What are Preconstruction Services? How They Create Value for Every Project

Many would say that the preconstruction phase of a construction project is the most crucial one of all, and it can be a bit difficult to argue with that. When people think of this, they think of construction project management, along with all the planning, coordinating, and preparation that comes with it. Also known as precon for short, there are multiple kinds of services that go on during this particular phase. Each one plays an important role that allows the project to proceed without too much unnecessary difficulty once the actual construction phase begins. Those who are a bit unfamiliar with preconstruction services can learn all about them below.

What are Preconstruction Services? How They Create Value for Every Project

Communication

The first part of the preconstruction phase involves gathering all involved in the project — including those responsible for their design, the construction, and also its end use. With those individuals gathered, a meeting is conducted with the purpose of streamlining the construction project’s goals and objectives. Such a meeting will result in the following:

Establishing Clear Communication Lines Between All Parties

• Each individual or group that is involved in the project is bound to have their own responsibilities and duties. To make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible, clear lines of communication is needed to keep everyone in sync with what is being done in the present, as well as what comes next.

Identifying All Potential Problems That May Plague the Project

• An important reason why preconstruction is so crucial is because those responsible for overseeing the project can take a good look at what the potential problems are. Each phase of the project is going to have their own set of issues. The earlier those issues are identified, the easier it becomes to prepare for them.

Establishing Appropriate Solutions to the Problems

• With the potential problems identified, what comes next would be the establishment of its solutions. Given the fact that it is still early on in the preconstruction phase, performing this service is bound to give you enough time to weigh in the various options on hand and pick the ones that are best suited for particular issues.

Construction Schedule

With the lines of communication fully opened and explored, the next part of the preconstruction phase would involve carefully setting up schedules. This has to be as comprehensive as it can be, so that major design milestones can be anticipated and adequately prepared for. Not only will this retain some focus on the rest of the preconstruction phase, but the construction schedule will naturally extend towards the bulk of the project’s timeline. It is only fitting to think up schedules for the bidding, permitting, and all of the other activities that are related and relevant to the project at hand.

Estimating Construction Cost and Control

The estimation of cost is a great part of preconstruction, which is where the bulk of the services will be focused on. Such services are going to start off at the project’s conceptual design phase before slowly heading towards its more detailed and practical phase. Considering the logistics of any construction project, it is important to possess a high degree of skill in controlling the costs. When it concerns the specific services, the following are all guaranteed to provide their own individual value to the project

Schematic Design Estimate

• At the schematic design phase, most of the project has yet to be mapped out and preliminary project approval is still being sought. Due to how early this is in the overall development of the project, most of the cost estimation will be subject to change but the service itself is good for setting expectations for when the project enters a more realistic phase.

Design Development Estimate

• This phase is a bit more advanced than the previous one. Now seeking more effective project approval, design work makes up an estimated sixty-six percent of this phase. As such, it can be expected that there will be less chances of changes being made compared to the schematic design estimation, mitigating the odds of costly delays.

Contract Document Estimate

• A contract document in construction is where the various roles and responsibilities involved within a project are defined. Proper preparation of this written document will ensure that everything contained within works under the legally-binding construction contract. Any failure of this service to designate properly may result in significant contractual flaws.

Constructability Review

• This process is meant to infuse specific construct knowledge into the project’s overall design process, making it one of the more practical preconstruction services that you can get. Any staffing and budgetary constraints that may be encountered would benefit from this service too, since it will allow solutions to those constraints to be developed with enough preparation time for its execution. Part of this process involves comparing the change order percentages between projects that are being reviewed with those that are not.

Document Control

• The purpose of this is to ensure that all future documents related to the construction project are under the same controlled practices and processes. Said practices involve extensive review upon creation, necessary modification, distribution, and the provision of accessibility to those who are directly involved. With document control, your preconstruction phase will be marked as something much safer and easier to handle.

Bidding Packages

• The preparation of bidding packages will involve the use of complete or to-be-complete plans, any necessary specifications, and detailed estimate packages in preparation for the upcoming construction phase. All of the necessary documents will also be prepared for these packages, such as any instructions, submittal forms, and invitations to the prospective bidders.

Competitive Bidding

• Related to the previous entry, competitive bidding also factors into the estimating cost and control. This process involves issuing public bids that are intended to inspire companies to put together the best proposals and then compete over specific projects. Such a process is required by law for each government agency looking to issue bids. All that is needed to ensure your company’s chances to acquiring a certain project will have to be secured within the preconstruction phase.

Value Analysis

• Conducting value analysis in the preconstruction phase will help sharpen the effectiveness of any process that the actual construction phase will involve. As far as estimating cost and control are concerned, this process will help you cut corners, determine how much each individual component is going to be worth to your company, and find ways to ultimately improve upon what’s already being done, thereby increasing its overall value to your company or to any specific project that you are undertaking.

Cost Control

• This is the process of identifying all actual and potential business expenses and then finding ways of reducing or eliminating them. Of all the factors that are involved in the estimation cost and control aspect of your preconstruction phase, this may be the most important of all. It will be incredibly detailed and requires much of your attention so that you can ensure only the most necessary and worthwhile costs will be involved in your project going forward.

System Studies

• This provides value for your project through the assessment of the systems put in place or those that are about to be applied. Both information theory and systems theory will be involved in this particular preconstruction service, which is sure to improve the systems your project is involved in.

Subcontractor Pre-Qualifying

• For this service, its purpose is to assess just how much money a potential subcontractor can borrow and the likelihood of being able to honor that debt. This falls under estimating cost and control because this is mostly used to estimate just how much money your construction company can borrow. When evaluating the process, it is best to consider several key areas. These include safety record, insurance, financial ratios, surety bonding, and claims & litigation.

Design Build Services

• Ensuring design build services for your construction project is going to yield specific benefits. Those will include the maximizing of your savings, the limiting of unwanted or unnecessary expenses, the simplification of the entire construction process, and a greater degree of freedom afforded in your overall choices.

Site Logistics Development

• This service is primarily concerned with the detailed organization of what the project site needs in order for it to develop in a way that is as successful as envisioned by all involved. Resource management is an important factor, both in terms of what needs to be acquired and how much will be spent on the acquisition. Other factors included in site logistics development include the flow of information, packaging, warehousing, transportation of goods and materials, and even the application of security to the site itself once the construction phase begins.

Estimate Turn-Over Package

• Generally, turn-over package refers to documentation in content, as well as in form and substance that is made acceptable for the client. It is submitted by the hired contractors, in this case, your company, to demonstrate that the completed project adhered to everything stipulated in the original contract and is now safe to operate under its intended use. As a preconstruction service, the estimation of the turn-over package is necessary to determine what to include as early as now, thus eliminating future hassles for your construction company.

Conclusion

With all of the important roles that need to be fulfilled in your project’s preconstruction phase, the services detailed above are guaranteed to bring as much value as possible before the actual construction can begin. Each one serves its specific purpose and in bringing them all together, you ensure a much smoother, easier, and less expensive experience going forward. Take what you’ve learned in this article and make your next construction project even better than everything else that has come before it.

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