This article is the first in a series of 10 articles to follow that will detail items that every Developer, Construction Manager, or Owner should consider prior to undertaking a construction project of any size. The “10 Essentials” will list the various stages in the planning and management processes to achieve the goals of your project and ensure that your project will be a success.

The overall theme of these articles to educate the reader on the importance of planning, management, and tracking of Construction Projects. Some items may not be required for every project, but consideration should be given to the topics listed below prior and during your construction project.

The items listed broadly cover commercial, industrial, and governmental projects, but many items can also be applied to residential construction as well.

1. DUE DILIGENCE - This term is defined by Investopedia:

An investigation or audit of a potential investment. Due diligence serves to confirm all material facts in regards to a sale. Generally, due diligence refers to the care a reasonable person should take before entering into an agreement or a transaction with another party.

By this definition, you - the project Owner, are the ‘potential’ investor and the ’sale’ is your construction project. You should approach the Due Diligence phase of a project with an Investor’s mindset. Each project has a certain cost associated with it and a certain value of that cost. Due Diligence is always performed during the Pre-Design Phase of a project. The Due Diligence Phase attempts to determine the ‘knowable’ facts of the project - planning and zoning issues, real estate development requirements, preliminary pro-forma details, governmental agencies’ requirements, etc.

2. PLANNING PHASE - Also known as Schematic Planning Phase or the Pre-Design Phase.

The Planning Phase is often performed congruently with the Due Diligence Phase. This is the Phase of a Project where a preliminary scope for the project is determined. This may be determining the size of the development, square footage of the structure(s), and performance requirements of the project. During the Planning Phase a Preliminary Budget should be determined, a Preliminary Schedule should be set, and a Schematic Design started. Design professionals will usually be approached during this phase to determine their abilities and expertise in creating the design documents for the project. See DESIGN TEAM below.

3. SITE INVESTIGATION - Performing activities that will determine the actual site conditions for the proposed project.

Goetechnical Investigation. This usually involves obtaining soil samples by drilling (boring into the subsurface) in pre-determined locations. These boring locations are determined by the specifics of the structures, drive isles, detention areas, or other required engineered areas of the site.

Environmental Investigations. This usually includes a Phase 1 Environmental report, Environmental mitigation or remediation reports where hazardous materials may be present or encountered during construction, historical investigations, or specific Wildlife Management reports.

Other Investigations or Reports. Boundary and Topographic Surveys. All projects and lending institutions will require an updated survey. This will be the primary information used in the Civil/Site Design for the construction documents. These surveys should show the existing boundary for the project site(s), the topographic information, and all existing utility information. Your site may require a traffic study to determine the impact your development or project may have on the surrounding roadways or traffic flows.

4. DESIGN TEAM - A group of design professionals including, but not limited to, architects, engineers, planners, and construction managers to create and manage the project from the Pre-Design Phase through Construction. The key to choosing the right Design Team is finding those professionals who you believe you can trust to Maximize Performance and Minimize Costs.

The Design Team should should be able to determine the Feasibility and the Phasing of the construction project.

5. SELECTING A GENERAL CONTRACTOR - The selection of the General Contractor is the most important step in the success of your project. You should be able to do all of the following with you General Contractor prior to signing a contract: 1) Trust your General Contractor, 2) Negotiate certain items of the project that may be unknown at the time of construction 3) choose a General Contractor that is willing to share in the “Risk” of the project.

6. TRACKING A PROJECT - Procedures should be set-up prior to construction to track all of the following: 1) Project Budget, 2) Project Schedule, and 3) Project Information.

7. QUALITY ASSURANCE - This is a system to ensure that the materials and procedures defined by the construction documents are installed correctly and in a manner that meets project requiremetns.

8. MANAGING CHANGES - A system should be in place to manage the inevitable changes that occur on every project. Some changes may be due to bad soil conditions, changes in the design, limitability of certain materials, and errors and omissions in the design documents. The inability to manage changes during a construction project is the main contributor to cost overruns and unmet schedules. The ability to properly manage these changes will ensure that unforeseen problems and design changes will not ruin your project. This ‘Essential’ may be the most difficult to plan, since, given proper implementation of the other items listed above, the owner often believes he or she has the ‘perfect project’ before him or her. Managing changes is easily defined and planning for the unplanned and knowing the unknown.

9. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT - A person, firm, or entity that acts as the Owner’s Representative during the Pre-Design, Design, and Construction Phase of a project. Construction Management is defined by CMAA as:

A professional Construction Manager (CM) acts as an extension of staff to the Owner and manages the entire project with pre-planning, design, construction, engineering and management expertise that can assure the best possible project outcome no matter what type of project delivery method used. A CM is NOT a general contractor. Few owners maintain the staff resources necessary to pay close, continuing attention to every detail–yet these details can “make or break” a project. CM is often used interchangeably with Project Manager.

Read this to learn more about the Construction Manager’s role in your project. A Construction Manager provides the Owner with a seamless transition through the various phases of a project, maintains and controls the flow of information between the owner, design team, and contractors, allocates risks, and gives the owner a level of flexibility otherwise not realized without a Construction Manager.

10. PROJECT CLOSE-OUT PROCEDURES - This item is included in the list of essentials items due to the fact that after a project’s completion, the Owner will need the information produced during the planning, design, and construction phases of the project for the life of the development. This procedure will outline, document, and summarize all the information for the materials, warranties, maintenance materials, utility and as-built information that WILL BE used sometime in the future when the design team is no longer answering questions and the General Contractor is long gone. this is a vital step in ensure that a project meets its long term goals for service and sustainability.

Each of the items above will be discussed in further detail in the posts that will follow. Check back regularly for updated links within this article or under the “10 Essentials” category in the sidebar to the right for specific articles on each of the items.

And as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact REDBUD Construction Services at any time if you have questions regarding your construction project.