What to establish before starting
- What will be done, and explicitly what will not.
- Working hours, expected duration, and what could extend it.
- Level of disruption, noise, dust and access required.
- Who the customer contacts, and how quickly they can expect a reply.
- Payment terms, deposits and how changes will be priced.
Assumptions fill silence
If nobody says the driveway will be unusable for two days, the customer assumes it will not be. If nobody mentions the crew starts at seven, the customer assumes nine.
None of these are unreasonable assumptions. They are simply the default when nothing was said.
Record it where it can be found
Expectations agreed verbally on site are genuinely agreed — and remembered differently by both parties a month later.
A short written summary attached to the job protects the relationship rather than formalising it.