A construction project’s success is often determined before a shovel hits the dirt. Countless decisions made in the preconstruction phase directly impact a project’s timing, budget, safety and quality. Using leading-edge technology and insights gleaned from thousands of projects over the decades, our preconstruction team is uniquely qualified to assist in this planning and decision-making process. 
 
We start by asking specific questions so cost implications can be analyzed in tandem with critical design decisions. This approach opens the door for target value design and other collaborative budgeting methods. Because our estimates are based on real information, you have an accurate budget from the very beginning that continues to be refined as details are finalized.
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Our team

With an average of 20 years of experience, our preconstruction team includes architects, engineers and former operations and tradespeople who understand what it takes to create accurate budgets, schedules and detailed logistics plans. They work together as part of our Integrated Construction Services group, which enhances opportunities for collaboration and enables a cohesive flow of information and ideas.

The budgeting process

To provide accurate and detailed estimates as early as the conceptual design phase, our teams reference multiple sources of information and validate the budget at each phase.

  • Owner involvement – learning your vision, goals and expectations so we can measure our performance where it matters
  • Design partnership – open conversations that build-to-budget instead of cut important scope
  • Local market knowledge – knowing the best subs, their availability and inviting their input
  • Site investigation - understanding your operations, building, land and the associated codes and permitting requirements
  • Cost benchmarking - with historical cost data, current market intelligence and subcontractor input
  • Value analysis – including MEP and building systems, energy and life cycle costs
  • Material selections – knowing the characteristics of what we're installing and how it will be installed, suggesting smart alternates and acting immediately to secure long-lead items
  • Strategic bid packages – that achieve local and inclusion goals and allow for early-release packages
  • Integrated Construction Services – to prepare a project-specific execution plan that includes safety, quality, lean, virtual and high performance aspects of the project.
  • Field input – for constructability review, sequencing and logistics options
  • Third party perspective – whether subs, consultants, permitting and inspection authorities - or our own environmental  technologies and self-perform teams

Model-based estimating

By creating our own 3D Revit model and utilizing the design team’s Revit models to extract quantities, we can track a budget through the life of your project. This real-time cost tracking and the corresponding graphics provide greater clarity in initial estimates and can illustrate changes from one version of drawings to the next, which increases control by tightly tracking quantities. The instant analysis and visual representation also allow for earlier and more insightful constructability reviews, help with logistics and schedule pre-planning and can be carried into the construction phase for use in coordination.

Identifying prefabrication opportunities

The early identification of prefabrication opportunities can have a significant impact on your project's budget and schedule. The 3D model that we build can also be used to help identify, explore and successfully execute these opportunities across the entire scope of your project. By pre-assembling materials in a controlled shop environment, we can improve safety, quality and efficiency for the field installation.