I am aware of this question which deals with the technical aspects of website construction, but I was unable to find any place with suggestions on knowledge you must obtain from a client before undergoing a project. As someone who freelances on the side, I think this could be incredibly useful.

What important questions must one ask the client (and require an answer to) before undergoing a website? or, in other words, What must you know about the project before starting it?

This can range from "When do I get paid?" to "How many pages will the site be?". I believe this is relevant to programming because you must know how to communicate with your client to get all the information necessary before you can begin programming. If not, downstream changes can put a serious delay on the project from things not hashed out beforehand.

Thanks!