Design and preconstruction planning is as critical to a construction project as the active building phase. Proper strategizing helps you make the most of your resources, including the construction professionals you hire to oversee your project. The preconstruction phase allows you to have a clearly defined timeline and budget, so you can make your first moves your best ones.
Learn the importance of commercial pre-construction services and how to approach your building project.
What Is Design and Preconstruction, and Where Does It Fit in the Plan?
Construction projects are daunting, especially when you don’t have experience in the industry. Most successful residential or commercial building construction isn’t one massive event. Rather, it’s a series of carefully planned and executed steps and assignments over time. Construction projects are broken down into phases with their own purpose and fit into the grander scope of the project.
The preconstruction phase occurs before you start building anything. This is when you meet with your general contractors, designers, and architects and establish an actionable plan, a budget, and a reasonable timeline. You also acquire all the permits you need before construction can start and create a construction checklist to ensure you stay on task throughout the project.
A capable construction manager helps project owners understand the scope of the project and outline the steps that need to be taken to complete construction successfully. From cost estimating to the design phase, you should have a construction manager that can guide you through the pre-construction process.
Preconstruction Tasks You Should Complete
Preconstruction is your time to gather the resources you need to see your project through on time and within budget. With enough careful planning, you’ll hit the ground running when it’s time for building construction to start.
Here’s a breakdown of a typical preconstruction planning phase and the activities involved:
Find a Construction Manager
If you’re a project owner without a background in construction, hire a project manager to help guide you through the process. Choosing a construction manager requires a lot of research and soul-searching before deciding. Find someone who shares your vision, has the connections you need to strike deals for materials and secure permits, and can create and maintain a creative, collaborative, and productive environment.
Your construction manager can assess your project to make sure the scope of the project is compatible with your budget and overall business goals. Don’t hesitate to start a conversation with multiple managers and find who meets your needs the best.
The Design Phase
Your building construction vision starts with putting your idea on paper. Creating a project design is a collaborative project that involves the project owner, the project manager, stakeholders, architects, and engineers. Together, you draft a plan that satisfies all safety and regulatory requirements, aligns with your business objectives, respects budgetary constraints, and is as true to your vision as possible.
Your construction manager should step in to make sure information flows quickly and easily from design and architect team members. Clear communication can make or break a building project, so making sure your construction professionals can work together before the real work begins is critical. A streamlined preconstruction process leads to cost-effective solutions and a smooth timeline.
Secure Permits
There’s no understating how inconvenient running into a production roadblock can be when you’re in the middle of a project. Interruptions strain the budget and delay the timeline. Reaching out to procure permits last minute can disrupt your project and lead to unplanned expenses.
While securing permits can be a complicated process, it’s another task your construction manager can guide you through to reduce frustration. An experienced construction professional knows which authorities to contact and how to navigate all local, state, and federal regulations.
Because securing permits can take time, it’s essential to begin the process as soon as possible. Avoid roadblocks by reaching out during the early stages of preconstruction, and vet your project manager to make sure they have the drive and resources to make it through the procurement process.
Source Your Building Materials
It’s critical to be proactive with material procurement. Ordering and assembling all the materials you need for your construction project takes time and, if not completed before you enter active development, can lead to production delays. Once you establish your construction schedule and estimate costs, you should do all you can to stick to the plan.
Effective procurement is cost-effective and proactive. Hiring general contractors with valuable contacts in the construction industry can be instrumental. Experienced construction professionals can negotiate deals on your behalf and ensure you receive high-quality materials at an ideal cost. Fumbling with material sourcing increases costs and onsite waste if you order more than you need at a price that exceeds market value.
If you want to keep your project planning under one construction professional, design-build is the way to go. RSP Group can provide one skilled team to see you through the entire construction process.
Select General Contractors
General contractors help you complete the bulk of the construction process. You need their labor once building construction begins. Select your general contractor carefully, ensuring they have the skillset you’re looking for and can deliver high-quality results within the project time frame. Because general contractors often have connections with subcontractors, you want someone with sound judgment and a good reputation.
Carry Out Your Commercial Pre-Construction Checklist With RSP Group
Navigating pre-construction planning and beyond can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. RSP Group is a collaborative and accomplished residential and commercial construction provider specializing in remodeling and renovation. We help you manage the construction site by hand-selecting team members, facilitating communication between teams, and creating an actionable strategy complete with milestones, next steps, scheduling, and reporting.
We strive to make building construction simple and exciting. Ready to plan? Reach out today.
