New Home Pre-Construction Meeting Checklist: 12 Questions Before Work Starts in Southwest Florida

The short answer: use the meeting to align the documents, people and jobsite

What should happen at a new-home pre-construction meeting? The owner and builder should verify the plans that control the work, permit status, remaining selections, site access, utilities, inspection responsibilities, communication process and the first major construction milestones. The goal is not to redesign the house at the table. It is to uncover contradictions and unanswered questions before crews, deliveries and equipment arrive.

Bring the signed contract, current drawing set, specifications, selection records, survey or site plan and approved change documents. End with a written action list that names each decision, responsible person and due date. A clear meeting record is more useful than relying on memory once construction is moving.

1. Which plans and specifications control the project?

Confirm the date or revision number of the architectural, structural, site, truss, energy, mechanical, electrical and plumbing documents that apply. Owners sometimes keep an early floor plan on a phone or email while the construction team is working from a later permitted set. Mark superseded pages clearly so they do not return to the jobsite by mistake.

Review how written specifications, finish schedules and approved change orders relate to the drawings. If two documents conflict, assign the clarification before work starts. The meeting should also identify who can issue a field clarification and when a revision must go back through the design or permitting process.

2. Is the permit issued, and what approvals are still open?

A permit application, plan-review approval and issued permit are different milestones. Confirm the actual status, any outstanding conditions and the documents that must remain available for inspections. Do not treat an estimated approval date as authorization to begin regulated work.

Jurisdiction matters. Cape Coral manages permit intake, document routing and status tracking through its Permitting Services Division and EnerGov portal, while properties in unincorporated Lee County follow the county process. Verify the authority for the parcel rather than assuming the mailing address decides it. Community or architectural-review approvals may also apply separately from government permits.

3. Has the home been located correctly on the lot?

Compare the current survey or site plan with setbacks, easements, driveway position, utility locations, drainage features and any planned pool or outdoor-living area. The home orientation should support daily use as well as construction access. A conflict between the house, septic area, swale, canal, trees or future pool can be expensive after site work begins.

When surveying services are required, Model Construction Corp can coordinate with independent surveying professionals. Architectural or engineering questions are likewise handled with the appropriate independent professionals; they are not represented as company employees. Confirm which professional supplies each document and who receives revisions.

4. What site work must occur before the first major inspection?

Walk through clearing, erosion or sediment controls, construction entrance, fill, grading, temporary drainage, building layout and underground preparation. The exact sequence depends on the lot, approved plans and jurisdiction. Ask what evidence or documentation must be available before an inspection is requested.

Discuss how rain will be managed during early construction. Southwest Florida sites can change quickly after heavy weather, especially where fill, swales or low areas are involved. The plan should protect neighboring property, keep required drainage paths functional and define who evaluates soft or disturbed areas before work continues.

5. How will crews, deliveries and equipment enter the property?

Identify the construction entrance, staging areas, dumpster or debris location, portable facilities, delivery paths and limits of disturbance. Tight lots in Cape Coral or established Fort Myers neighborhoods may offer very different access than a larger Lehigh Acres parcel. Account for overhead lines, culverts, roadside swales, adjacent driveways and community rules.

Large deliveries should not be planned independently. Trusses, block, concrete, roofing, impact openings and equipment may each need space at different stages. Coordinate the sequence so stored material does not block inspections, damage drainage features or occupy the future route for another trade.

6. Which homeowner selections are complete, and which have deadlines?

Separate approved selections from ideas still under consideration. High-impact decisions include impact windows and exterior doors, garage doors, roofing, cabinets, appliances, plumbing fixtures, tubs, showers, flooring, lighting and HVAC-related options. Some affect rough openings, utility locations or lead times long before the finish is installed.

Create a selection schedule with decision dates tied to construction milestones, not vague calendar estimates. Record model numbers, colors, orientations and who purchases each item. When an allowance applies, confirm the quantity, what it includes and how differences are calculated. This reduces rushed substitutions and avoidable change orders.

7. Are HVAC, plumbing and electrical plans coordinated with the rooms?

Review equipment spaces, returns, supply locations, thermostats, water-heater location, hose bibs, shutoffs, panel placement, receptacles, lighting controls and major appliance requirements. A floor plan can look complete while the systems that make the rooms work still compete for walls, ceilings and service access.

Coordinate special conditions before rough-in: an outdoor kitchen, generator provisions, electric-vehicle charging, pool equipment, laundry layout, freezer, extra refrigeration or future addition may affect capacity and routing. Model Construction Corp holds general, HVAC, plumbing and pool/spa contractor licenses, which supports coordination of applicable scopes within a broader new-home project.

8. How are impact openings and exterior transitions documented?

Confirm the approved impact-rated window, exterior-door, sliding-door and garage-door schedule, including sizes, operation, frame colors, glass options and required documentation. Door swings and thresholds should coordinate with floors, patios, lanais and accessible routes shown in the plans.

Exterior transitions deserve early attention. Review wall finishes, waterproofing interfaces, soffits, roof connections, patio elevations and any future enclosure. Product selection, rough opening and installation method must work together; a product name by itself does not define the complete opening.

9. What inspections and hold points affect the sequence?

Ask the builder to explain the major inspection path for the approved project and which work must remain visible. Inspection names and timing vary by jurisdiction and design, so use the issued permit and current local instructions rather than a generic internet checklist. Work that is covered too early may need to be exposed again.

Define who requests inspections, receives results, responds to corrections and confirms approval before the next dependent activity. Lee County publishes inspection information through its Department of Community Development, and Cape Coral provides permit and inspection tracking through EnerGov. The project team should use the system that applies to the address.

10. How will questions, photos and change requests be handled?

Choose a primary owner contact and a primary contractor contact. Establish the normal channel for routine questions, formal notices, selection approvals and emergency issues. Multiple family members sending independent instructions to different trades can create contradictions even when everyone is trying to help.

A requested change should be documented before affected work proceeds. The record should describe the revised scope, price impact, schedule effect and any related work that also changes. Jobsite conversations are useful for identifying issues, but they should not replace written authorization when cost, time or design is affected.

11. What should the homeowner expect during construction?

Discuss normal work hours, site-visit rules, safety boundaries, photo updates, progress meetings and how weather or inspection delays will be communicated. A new-home site contains active equipment, incomplete stairs, open trenches and changing conditions. Visits should be coordinated with the builder instead of treated like access to a finished property.

Clarify what schedule information will be shared and how it should be interpreted. A construction schedule is a coordinated plan, not a promise that every activity will occur on one fixed day. Weather, inspections, material availability, corrections and owner decisions can move individual tasks.

12. What records will be needed at closeout?

Plan for closeout while organizing the start. Identify the records that will be collected during construction, such as approved revisions, inspection results, product information, equipment documents, change orders and applicable warranties. Waiting until the final walkthrough to locate months of records makes the handover harder.

Ask how punch-list items, final approvals and the Certificate of Occupancy or completion document applicable to the project will be handled. The exact closeout package depends on the jurisdiction, contract and installed products, but responsibility for collecting it should be clear from the beginning.

Pre-construction meeting checklist for the homeowner

Use this list to prepare questions and capture action items. A productive meeting should end with fewer assumptions and a dated record of anything still unresolved.

• Current permitted drawing set and revisions identified
• Permit status, conditions and separate approvals confirmed
• Survey, home location, easements and drainage reviewed
• Site access, staging, deliveries and temporary facilities planned
• Early site-work and inspection sequence explained
• Selection log and decision deadlines updated
• HVAC, plumbing, electrical, pool and future-work interfaces coordinated
• Impact openings and exterior transitions documented
• Inspection requests, corrections and hold points assigned
• Owner and contractor communication contacts established
• Change-order approval process reviewed
• Closeout records and handover responsibilities listed

Local planning for Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres

Cape Coral projects use City procedures, while many Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres addresses may be under Lee County or another local authority depending on the parcel. Confirm jurisdiction, utility provider, flood-related information and any community requirements from current property records and official sources.

The same meeting agenda can serve different lots, but the answers should be property-specific. Canal access, well and septic systems, utility connections, roadside drainage, fill, mature neighborhoods and community restrictions can change the sequence and responsibilities. Bring the actual project documents rather than treating a general checklist as a substitute for the approved plan.

Start construction with a written, coordinated plan

A pre-construction meeting is most valuable when it produces decisions, owners and deadlines—not another stack of informal notes. Resolve document conflicts, protect critical decision dates and make the first weeks of work understandable to everyone involved.

Model Construction Corp coordinates ground-up residential construction, impact-rated openings, HVAC, plumbing, pools and outdoor-living planning across Southwest Florida. If you are planning a new home in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres or a nearby community, request a free estimate or call (561) 260-5782 to discuss the property, plans and intended scope.