What are Pre-Construction Services?
Most business owners will ask their commercial contractor to provide a cost estimate based on their delivery method when planning a construction project. A construction estimate will let you know the funds you will need to complete your project. But what impact will construction design, engineering, furnishings and other criteria have on your construction project?
Preconstruction services answers these and other important questions by analyzing the entire construction project to help project owners determine its viability. That’s the difference between estimating and preconstruction services.
Pre-construction process
The pre-construction services process is an analysis of your entire construction project with the following deliverables:
Project Scope: The project scope is an outline of the construction process with roles and responsibilities of all project stakeholders clearly defined. It will include the type of commercial construction, delivery method, and the pre-construction criteria that will be evaluated.
Construction Design: A conceptual design is created to help project owners and stakeholders visualize what the construction project will look like when complete. This initial design can be used to ensure the project will achieve its goals such as providing adequate space, parking, landscaping, and other variables depending on the project.
Engineering Assessment: An engineering assessment is performed to make sure that the construction project has the right plumbing, lighting, HVAC and other resources for the size and scope of the project. It can also determine the condition of the soil for building the foundation, whether there is sufficient parking, and if the building can accommodate the employees, guests and visitors expected when completed.
Construction Budget: A preliminary budget is provided to give project owners and stakeholders the estimated financial impact of the construction project. The preliminary budget can be used as a guideline to determine the financial viability of the project based on findings in the pre-construction analysis. In addition, the project owner can also request a firm cost estimate to be included in the pre-construction services scope for submission to lenders and financial institutions to secure financing for the construction project.
Construction Schedule: A preliminary construction schedule is also created to give everyone involved in the project an estimated timeline for completion of the various phases of construction. This helps determine the availability of resources and the length of time allocated for each construction task.
Cost of Pre-Construction Services
The cost of pre-construction services depends on the scope of the construction project. It may be a flat monthly fee for smaller projects or up to 2% of the project cost for larger construction projects. But the ability for pre-construction services to mitigate problems and unexpected costs before starting a construction project makes it well worth the cost.
Think of pre-construction services like creating a business plan for your commercial construction project. It gives project owners and stakeholders the information they need to make more informed business decisions while avoiding surprises that could lead to construction delays and added costs.
