Budget validation, value engineering, and constructibility review, from schematic design through GMP. Engage us early to reduce risk on the back end.
Schematic through GMP estimates. Conceptual estimates at SD, design development, and construction documents. Trade-by-trade breakdown, contingency framing, and market-rate validation.
Alternative scope analysis with cost impact. Material substitution, structural simplification, MEP optimization, and finish-level adjustments to hit budget without sacrificing program intent.
Design review for build feasibility. Identifying coordination conflicts, sequencing problems, and details that look good in CAD but build poorly in the field.
Independent third-party budget review. Owner-side validation of architect or other-GC budgets. Reality-check against current market labor and material pricing.
Engaged during design development to inform scope. Specifying alternates, vetting product selections, and providing real-time cost feedback to keep design within budget.
Conceptual through baseline construction schedules. Long-lead identification, permitting timeline, weather contingencies, and critical-path mapping.
Construction projects fail in the field because of decisions made before mobilization. Bad estimates that don't survive contact with the actual subcontractor market. Value engineering done too late to save anything. Constructibility issues that should have been caught during design.
Preconstruction is where we work alongside the design team and owner to validate budget, optimize scope, and de-risk the build before contracts get signed.
Ideally at schematic design or earlier. Engaging during design development gives us time to influence scope, vet products, and align budget with program. Later engagement still works, budget validation can happen at construction documents, but earlier yields more value.
Preconstruction is usually included in negotiated contract delivery (CM-at-risk, design-build, GMP). On lump-sum bid projects, preconstruction-only engagements are billed separately.
Estimating prices the design as drawn. Value engineering proposes alternatives that achieve the same program at lower cost or with reduced risk. Both happen in preconstruction.
Yes. Design-assist is standard, we sit with the architect and engineers throughout DD to vet products, flag constructibility issues, and provide real-time cost feedback.
