checklist.
For projects in Great Britain, HSE's commercial client guidance explains the need for suitable management arrangements and facilities. The checklist should support those arrangements, not transfer every responsibility to whichever party happens to have a key.
Where another contractor is already on site, identify the person coordinating interfaces and access. Separate teams should not each assume they have exclusive use of the same area.
Agree who can make decisions during the day
Name the client contact, deputy and site lead. Clarify who can authorise changes to working areas, operating restrictions and additional scope. A technical concern and a commercial variation may require different people.
Ask how decisions will be recorded. A concise written confirmation should identify the issue, agreed action and any effect on cost or programme. Keep it accessible to the people carrying out the work.
Avoid relying on a long message thread where the latest instruction is buried among earlier versions. The site needs one current instruction, not several conflicting recollections.
Complete a readiness check before mobilisation
Review the register with the project team and mark each item ready, unresolved or not applicable. Give unresolved items an owner and state whether they affect the planned start.
Where photographs can be taken safely, they can help confirm that the agreed storage or loading area has been cleared. They do not replace the contractor's inspection of its working conditions.
This check is also the opportunity to confirm the first day's arrival arrangements and briefing. It is much easier to solve a missing key or blocked access route while the team is still planning than after it has mobilised.
Preparing a commercial roofing project for site? Send TCR the project brief and operating requirements. For an appointed project, agree the specific readiness checklist with the TCR site lead so the client provisions, first work area and communication arrangements match the actual programme.
