Design and Build Firms Manage Timelines
A business owner constructing a commercial project may find the process of obtaining approvals and completing construction is much slower than expected. This is due to the amount of paperwork required and the fact that the construction industry relies on a variety of government agencies for oversight. This slowdown can result in a delay of completion and increase construction costs. This is one of the main reasons why many businesses choose to work with a design-build firm. This approach allows a single provider to handle both the design and construction portions of the build, streamlining the collaboration, communication, and coordination process.
As with any construction project, a Design and Build Firm in Sacramento will need to manage the timeline of their client’s build to ensure it is completed on time. The first step in managing the build is meeting with the business owner and ensuring both parties are on the same page about the project’s scope, schedule, and budget. The initial meeting will also cover company priorities, design preferences, and other key project details.
Following the initial meeting, the team will develop conceptual designs for the new project, and begin to firm them up enough that they can start to settle on contract costs. The design-build team can offer a number of different ways to do this, including through building information modeling and virtual design and construction (VDC). This will allow the design-build firm to give their clients an early visual representation of the project so they have a better understanding of the project scope, budget, and schedule.
How Do Design and Build Firms Manage Timelines?
During this phase of the design-build process, the team can also start to address any potential issues that might occur during construction. This includes discussing materials and finishes, parking, landscaping, and other aspects of the build that may affect the schedule or cost. This will allow the design-build firm to make adjustments to their plans so that they can accommodate any changes that might arise during the build.
The design-build team will also help to set realistic goals and performance requirements that the owner can work with during the construction phase. This will include defining project milestones, establishing mutual goals, and agreeing on a clear contractual framework that addresses disputes.
During the final phase of the design-build process, the design-build team can help to streamline communication by setting up a virtual workspace that will allow the team to share documents and communicate via chat. This will allow the team to make adjustments on the fly so that they can meet the client’s expectations and complete the project on time.
This will eliminate a lot of confusion and reduce the likelihood that the project will go over budget or schedule. This is especially important for projects that will be publicly bid, like parking garages or housing. In these cases, the design-build entity will be required to list subcontractors with their bids in compliance with the subcontractor listing law (Public Contract Code SS 4100 et seq). A listed subcontractor will have little incentive to “gouge” the design-build entity if they can get away with it once.
