Heavy Timber Pre-Install Walkthrough: The 7 Questions Builders Should Answer Before the First Pick

Published March 18, 2026 by MVP Pro Timber

A builder-side pre-install walkthrough checklist: scope boundaries, pick order, connection assumptions, tolerances, hardware, access, and crew roles.

# Heavy Timber Pre-Install Walkthrough: The 7 Questions Builders Should Answer Before the First Pick The best heavy timber installs feel calm. That calm is not luck. It is a pre-install walkthrough that forces the right questions to be answered *before* crane day. Use this builder-side checklist to reduce first-day surprises and prevent schedule bleed. ## The 7 questions to answer before the first pick ### 1. Which drawing set is authoritative (and what changed last)? Confirm the latest structural/architectural revision and call out any pending changes that could affect members or connections. ### 2. What is the scope boundary (in one paragraph)? What is included and excluded: timber package only, steel plates, shop-applied finish, install support, field welding, etc. ### 3. What is the pick order for day one? If your first-day picks are not staged and accessible, you will lose crane time. Confirm the sequence and stage accordingly. ### 4. What connection assumptions are ‘locked’ vs still ‘in motion’? Identify any connections that are still being decided so you do not discover it mid-set. ### 5. What tolerances are you actually going to hold? Discuss post base/embed layout, slab/foundation tolerance expectations, and any shim/adjust rules for out-of-plumb conditions. ### 6. Is the hardware complete and sequenced? Confirm bolt sizes, washers, plates, anchors, and the install sequence. Most delays are hardware or sequence, not timbers. ### 7. Who owns decisions on install week? Assign one voice for pick calls, one lead for hardware/sequence, and a clear escalation path if something is out of tolerance. ## Builder move that reduces install-week chaos Schedule a 30-minute pre-install walkthrough where you answer these seven questions with your crew and your timber partner. The goal is no ‘we thought…’ conversations once the crane is set. ## Where MVP Pro Timber helps We help builders run a pre-install walkthrough and convert it into a crane-day plan: pick order, staging, connection sequence, and decision ownership. If you want a smoother set, send your drawings, timeline, and install plan and we will help you tighten the walkthrough.