Preparing your home for a remodel mainly means clearing the work area, setting up a temporary routine for the rooms affected, and handling a handful of logistics in advance, like access, protecting belongings, and a couple of important considerations for older homes. Most of it comes down to planning ahead so the first days of construction aren’t spent working around things that could have been moved or decided beforehand.
Here’s a practical rundown, organized by what to do before the crew arrives.
Clear and Protect the Work Area
- Empty cabinets, closets, and drawers in the rooms being remodeled, and pack breakables carefully. Vibration from demolition and construction can travel further than you’d expect.
- Remove wall art, mirrors, and anything fragile from adjacent rooms, not just the room under construction.
- Move furniture out of the work zone, and check with your contractor about whether nearby rooms need protective floor coverings or plastic sheeting for dust control.
- Clear a path from the work area to the entrance the crew will use, including outside, for material deliveries and debris removal.
Plan for Daily Life During Construction
- Set up a temporary kitchen if you’re remodeling your kitchen. Even a folding table with a microwave, electric kettle, and cooler can make a real difference over several weeks. Ask your contractor how long you’re likely to be without a working kitchen or bathroom based on your specific scope.
- Think through bathroom access if you’re down to one working bathroom during a remodel, especially with multiple people in the household.
- Plan for pets and kids. Open construction zones, exposed wiring, and tools left out overnight are genuine hazards. Talk with your contractor about how the work area will be secured at the end of each day.
- Expect noise, dust, and some disruption to your routine, even with a contractor who’s careful about containment. It’s easier to plan around this if you expect it going in rather than being caught off guard.
Handle Access and Logistics
- Confirm parking and access for the crew and for delivery trucks, especially if you’re in a neighborhood with permit parking or tight street access.
- Ask about work hours so you know roughly when to expect activity each day.
- Point out anything the crew needs to know about your home before they start: where utility shutoffs are, any quirks in the house, security systems, and anything you specifically want protected or avoided.
- Keep a line of communication open with your contractor for questions and updates as the project moves along, and ask up front how change orders or unexpected findings (like something discovered once demolition starts) will be communicated and priced.
Two Things Worth Checking if Your Home Is Older
Two regulatory items can affect timing and cost, and they’re worth understanding before work starts rather than discovering mid-project:
- Lead paint (homes built before 1978). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule applies to renovation, repair, and painting work in homes, child care facilities, and kindergartens built before 1978. Under the rule, firms performing this work generally must be EPA- or state-certified and must use certified renovators trained to follow specific lead-safe work practices. A narrow exemption exists for very minor work (activities disturbing 6 square feet or less of painted surface per interior room, or 20 square feet or less on an exterior), but most remodeling work exceeds that threshold. If your home was built before 1978, ask your contractor directly how they handle lead-safe work practices.
- Asbestos (any age of home, but more common in older construction). In Colorado, an asbestos inspection by a certified building inspector is generally required before renovation or demolition work that disturbs building materials above certain trigger levels of suspect asbestos-containing material, per guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). This can apply to things like removing flooring, pipe insulation, or certain wall and ceiling materials. This is a state-level environmental requirement, separate from your local building permit, and it applies regardless of which Denver-area city or county you’re in. Ask your contractor how this is handled for your specific project, particularly if your home is older or you’re not sure what materials are involved.
Neither of these should be a source of alarm. They’re standard, well-established parts of remodeling an older home, and a contractor who works in established neighborhoods should be familiar with how to handle them. The point of raising them here is simply so you know to ask, not to be surprised mid-project.
A Simple Pre-Remodel Checklist
- Cabinets, closets, and drawers emptied in the work area
- Fragile items removed from the work area and adjacent rooms
- Furniture moved and floors protected where needed
- Temporary kitchen or bathroom plan in place, if applicable
- Pet and child safety plan discussed with your contractor
- Parking, access, and work-hour expectations confirmed
- Utility shutoff locations and any home-specific notes shared with the crew
- Lead paint and asbestos questions asked, if your home is older
- Communication plan agreed on for updates and any change orders
Getting Ready to Start?
If you’re getting ready to start a project and want a clearer sense of what to expect during construction, that’s a good thing to walk through together before work begins. Check our FAQ for general process questions, or browse our kitchen, bathroom, and basement remodeling services.
Sources & Further Reading
- U.S. EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules
- U.S. EPA, How EPA Interprets “Minor Repair and Maintenance Activities”
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Asbestos
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