What are preconstruction services? Do I need them?

Construction projects require a tremendous amount of planning before anything can happen at a jobsite. Many moving parts must come together over the course of a project, hence the need for pre-construction services.

What Are Pre-Construction Services?

Prior to construction, clients need to have a clear picture of what their project will look like, what it will cost, how it will get done, in short, every aspect of the job. The pre-construction process can be a vital component of the success of a project.

Pre-construction services include planning, cost estimating, scheduling, land acquisition, design development, engineering and permitting, among other services and tasks that must happen before construction can begin. Each step is critical for the job to stay on budget and on schedule.

Benefits of the Pre-Construction Process

Pre-construction services facilitate the identification and prevention of problems that could affect the budget and schedule of a project during construction.

Through the pre-construction process, contractor and client work together to tackle potential challenges before they happen and craft a clear path to completion, thus enhancing the project’s efficiency and saving time and money.

A Worthy Investment

Investing in pre-construction services is a cost-effective way to streamline the construction process and prevent or mitigate unnecessary problems, delays and expenditures.

The cost of pre-construction services depends on the scope of the construction project, its complexity, location and which services are included in the pre-construction package.

Pre-Construction Services

Following are services commonly provided during the pre-construction phase.

Overall Evaluation and Project Scope

The pre-construction phase begins with an overall project evaluation conducted after an initial meeting between client and contractor. This evaluation covers the big picture—project viability, conceptualization, needs and expectations—and lays the foundation for the pre-construction and construction processes.

Existing Condition Analysis

Not every construction project is built from the ground up. Some projects are renovations or additions to existing structures. These cases require a thorough analysis of pre-existing conditions that may affect design and structural integrity.

Site Analysis

To ensure that the construction site is suitable for the building project, an analysis of the soil, existing infrastructure, capacity, traffic, parking, landscaping and other site elements must be performed.

Construction Design

An initial conceptual design helps the client and stakeholders visualize what the project will look like when complete.

Value Engineering Assessment

This assessment ensures that the project has adequate electric, plumbing, HVAC and other resources for the scope of the work. It may also include a life-cycle cost analysis of the project and ways in which the client can save money in the long run.

Initial Schematic Design

A schematic design gives the client a clear vision of what the project will look like after completion and ascertains that there’s enough space for equipment, as well as adequate access to the project.

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

BIM produces a 3D model of a building project, provides information about the project’s lifecycle, and plays an important role in the planning, design, building and operational phases of the project.

Initial/Preliminary Budget Estimate

Determining a budget for a building project is a complicated task that must be done by an experienced professional estimator. The estimator evaluates every detail of the project and provides a reliable initial cost estimate. Sometimes multiple estimates are presented as the contractor works through various options with the client, who can request a firm cost estimate for submission to lenders, financial institutions and investors to secure financing.

Final Budget

To reach a final budget, the contractor takes another look at the scope and cost of the project to see if there are other ways to save money for the client. This process may involve cost models, conceptual estimating, soliciting subcontractors, reassessing market conditions and adjusting cash flow management.

Construction Schedule

Creating and coordinating a construction schedule requires meticulous examination of every element of a project and hundreds of logistical considerations. Initially, a preliminary schedule is used to define start times and milestones and provide an estimated timeline for the completion of each task.

Obtaining Permits

Most construction permits and site plan approvals are need to be acquired during the pre-construction phase. In addition, projects commonly need design approvals and permits from utility companies.

Bid Packaging

In bid packaging, the contractor interviews subcontractors and suppliers, pre-qualifies them, distributes bidding documents, receives proposals, and awards subcontracts.

Material Procurement/Procurement Management

The selection of materials and equipment needed for a job is another valuable pre-construction service. Material procurement normally involves leveraging a specialized supply chain. For example, in addition to standard materials, a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, hotel and shopping mall will require different building materials that are specific to the needs and function of each structure. Long lead times must be considered at this stage to avoid delays and additional costs.

Other pre-construction services include design management, constructability analysis, risk management, cash flow analysis, safety plans and underground utility mapping.

Bottom Line

A construction project’s success depends greatly on the pre-construction process. Pre-construction allows contractors and project owners to analyze and evaluate every detail of a project and come up with a cost-effective plan that will bring the project to completion on time and on budget. Pre-construction is a worthy investment that offers clients and opportunity to save time and money.

For more information about pre-construction services, give us a call at 787-287-3540 or contact us at generalcontractor@cic-pr.com. Our pre-construction experts can answer your questions, show you all the options available to you, and help you take the next steps.