Planning a commercial repaint while the building stays open.

Identify the areas that must stay available

List entrances, working areas, amenities and other spaces that people rely on. Explain when each area is busiest and which parts could be made available in stages.

This gives the project team a practical starting point for discussing how to separate the work from normal building use.

Agree the work sequence

Ask how the proposed work could be broken into areas and who will confirm that each space is ready. Moving furniture, clearing stock and arranging access may need input from several people.

Allow for the chosen products’ instructions and the conditions needed for application and return to use. Confirm those details for the actual system rather than assuming every room can reopen on the same timetable.

Name the decision-makers

Nominate a site contact for the building and one for the contractor. Agree who can approve a change and how the affected staff or occupants will hear about it.

A short update before each stage is often more useful than a long plan that nobody refers to once the work begins.

Put the practical arrangements in writing

Make these questions part of the scope discussion. The agreed plan should reflect the actual site and work, with the responsible people identified.

• What are the permitted working hours?
• Who moves furniture, equipment and stock?
• How will access and work areas be managed?
• Who communicates with occupants or tenants?
• What must be checked before an area returns to use?

Make handover part of each stage

Agree how completed areas will be reviewed and how any remaining items will be recorded. If the programme changes, keep the updated arrangements visible to the people affected.

When you contact Andrew, mention that the building will remain occupied and describe the main access constraints. It is better to price and plan around those details from the beginning.