New Construction or Retrofit?

New construction can coordinate hidden work early

The team can reserve structure, drainage routes, ventilation paths, electrical capacity, equipment space, and delivery access before finishes are fixed. These items still need named owners and drawing coordination.

A retrofit starts with verified conditions

Record dimensions, assemblies, available capacity, drainage possibilities, ventilation routes, structural constraints, and how work reaches the room. Do not assume concealed conditions from an old plan alone.

Use one decision table for either delivery context

Make a project decision table with one row for each interface: hidden work, investigation, demolition or protection, utility capacity and routes, delivery and service access, unknown conditions, and coordination responsibility. For each row, record the new-construction condition, the retrofit condition, the confirmation still needed, and the person responsible for resolving it.

For new construction, identify what must be reserved or shown before framing and finishes. For a retrofit, identify what must be measured, opened, traced, or otherwise verified before a fixed scope is assumed. Keep unverified conditions visible instead of treating them as included work.

Compare complete scope and handover

Compare investigation, protection, demolition, temporary conditions, building work, equipment installation, testing, finish restoration, documentation, and future service access—not a single component. Confirm who coordinates every handoff and who records changes when existing conditions differ from the brief.

EPA moisture guidance treats drainage, assemblies, plumbing, HVAC, construction, and maintenance as connected responsibilities. Where the room affects those interfaces, the appropriate project professionals should confirm the project-specific approach and applicable requirements.