8+ Sample Pre Construction Meeting Minutes

What Are Pre-Construction Meeting Minutes?

Before we get to know the meeting minutes, first of all, what is pre-construction and what happens in it? Well, before construction begins, the client works very closely with its design team and construction partner to generate a set of precise drawings, timetables, budgets, and manpower predictions (this phase is known as the pre-construction phase). Effective and frequent communication between the core team and any extra project consultants is critical throughout the pre-construction phase of a project. An effective pre-construction phase is critical to ensuring that the project proceeds as planned, that the entire project is correctly specified, and that all prospective demands and potential difficulties of the construction project are recognized and handled.

During this phase, a series of pre-construction meetings can be held, and they are necessary since it communicates the plans and project expectations to all the key people right before the project begins. Whatever happens in the meeting, including the problems identified, the roles assigned to key personnel during the construction phase, and the key decisions that need to be taken to address any issues, are noted down in a pre-construction meeting minutes document. This is a business document that is a written record of the conversation and major decisions taken during the pre-construction meeting and is usually taken by a designated group member. The overall purpose of this document is to keep an accurate record of what happened at the pre-construction meeting. This document can also give legal protection to the construction company and also serves as proof of why certain key decisions were made.

What’s Inside a Pre-Construction Meeting Minutes?

Here are the key components that should be written down/should be present inside a pre-construction meeting minutes document:

Document Heading. This is the first important part that needs to be present in this type of meeting minutes document. This is usually short and simple, as it only contains the name of the construction company/or the team that organized the pre-construction meeting. If deemed necessary, the company logo is usually included here, too. This part may be simple in form but may be deemed necessary should the document be used externally.Date, Time, and Location. The next key component of the pre-construction meeting minutes would be the meeting’s date, time, and location. Indicating the date, time, and location of the meeting is an important step in creating the meeting’s minutes document because it is important for all pre-construction meeting participants to be able to go back to previous meetings and comprehend when they happened, what was accomplished, and what still needs to be discussed.Meeting Participants. The third key component that should be identified in the meeting minutes document is the meeting’s participants. This section of the pre-construction meeting minutes normally includes the names of all attendees as well as the names of those who were unable to attend. Typically, some time is set aside at the beginning of the session for the acceptance or modification of previous meeting minutes so that everyone engaged may review who attended the last meeting and have a basic outline of an attendee list. Using the work calendar invite function in various applications to check names as members join or enter the session is another good practice.Acceptance of Previous Minutes. Since pre-construction meetings can occur frequently during a construction project’s planning phase, this part also needs to be present in the meeting minutes document. Notes in this portion of the pre-construction meeting minutes will explain if the previous meeting’s minutes were accepted, what adjustments were necessary, and any remaining tasks and obligations. Any participant that is unable to take part in the meeting but has pending actions to address from prior minutes is required to provide an update on their activities to either the meeting leader or the minute taker. As a result, the meeting will flow well since all necessary information will be provided.Purpose of the Meeting. This is usually written down after the notes of acceptance of the previous meeting minutes. This section of the meeting minutes document indicates that it is critical that the purpose of the pre-construction meeting be documented and made clear. The notetaker must be precise in stating why the meeting was called in the first place as well as what the meeting is attempting to accomplish in this section of the meeting minutes. This will be especially beneficial for everyone who was unable to take part in the meeting and anyone who is utilizing the meeting’s conclusions to fuel crucial choices that may make or break the construction project.Agenda of the Meeting. This is arguably the most crucial part of the pre-construction meeting minutes (as well as any other type of meeting minutes). A meeting agenda is a list of subjects, talking points, action items, and tasks that must be covered during the meeting. It should include a detailed overview of what needs to take place during the meeting, who owns each item, and how lengthy each discussion topic or job should take. Because the meeting agenda includes any results or key choices made, it’s a good idea to send it out ahead of time so that everyone may offer recommendations and contribute to it. This also ensures that no one enters the meeting unaware of what will be addressed.Action Items. The next key item to be discussed in this document would be the action items of the pre-construction meeting. Any unresolved issues from the previous meeting, as well as all ongoing and new ones, must be addressed as action items. The meeting minutes will include a statement on each issue covered at the meeting. The subject of the conversation, the identity of the person who conducted the talk, and any choices taken should be documented for each action item. In addition, the names of additional people, third parties, or organizations will be mentioned when they provide additional context/clarity to the action item. Individuals who are unable to attend the meeting must notify the meeting leader or minute taker of any accomplishment they have achieved on their own actions.Details for the Next Meeting. As stated earlier, pre-construction meetings happen frequently during a construction project’s planning phase. For that reason, the relevant details for the next meeting (such as the date, time, and location) need to be included in this kind of minutes document. This section of the meeting minutes is critical because it is vital for meeting participants to know when the call to order for the next meeting is for the construction project or topic of discussion. This provides everyone concerned with a broad timetable for how long the tasks allocated to them will require to be done. Also, knowing when the next meeting will take place will help everyone manage their time and prioritize all of their responsibilities effectively. Furthermore, knowing the location of the next meeting, whether online or in person, is critical.Announcements. This additional section of the pre-construction meeting minutes (or any kind of meeting minutes) will generally contain all the announcements that were made by the meeting’s participants as well as the apologies that were sent by those invited attendees who were unable to take part. Additionally, proposed agenda items for the next meeting to take place may also be included here.Supplementary Documents. This part of the meeting minutes document will usually serve as one of its last key components. This portion of the meeting minutes comprises the documents that should be distributed together with the meeting minutes in the meeting report. Supplementary documents are often materials that were used or referenced in the meeting and may be valuable to team members. This might include an action or problem log, key performance metrics, and any project updates or modifications.Signature Block/Line. This is the last key component that should be present in the meeting minutes. In this part of the document, the details of the person who is the designated notetaker along with their signature should be present, alongside the date and time that the meeting minutes have been submitted and agreed upon. The signature block is necessary since some companies require signatures (sometimes even more than one) for the types of meetings that have a legal bearing on the company.

How to Take Pre-Construction Meeting Minutes

Pre-construction meetings help the team define the project, identify possible issues and solutions, and help the team manage resources effectively. To be effective, its corresponding meeting minutes document needs to reflect the key decisions that were made throughout the course of the meeting. With that being said, here are the steps needed to effectively take pre-construction meeting minutes:

1. Pre-Planning Phase

This is the first main step of taking the pre-construction meeting minutes. During this step, if the pre-construction meeting is very well-planned ahead of time, taking down the related meeting minutes will be much easier. Additionally, during this stage of collecting meeting minutes, the chairman and scribe or minutes-recorder should collaborate to define the agenda of the meeting ahead of time. For instance, the person tasked with taking meeting minutes might collaborate with the meeting leader to create a document that would serve as an agenda and the structure for the pre-construction meeting.

2. Determining What to Write

After the pre-planning phase of taking down the meeting minutes, it’s time to proceed to this step, in which the key components of the meeting minutes need to be identified. Prior to actually entering any details, the appointed meeting minutes recorder should become acquainted with the types of information that should be recorded. The elements they must consider when recording the minutes of a pre-construction meeting include the date, time, and location of the meeting, the names of the attendees, including unavailable participants, the purpose of the meeting, the agenda of the meeting, the acknowledgment or any revisions to the preceding minutes of the meeting, the action items, additional announcements, and the specifics of the next meeting.

3. Taking Down the Meeting Minutes

After determining the key components that need to be included in this document, it’s time to actually write down the components in this step. When the pre-construction meeting concludes, the person entrusted with writing up the relevant meeting minutes should be provided with all of the tools required to write up the minutes in a straightforward, presentable manner. In the process of writing, the notetaker should not take too long to write down the minutes because everything that happened in the meeting should still be fresh in the mind, review the outline that was made previously and make the necessary adjustments, and revise the minutes when needed to ensure that they are brief but clearly written.

4. Distribution of the Meeting Minutes

After taking down the meeting minutes and making sure that everything needed has been written down, it’s time to distribute the document. Once the whole meeting minutes document has been produced, it should be shared with the company’s key people and/or the project team’s group members. When it comes to disseminating meeting papers, the procedure can be accomplished by sharing the complete document online or via the cloud. Given the amount of paperwork that minutes and other sorts of documents might involve, a paperless distribution approach may be preferable. Following that, the appointed notetaker should save a version of the meeting minutes for future reference. Again, saving a copy may be accomplished online or via the cloud.

FAQs

What tense should the meeting minutes use?

When taking meeting minutes, the scribe or designated notetaker should bear in mind that the meeting minutes must always be written in the past tense because the records are about events that transpired in the past. The past tense is not used when recording specifics about what is going to happen, such as detailing any future agendas or putting down any more announcements made during the meeting.

What is another purpose of a meeting minutes document?

The meeting minutes document can also aid the person in charge of generating the agenda, frequently the meeting chair, in finishing the following meeting’s agenda and assigning adequate time to each agenda item to guarantee a comprehensive discussion can take place. If any important concerns have been identified, or if unfinished activities have become a bottleneck for project development, they may require distinct agenda items depending on their significance.

How important is communication during the pre-construction phase?

The pre-construction phase is crucial to the success of a building project. As a result, it must largely rely on excellent communication methods. In order to have a solid baseline for good communication methods, always take the time to develop an efficient communication plan that is right for everybody, allowing everyone to engage in a way that fits their project needs. A well-communicating construction crew may assist guarantee that when challenges emerge, they are addressed effectively and promptly.

Complex projects such as construction projects require a lot of meticulous planning and brainstorming for the project to even get off the ground. As natural, during the planning phase, tons of meetings will have to take place which will determine how to manage the available resources, how to define the entire project, and what roles will the key personnel take. The key details of the meetings that have taken place will then be documented in the corresponding meeting minutes document. It shouldn’t be too intimidating to create, but should you find it to be the case, then the sample templates that are present in this article should be of great help.