Planning is essential for every construction project, no matter the size.
As a project manager, you must attend every step of the construction process, from design to delivery. A single design flaw, drafting error or other oversight can result in significant costs and schedule delays.
So how can we avoid this? Focusing on pre-construction best practices to define project details before work begins.
How you integrate pre-construction planning into your processes varies by project, but there is a common goal of pre-construction: preventing problems before they go over budget and miss deadlines.
Defining the pre-construction process: scope, schedule and cost
Pre-construction is an essential part of any construction project – this phase is when the project manager works together with the contractors and the client to define three key factors of the project:
- Scope
- To schedule
- Cost
The scope of the project – what you want to accomplish and the requirements for a successful outcome – will ultimately be how you determine the project schedule and costs.
During pre-construction, you will use the project scope of work and the client's vision to create the budget and costs involved, the project team and its schedule, and an overall plan to deliver real value to the client.
With a solid pre-construction phase, you can identify potential roadblocks, cost-saving alternatives, and scheduling efficiencies that can be implemented in the next construction phase.
Overall, the pre-construction phase can help you define and meet client expectations, setting the project up for success.
Why pre-construction is the most important phase of any project
Planning is important for any type of project, but it is especially important in the construction industry when considering all the complexities involved in even seemingly simple projects.
Pre-construction lays the foundation for the entire project – it is the process that ensures high-quality construction and offers the best chance of finishing on time, within specifications and within budget.
Pre-construction planning:
- Keeps everyone aligned. During pre-construction, all interested parties meet to discuss the details of the project – schedule, budget, etc. – keeping everyone aligned from the beginning of the project, outlining key expectations and ensuring the project starts on solid foundations.
- Mitigate the risk. The key to mitigating risk during construction projects is identifying potential bottlenecks before starting work, something that is nearly impossible to do without pre-construction planning. Reducing risk and uncertainty from the beginning increases your project's chances of success.
- Avoid delays. Determining the project schedule and timeline is a big part of the pre-construction process; ensures that key stakeholders understand what tasks need to be completed and when they should be completed. Having a predetermined schedule significantly reduces the likelihood of avoidable delays.
- Improves efficiency. Pre-construction planning means everyone knows in advance what is required of them, inherently increasing worker efficiency. The result of this efficiency is less time spent on the construction process itself, reducing waste, rework and other problems that can hinder the progress of the project.
Ultimately, a successful pre-construction planning phase leads to several benefits that impact your bottom line, saving you money and increasing your profit margin.
In fact, the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management published a study stating that projects with better pre-construction planning processes were more successful – they recorded average profit margins of 23% compared to margins of -3% on projects with better pre-construction planning. poor pre-construction.
Pre-construction planning requires time and effort from all stakeholders involved in the project. But when implemented correctly, it reduces risks, delays, costs and rework, increasing the chances of a successful outcome with higher profit margins.
So is it worth investing in your pre-construction processes? That's a resounding yes.
Best Practices for Preconstruction Success
Every construction project will face some unforeseen challenges, but the steps taken during the pre-construction phase will determine how they affect the outcome.
Some best practices for preconstruction success include:
- Responsibility. If you want to avoid redesigns, delays, and cost overruns (and we know you do), the key is to set clear goals and deadlines during pre-construction and hold everyone accountable for meeting them.
- Communication. From pre-construction to handover, clear lines of communication should start with you and the project owner and go all the way to subs and their workers so that the responsible party can handle any issues that arise efficiently.
- Collaborative scheduling. Pre-construction work should include everyone involved in the project, from designers and engineers to suppliers and their support staff. The schedule you create should cover more than construction activities – it should include everything from obtaining permits to conducting inspections and realistic deadlines for completing each phase.
Take control of your projects with pre-construction best practices
Pre-construction can (and should) fit into any construction project, regardless of the type of project delivery method you utilize. Project managers can avoid unpredictable problems by implementing pre-construction best practices, such as those discussed above.
In short, the more you integrate your pre-construction team into every process from planning to delivery, the greater your chances of successfully delivering your project within budget, within specifications and on time.
