Your pre-construction meeting is where ideas turn into a buildable plan. Use it to clarify scope, budget, timelines, approvals, and how you’ll communicate day to day so your custom home in Toronto runs smoothly from first stake to final walkthrough.
Keep it focused on the “big five”: floor plan/elevations, structure (joists, beams, foundation), mechanicals (HVAC zoning, ventilation, dehumidification), electrical/lighting concept, and high-level finishes. Arrive with drawings, a short selections list, and inspiration images. Set allowance amounts, a contingency, and clear rules for pricing/approving change orders. Review the critical path, flag long-lead items (windows, exterior doors, millwork), and set decision deadlines to keep procurement ahead of construction.
Assign roles and cadence (who’s your daily contact, how updates and RFIs are tracked). Confirm site logistics (staging, safety, cleanliness). Lock baseline ceiling heights by floor and decide where a feature (tray, waffle, cathedral/vaulted, sloped) makes sense. Align on performance details—basement clear height after bulkheads, window head heights, insulation/air sealing, waterproofing, ventilation. Close with paperwork: draw schedule, documentation required each draw, deficiency sign-offs, and warranty milestones. Leave with an action list, owners, and dates for the next checkpoints
1) Budget, Pricing, and Allowances
- What’s included in the base price versus allowances (kitchen, appliances, plumbing fixtures, flooring, lighting)?
- How do you protect pricing if material costs fluctuate?
- Can we review your line-item estimate with plans and selections?
- What contingency do you recommend, who controls it, and how is it used?
- How do change orders work, and when are they priced and approved?
- Where can we value-engineer without hurting performance or resale?
Tip: For context on ranges and upgrade impacts, review our custom home building costs in Toronto
2) Scope, Plans, and Specifications
- Can we walk the full spec sheet room by room?
- Which drawings control if there’s a conflict (architectural vs. structural vs. interior)?
- Are there details you’d adjust for constructability, savings, or durability?
- What are the ceiling heights (main, second, basement) and any feature ceilings (tray, waffle, cathedral/vaulted, sloped)? See our Ontario ceiling height guide for quick benchmarks.
3) Timeline, Schedule, and Critical Path
- What’s the schedule from permits to occupancy?
- What could delay us (utility approvals, inspections, long-lead items) and how do we mitigate?
- When are final selections due to keep framing, windows, and millwork on time?
- What’s our target occupancy and what must happen this month to hit it?
4) Permits, Inspections, and Approvals
- Which permits and approvals are required for our lot, and who is responsible for each?
- What inspections lead to occupancy and who attends?
- Any zoning or conservation constraints affecting height, setbacks, or grading?
- If we need a variance, what’s the plan and timeline? Brush up on the process with our post on building permits in Toronto
5) Communication and Decisions
- Who is our day-to-day contact and how often will we meet?
- Which platform will we use for updates, selections, and approvals (email, client portal, chat)?
- What’s the weekly cutoff for changes to make the next site cycle?
- How are RFIs documented and closed?
6) Site Logistics and Trades
- What’s the staging plan for materials, waste bins, and deliveries?
- When are key trades (framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall) on site?
- How do you vet trades for quality, safety, and insurance? Who supervises daily?
- Site rules for access, cleanliness, safety, and neighbor relations?
7) Structure, Envelope, and Energy
- What structural system are we using (joists, beams, foundation type) and why?
- How are we handling air sealing, insulation, and window performance?
- What’s the HVAC strategy (zoning, heat pump options, ventilation, dehumidification)?
- Are there upgrades that meaningfully improve comfort or operating costs?
8) Interior Systems, Selections, and Finishes
- Window and door schedules, hardware standards, and window head heights?
- Kitchen: cabinet line, full-height vs. crown, panel-ready appliances, venting details?
- Bathrooms: waterproofing method, shower glass, niches, heated floors?
- Lighting and electrical: fixture locations, dimmers, smart controls, exterior lighting?
- Flooring transitions, baseboard heights, casing profiles—and how they align with your ceiling heights and door sizes.
9) Basement and Outdoors
- Final basement clear heights after slab, subfloor, ducts, and drywall?
- Bulkhead strategy—where are mechanicals routed so living areas stay clean?
- Outdoor living: grading, drainage, exterior outlets, hose bibs, gas lines, soffit lighting, and landscape rough-ins.
10) Quality Control, Safety, and Warranty
- What quality benchmarks do you use at framing, pre-drywall, and pre-paint?
- How do you handle deficiencies and who signs off on each phase?
- What’s covered by workmanship and manufacturer warranties?
- What support do we get after move-in (30/90-day check-ins, one-year walkthrough)? Explore our projects to see how these standards show up in finished homes.
11) Payments, Draws, and Documentation
- What is the payment schedule and which milestones trigger draws?
- What documentation accompanies each draw (photos, invoices, inspection reports)?
- Are there lien holdbacks or Tarion-related steps we should plan for?
12) Risk Management and Change Strategy
- If a product is discontinued, how do you propose alternates at the same spec/price?
- Plan B for weather delays on exterior work—do we resequence to protect schedule?
- How do you track and communicate knock-on effects when we approve a change?
Conclusion
Your pre-construction meeting sets the tone for a successful custom home Toronto project. Arrive with clear pre-construction meeting questions, confirm scope, budget, and allowances, and lock decisions on ceiling height custom home Toronto, window schedules, and HVAC zoning. Align on timelines, inspections, and the change-order process so there are no surprises. Partnering with an experienced custom home builder Toronto keeps selections organized, protects your budget, and ensures smarter basement planning Ontario—from bulkhead routing to net finished height—so your design, structure, and finishes come together seamlessly.
