Why is the pre-construction phase so important?

Pre-Construction

Doing the hard work upfront will prevent problems during construction, and help ensure you get exactly what you want at the end.

What are your expectations as a project owner when you decide to commence a new construction project? Can’t you simply engage a contractor and have them begin working on your project right away? How long will it take to start turning dirt or putting up walls?

The construction process can be separated into three timeframes: pre-construction, construction, and post-construction. These project components are integral to a successful construction project, with the proper guidelines in place.

Here we will cover the pre-construction timeframe.

Pre-Design Phase

Before construction starts, there needs to be a series of design meetings between the owner and the architect. If you are using a Design-Build contractor, then these meetings are held with their design team.

This is the Pre-Design phase of the project. This phase includes site selection and feasibility along with determining the project scope, project goals, and budgeting. It’s tempting to want to rush right into designing a construction project, but it’s worth spending the time and effort in the pre-design phase.

Schematic Design

The first step in the actual design process is to develop a Schematic Design (SD). This is where the design team determines the size, shape, and layout of the project based on existing conditions, code requirements, and programming (how the spaces will actually be used by the owner.). This is the fun part of the design process for the owner because it involves a lot of brainstorming, sketches, etc. It’s where the idea begins to take shape.

If there are any changes to be made in the overall design concept, it is easiest to make them at this stage, because everything is still fluid. Here you can get a broad understanding of the financial impact for each planned modification before any detailed design work or construction has started. Remember, any modifications will be less expensive if you make them early in the process.

Design Development

With construction in mind, Design Development (DD) takes into account construction techniques, building materials and finishes that will be used in the construction. It encompasses more detail than the Schematic Phase with drawings showing floor plans and any equipment that will be installed. The engineers will also begin designing the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems that are needed for the space, using the floor plan as a guide.

During this stage, it may be a good idea to consult a General Contractor if you already have a relationship with one. They can provide input as the feasibility of construction, materials used and give input on any potential cost savings. The GC can review the schematic design, design development, and construction drawings from the start to ensure that the project stays on track within budget. Only a contractor can offer a price for construction; architects and cost estimators who created initial budgets cannot. Material and labor costs, as well as product lead times, often change significantly from one project to another depending on supply chain issues or shortages.

Construction Documents

The construction documents (CD) are the end result of the Design Development stage and complete documentation is submitted to the Jurisdiction for review. These are the “blueprints” that will be used by the General Contractor to produce a detailed proposal. There may be some minor changes that need to be made at this point, but they should not be significant.

If construction documents are not accurate, construction will run into problems. The construction documents should be 100% complete before construction begins; everything must be accounted for in the design and construction phases to avoid mistakes that lead to delays or cost overruns. Providing 100% complete construction documentation before construction begins increases the chances of a successful project by avoiding confusion.

Bidding and Proposal

Whether you’ve already picked the GC who will execute the project or are going out to bid, you should be aware of what’s required of you, as the project owner. The GC will build their detailed proposal based on the Construction Documents. During this process, they will get bids from their sub-contractors and vendors for labor and materials. This includes items like concrete, plumbing, electrical, HVAC (mechanical), framing and sheetrock, doors, cabinets, and millwork, etc. The GC will tally the bids and develop their proposal to the owner. This tendering process can take anywhere from a week on a smaller project (<100k) to 3 weeks on a larger project >$1m.

Throughout the bidding process, the vendors and sub-contractors will ask for clarification for items on the CD, and these will come to the design team/ownership in the form of a Request For Information (RFI). If certain materials or finishes aren’t available, then the design team and owner will need to approve alternates. If a construction method that has been proposed is found to be infeasible after clarification, the design team will make modifications and issue an Addendum, which is written information adding to, clarifying, or modifying the bidding papers.

How Long Will This Take?

Depending on the space you are occupying, the timeline for a typical office buildout 4-8 months. This includes leasing the space, pre-design, design, permitting and bidding. A class A shell condition space will obviously take longer than a second generation space (one that has already been built out for previous tenants.).

The typical pre-design phase for an office build out takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks.

The typical design phase for an office build out takes another 4-6 weeks.

The typical construction phase for an office buildout takes 10-16 weeks.

* If you are only doing carpet and paint, then these timelines don’t apply, these project take only weeks from start to finish.

Conclusion

This may seem like a lot of work to do before construction begins, but as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Thorough construction documents prevent construction from going over budget and behind schedule due to construction irregularities. It is important to clear up any misunderstandings between the design team, ownership, and construction team before any materials are ordered and any construction has begun. A successful pre-construction phase will also help prevent unnecessary change orders during the construction process because everything was clear from the beginning.

Article Summary: The construction process is divided into multiple stages, and construction documents are the most important part of pre-construction. Construction documents are meant to be the blueprint for construction. They will include information on materials, design development, codes, etc. The construction documents are used throughout construction by everyone involved to prevent confusion on projects and to ensure that the projects stay on schedule and within budget.

As a full-service general construction company, Junkans Construction offers construction management for project owners. We can be your single point of contact for all aspects of construction beginning with pre-design through construction. We can handle all phases of the process for you including Pre-construction, construction, and post-construction. You can then focus on continue building your business and realizing your vision for the company.

We hope this article has been helpful. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. We’re happy to help!

Contact us today to get the process started by sending us an email to [email protected].