Measuring

Paving site visit checklist for contractors

By Pave Measure · 9 September 2026 · 2 min read

A useful paving site visit should leave you with an agreed scope, checked dimensions and a clear list of unanswered questions. Collect the information that changes the price while you are there, rather than discovering it halfway through the quote.

Agree what the customer wants

Customer name, preferred contact details and full site address.
Which areas are included, retained or excluded.
Intended use, including vehicle access and any unusually heavy loading.
Preferred finish, colour, pattern and edging.
Requested timing, access restrictions and how the property will remain usable.

Record preferences separately from confirmed specifications. “Customer likes grey blocks” does not identify an approved product, thickness or construction system. If the customer has a photograph, save it as a reference for appearance rather than treating it as a complete specification.

Record the physical site

Sketch the boundary, measure named sections and photograph entrances, thresholds, changes of level and existing defects. Note what you can observe and what remains hidden. A surface crack does not prove a particular foundation failure, and a phone photograph cannot establish the capacity of the ground beneath it.

Record the length of edging and channels separately from the area. Check whether covers, steps, gates or planting affect the work. These details can create substantial tasks without adding much paving area.

Check the working arrangements

Note the delivery entrance, storage space and route from unloading to the work. Ask where vehicles can stand and whether access must be maintained. Record likely plant access limits and any time restrictions. Confirm the disposal arrangements you need to price; do not assume excavated material can simply stay on site.

Before excavation, the job needs appropriate service-location planning. HSE’s avoiding danger from underground services guidance explains the importance of planning, locating services and safe excavation. A customer’s recollection or an app note is not a substitute for that process.

Leave with an action list

Use three headings in your notes: confirmed, to check and excluded. For example, record the paving boundary as confirmed, the drainage route as to check and a separate garden wall as excluded. Give unresolved items an owner and a next action, such as obtaining a supplier specification or arranging a further inspection.

Pave Measure keeps job details, photographs, notes and measurements together. Dictation can help capture the requested work, but check names, addresses and quantities before confirming the fields. Use the quote checklist once the outstanding questions have been resolved or clearly described.