The short answer
Pre-construction information is the information about a project, its site and its existing building that the client already holds or can reasonably obtain, and that designers and contractors need to plan the work safely. Under CDM 2015 the client must provide it as early as possible. On a refurbishment the most important item is usually the refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey.
On this page
Pre-construction information, often shortened to PCI, is one of the client’s core duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It is also one of the easiest to get wrong on a refurbishment, because the client knows the building far better than anyone pricing the work.
What the law asks for
Under CDM 2015, the client must provide pre-construction information to every designer and contractor appointed, or being considered for appointment, as soon as is practicable. HSE describes it as information already in the client’s possession, or which it is reasonable to obtain, that is relevant to the work. Where there is a principal designer, they help the client gather it and pass it on.
It is not a single form. It is a collection of facts, drawings and reports, ideally issued as one pack with the tender documents.
What to include on a refurbishment
| Topic | Examples |
|---|---|
| The project | Scope, programme, key dates, budget constraints that affect sequencing |
| The building | Drawings, structure, floor loadings, previous alterations, fire strategy |
| Hazards | Asbestos survey, fragile surfaces, contaminated areas, confined spaces |
| Services | Locations of live electrics, gas, water and drainage; isolation points |
| Occupation | Who will be in the building, when, and any vulnerable people |
| Site rules | Access, deliveries, working hours, permits, security and safeguarding |
| Previous records | Any existing health and safety file and O&M manuals |
Asbestos comes first
For any building built before 2000, the single most important item is usually a refurbishment and demolition survey of the areas the work will disturb. A management survey, which most buildings already have, is designed for day-to-day occupation and is not intrusive enough for refurbishment. HSE’s HSG264 explains the difference. The refurbishment survey should be done before the work is priced, so asbestos removal can be planned and costed rather than discovered.
Occupied buildings
When the building stays in use, the client holds information the contractor needs to plan safely:
- Schools: term dates, clubs and holiday activities, safeguarding rules, fire evacuation routes.
- Healthcare: clinical areas that must stay open, infection control requirements, water safety arrangements.
- Offices and retail: trading or working hours, shared lifts and loading bays, other tenants’ fire alarm interfaces.
Put this in writing at tender, not in a conversation on day one.
Information for the design, not only the build
Pre-construction information is not only for the contractors pricing the work. Designers need it too, because the duty under CDM is to eliminate or reduce risks through design where they can. If a designer knows a ceiling void contains asbestos insulating board, they may route new services elsewhere rather than disturb it. If they know a corridor is the only escape route for an occupied floor, they can phase the work to keep it clear.
When to issue it
As early as possible, and certainly before contractors price. Information that arrives after a contract is signed tends to become a variation, which costs money and time. Update the pack as new information comes in, and keep a record of what was sent to whom.
Who gathers it
The client is responsible for providing the information, but does not have to compile it alone. Where a principal designer is appointed, they help identify what is needed and pass it to designers and contractors. A facilities team usually holds most of it already: asbestos register, drawings, O&M manuals, fire risk assessment and the existing health and safety file. Surveys that do not yet exist, such as a refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey or a measured survey, should be commissioned early so they are ready before tender.
Proportion
The pack should be proportionate. A small office refresh needs a short note on access, hours, asbestos and services. A phased refurbishment of an occupied hospital department needs much more. HSE’s guidance on CDM 2015 stresses that information should be relevant and useful rather than voluminous; a pack that hides the one critical fact among hundreds of pages helps nobody.
Common gaps
- No asbestos survey, or only a management survey.
- Out-of-date drawings that do not show past alterations.
- Missing details of live services in ceiling voids and risers.
- No mention of a shared fire alarm with other occupiers.
- No record of the building’s existing health and safety file, even when one exists.
Where it fits
Pre-construction information sits alongside the other client duties set out on our CDM 2015 client duties page, and comes before the F10 notification on most projects. For the bigger picture across offices, schools and healthcare, see commercial refurbishment contractors.
When you have a scope and a building, the form below sends a brief to a contractor who will tell you what information they need.