Pre-Construction Services

We have found that proactive involvement during the pre-construction phase has the greatest potential influence on a project’s final outcome. At the core of pre-construction services approach is the belief that your project should benefit from our years of experience.

A comprehensive pre-construction process includes three critical elements:
1. Identification of objectives
2. Assessment of risk
3. Implementation of appropriate tools to mitigate these risks

What are Pre-Construction Services?
Pre-construction Services are additional services that some builders and construction managers will provide to clients at the front end of a construction project prior to starting. The main purpose of pre-construction services is to assist the client from the beginning of a project at project conception in achieving their design and budget goals. The end result of the pre-construction process is typically saving the client time and money. Builders and Construction Managers typically charge a fee for pre-construction services.

What does the Contractor include in the Pre-Construction Services?
The services provided by builders and construction managers during the pre-construction phase of a project will vary depending on the point at which they were hired on the project and the particular type of project.

Below is a list of what we may provide during the pre-construction process.

• Understanding the Mission, the Ultimate Goal
The contractor will need to fully understand what the client wants to achieve. Everything must be disclosed in order for the process to succeed: Budgets, Design Ideas, Location, Timeline, Personality Concerns, etc. It is very important for the client to understand that everything associated with the project must be openly shared with the builder at this point.

• Project Site Review
The contractor will walk the project site to provide information on: utilities, local government jurisdiction concerns, construction ideas, soil conditions.

• Construction Team Recommendations
The builder may provide you with suggestions on other organizations that will need to be a part of the construction team. Some of these may include: Architects, Lenders, Engineers, Designers, Real Estate Agents, Land Brokers, and Insurance Brokers.

• Preliminary Estimates
At different phases of the pre-construction process your contractor may provide you with preliminary cost estimates. As the project continues to develop the preliminary estimates can be updated and the information becomes more accurate.

• Value Engineering / Scope Reduction
Should there be a discrepancy between initial designs and client budgets, the contractor can recommend alternate materials and construction methods to bring then in sync.

• Constructability and Material Suggestions
As the project design is developing, the builder will periodically review the construction drawings and documents to make suggestions on materials, construction related concerns, and building systems. This is also a good time to discuss green building options.

• Scheduling
The preliminary construction schedule works a lot like the preliminary estimate. The builder will develop a preliminary construction schedule showing the timelines of the different activities that will occur during the construction process. This schedule will be periodically updated as the project design evolves.

• Bidding
The contractor will put the construction drawings and documents out for bid when the following conditions are met: construction drawings are 100% complete, all drawings and documents have been approved by the client, the documents are in sync with the latest estimate and schedule. Once the contractor has received all their bids, they can then present a cost proposal to the client. At this point, if you have not already done so, you will want to discuss the Construction Contract / Agreement and if there are other options to discuss.

Tasks provided by LD Watkins during pre-construction:
1. Design Management
2. Agency Coordination & Estimating
3. Constructability Analysis
4. Value Analysis
5. Bid Packaging
6. Schedule Development
7. Site Logistics Planning
8. Construction buyout and package buy down
9. Disruption Avoidance Planning
10. Construction Phase Preliminary Sequencing
11. Subcontractor Prequalification
12. Multiple Bid Package Planning
13. Real – Time Cost Feedback
14. Building Information Modeling
15. Total Cost of Ownership Analysis
16. Cost Estimating
17. Material Staging - Package Build Up & Planning
18. Pre – contract Semi Coordination with Log Home or Timber Frame Manufacturer, drop Scheduling
19. Construction Lender Packaging & Owner Assistance