Install is where margin disappears in custom fabrication. The job was priced cleanly, built well, finished on time. Then the install team arrives at site and finds — site not ready, dimensions off, services missing, decorator still working in the room. Two days of crew time become four. The closeout fight starts because the boundary between “install” and “warranty” is fuzzy.
A clean install protocol prevents most of that. It costs you 30 minutes of pre-arrival prep and gives back days of avoided snag wars. Here's the protocol that works across joinery, stone, glass, metal and fit-out.
Why install protocols matter
Install runs longer than budgeted ~40% of the time in custom shops. The dominant causes:
- Site not ready — services, access, decorator, prior trade.
- Measurement drift — final site dimensions differ from quote-stage spec.
- Damage in transit — the office didn't see; the install crew can't fix.
- Snag scope creep — client asks for “quick” changes the crew can't commit to.
- Sign-off ambiguity — install signed off informally; warranty claims for snags arrive a week later.
Every one of these is preventable with a documented protocol the crew runs through every time. Doesn't require new equipment. Requires consistency.
Pre-arrival site readiness
24 hours before install, send the client a site-readiness checklist. Tailor it per trade:
Joinery / cabinet install
- Floor finished and protected? (Especially tile / wood that can't be marked.)
- Walls painted and dry?
- Plumbing rough-in stubbed for cabinet integration?
- Power outlets installed at agreed positions?
- Appliances on-site (or arriving day-of)?
- Access route — door widths, lifts, stairs photographed and confirmed?
Stone install
- Cabinetry installed, level, and dry?
- All cutouts (taps, hobs, sinks) marked from final templates?
- Two strong access route confirmed (slabs are heavy)?
- Site clear of trades for the install window?
Glass / aluminium install
- Opening dimensions confirmed against site measure?
- Substrate (brick / steel / timber framing) ready?
- Sealants, fixings, packers staged?
- Power for tools available (or generator booked)?
Fit-out install
- Other trades cleared from the room?
- Floor protection in place?
- Power, HVAC, lighting commissioned?
- Snag list from prior trades resolved?
If the checklist isn't back “all yes” 24 hours before, you delay. Don't arrive on a not-ready site. The crew time is more valuable than the goodwill cost of postponing one day.
On-arrival site walk
Crew arrives. Before opening any panels, they do a 15-minute site walk with the client (or site manager) and capture:
- Pre-existing damage photos — walls, floors, fixtures. This protects you from later claims that “you scratched the door frame” when it was already damaged.
- Measurement re-confirmation — does the opening match what was templated? If not, decide on the spot whether to proceed or escalate.
- Access route validation — can the units actually be carried in?
- Dust / protection plan — confirm dust sheets, tool layout, waste removal.
The site walk is logged in the system with timestamps. If the client isn't available, the site manager signs. If neither is available — walk away. Don't install onto an empty site without a witness.
Snag list capture
Snags happen. The protocol is to capture them during install, in the system, with priority and photo evidence:
- Priority 1 — Critical: prevents handover. Must be resolved before crew leaves site (e.g. door doesn't close, drawer binds, water leak).
- Priority 2 — Functional: works but isn't finished. Must be resolved within 5 days (e.g. soft-close mechanism missing, finish touch-up, hardware adjustment).
- Priority 3 — Cosmetic: minor surface or alignment issue. Resolved within 14 days at next visit (e.g. small finish mark, gap variation, minor alignment).
Each snag has: description, photo, priority, owner, target resolution date. Client sees the same list in the portal. No surprises later.
Client sign-off & boundary
At install completion, the client signs off in the system (digital signature, timestamped, geo-stamped). Sign-off establishes the boundary:
- Issues raised before sign-off are install snags — your crew resolves them.
- Issues raised after sign-off are warranty matters — handled under your warranty policy with appropriate timeline.
This boundary is your single biggest protection against scope creep and disputes. Without it, every customer-reported issue feels like “your install isn't finished” — even a year later.
If the client refuses to sign because of an open Priority-1 snag — fair, that's why you have priorities. If they refuse because of a Priority-3 cosmetic — log it, ask them to sign with the cosmetic noted as exception. The job closes; the cosmetic gets resolved within 14 days as planned.
Photo evidence — what to capture
Photos before, during and after — minimum 6 frames per install:
- Site condition on arrival (any pre-existing damage).
- Units delivered, before unpacking (proof of condition).
- Mid-install (process documentation).
- Completed work, wide angle.
- Completed work, detail (edges, alignments, finishes).
- Site clean, post-install.
All attached to the job. If the client raises a dispute three months later, you have the evidence the work left the site clean.
When to walk away
Sometimes the protocol says walk away:
- Site readiness check failed and client insists on proceeding anyway.
- Site walk reveals dimensions off by more than spec tolerance.
- Client refuses to acknowledge pre-existing damage in the photo log.
- Other trades are still actively working in the room.
Walking away costs you a half-day of crew time. Installing into bad conditions costs you days, plus disputes you can't prove. Train your crew leads to know the difference and back them when they call it.
The protocol checklist
- 24h pre-arrival: send site-readiness checklist tailored to trade.
- Verify checklist returned “all yes” before crew dispatched.
- On arrival: 15-minute site walk with client/site manager + photo log of pre-existing condition.
- Confirm measurements before opening panels.
- Capture snags during install with priority, photo, owner, target date.
- Take 6 standard photos: arrival, delivery, mid-install, finished wide, finished detail, post-clean.
- Client digital sign-off at completion. Snag list shared with client via portal.
- Resolve P1 snags before crew leaves; P2 within 5 days; P3 within 14 days.
- Boundary is sign-off date — anything after is warranty, not install.
Run this protocol every install for two months. Your install variance drops, dispute rate drops, and crew time per job stabilises. The discipline pays for itself in the first prevented dispute.