Build…Economically

This is where the rubber meets the road, the project is started and the building is going up. It is our job to ensure the budget is being met and the schedule kept.

Construction management or administration  is much more than paying the bills and watching the schedule. The process involves risk management, value engineering, communication, accountability, negotiations, bill payment, review and documentation. As a construction manager we become part of your team to look out for your best interest.

Risk management covers a wide range of issue including on site safety, liability, financial and legal exposure. Our systems insure that these issues are mitigated. We insure sufficient insurance is in place to cover the building during the building phase, stringent job site safety measures are adhered to and contracts written in a way to insure the Churches interest are being protected. Payment procedures insure that all suppliers have been paid per contract and for work complete as well as  lien wavers and insurance being in place. Without these steps the church could be liable for unpaid supplier bills and workers compensation insurance premiums for subcontractors.

Value engineering is the process of analyzing what was designed and alternatives that may serve the same objective, meet codes, and save money.   Projects can be “valued-engineered” to the point of not looking like the original plans, short cuts can be taken that may save some money on the front end but are costly at a future date. On the other hand often times there are ways to be more efficient or substitute materials or methods that can save significant money, it is our job to evaluate these options for viability and recommend when and when not to proceed with them.

Communication and documentation are critical to a successful project. Conversations between multiple parties and over long periods of time have a way of becoming distorted or selective in there recall. Having consistent documentation and clarity between all parties is the corner stone of our process. Documented communication between Church, architect, engineers, codes, general contractor and subcontractors must be maintained, failure to do so can cause a lot more problems than hard feelings and can cost both time and money.

Holding someone accountable can sometimes be difficult either by association or lack of documentation or experience. As a construction manager we provide that accountability so the Church is not put into a difficult situation. If a conflict arises we deal with it in a professional industry acceptable way. Poor performance, unauthorized charges, work quality, not keeping a schedule or adhering to safety standards are just some of the examples of accountability.

Negotiations include pricing from the suppliers, subcontractors, surrounding property owners and sometimes codes or zoning officials. Having a knowledge of these areas enables us to negotiate from a position of strength and insure that you are getting the most for what they are paying for. We have found that there can be significant price variances between suppliers and subcontractors and low price as stated may not be the best deal because of exclusions. We start by writing a standardized scope of work and not just sending out plans or worse yet partial sets. We broadcast this scope and invitation to bid through several outlets to insure we a good response. The bids are reviewed and qualified and than we get to work on the negotiations.  We compare individual line items between subcontractors and vendors to get the absolute best pricing.

We become your advocate, using our experience, systems and expertise to insure a successful project.

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