Pre-Start Meeting – What to Does the Client need to Know

Written by James Reid

Introduction

When preparing for a project involving passive fire protection or any specialist trade, the pre-start meeting sets the tone for everything that follows. It is your opportunity to confirm details, identify risks, and ensure all parties are aligned before a single tool is lifted. Asking the right questions at this stage saves time, money, and disputes later. 

Let’s look at some of the key areas to cover, along with why each matter:

The Why: Laying the Foundation for Success

Stakeholder

Benefit

Benefit

Confidence and Clarity: Guarantees all parties start with a single, unified understanding of the project goals, minimising ambiguity and surprise costs later.

Contractor

De-risked Start: Ensures internal alignment (for the project team) is complete before mobilisation, leading to a smoother, faster start.


Project Scope & Deliverables Review

Stakeholder

Benefit

Benefit

Scope Protection: Confirms their investment is clearly documented and protects them against scope creep or delivery misunderstandings from the contractor’s side.

Contractor

Cost Control: Defines the boundaries of the work, creating a clean reference point for future Change Orders, which prevents uncompensated work.


Key Personnel & Authority (The Who’s Who)

Stakeholder

Benefit

Benefit

Direct Accountability: Knows exactly who to call for updates, escalations, and decisions, cutting down on wasted time and frustration.

Contractor

Streamlined Communication: Establishes clear chains of command on both sides, ensuring instructions and reports flow quickly and correctly, avoiding internal bottlenecks.

Safety & Compliance Protocol (Gunfire’s Commitment)

Stakeholder

Benefit

Benefit

Reduced Liability & Disruption: Ensures the contractor’s work meets regulatory standards (especially crucial for PFP) and minimises site incidents that could halt work or create legal exposure.

Contractor

Legal & Insurance Protection: Demonstrates due diligence and legal adherence, protecting Gunfire from fines, litigation, and insurance complications resulting from site accidents.


Schedule & Milestone Agreement

Stakeholder

Benefit

Benefit

Predictable Handover: Provides assurance that the contractor is committed to and understands the critical delivery timeline, allowing the client to plan their own downstream activities.

Contractor

Resource Efficiency: Locks in site access, delivery, and work windows, allowing for optimised scheduling of labour and materials to maintain maximum productivity.


Change Management & Documentation

Stakeholder

Benefit

Benefit

Cost Transparency: Guarantees that any changes they request will be priced and approved in writing before the work is done, giving them full control over their budget.

Contractor

Guaranteed Payment: Ensures that all extra work is formally authorised, eliminating disputes over invoices and guaranteeing payment for approved scope changes.

Benefits of Early Clarity


Taking the time to understand these points before the project starts delivers real benefits:

  • Reduced risk of error or rework: Misunderstandings caught early can be corrected before they cost time and money.
  • Improved collaboration: Open discussion at the outset builds trust and helps align objectives across trades.
  • Assured compliance: Knowing that methodology, testing, and competency are addressed means you can hand over with confidence.
  • Time and cost efficiency: Sequencing issues or insurance gaps discovered late can derail a programme; early clarity keeps everything on track

Final Thoughts


A pre-start meeting is not just a formality; it is one of the most valuable opportunities to shape a project’s success. By asking detailed questions on methodology, sequencing, testing, insurance, and competency, you create a stronger foundation for delivery. Early clarity prevents later disputes, reassures all stakeholders, and ensures that the fire protection system will perform when it matters most.

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