The Pre-Construction Phase is Crucial to Maximizing Your Investment.
Pre-construction includes the discovery to ascertain a client’s vision to establish parameters on how to best maximize our services for the specific circumstances. A great deal of collaboration takes place to fully explore the scope of work, identify value engineering opportunities, determine potential risks, provide solutions, and analyze cost impacts. This phase ultimately helps the Owner determine the viability of the project to establish proper financing.
As part of our commitment to quality, ECI provides our clients with pre-construction services that range from identifying the owner's construction and design goals to creating estimates and schedules that best fit these goals, and everything in between. In-house estimators provide accurate construction budgets and estimating expertise. Developing detailed project budgets in the early stages of design development ensures the numbers are on target for the Owner's goals, while also bringing ideas to the table regarding alternatives where it would add to the value to the project.
Owner Benefits of Pre-Construction Services.
Pre-construction also provides the Owner a number of benefits which can have a dramatic impact on the overall project while saving significant time and money. Most importantly, the Owner has a defined basis to make an informed decision. Since the cost and schedule of the project can be determined upfront, the number of changes, unexpected costs, and variations of schedule during the project can all be minimized. Additionally, we can address where possible problems will occur early in the process and provide solutions, as well as better identify cost savings opportunities timely so that the selected ones could be integrated into the project.
This purposeful blend of planning and foresight is essential to maximizing your investment in this very active Central Texas market. Factors we look at include:
- Cost Budgeting & Estimating
- Constructability Analysis
- Value Analysis
- Existing Conditions Analysis
- Design Collaboration
- Schedule Development
- LEED & Sustainability Management
- Bidding and Bid Packaging
- Site Logistics Planning
- Construction Phase Sequencing
- Total Cost of Ownership Analysis
Developing Detailed, Accurate Estimates is a Critical Part of the Pre-construction Process.
The creation of initial estimates in-essence becomes a healthy way of acquiring an overall grasp of the project details. But void of accurate estimates, project managers can't build budgets, get approvals, or contract with the best suited vendors. This makes creation of successful estimates the gold standard.
Our in-house estimating department is dedicated to providing accurate construction budgets and estimating expertise to our clients. By studying blueprints, specifications, and related documents, we can identify labor, material, and time requirements for your specific project. Routinely bidding on new projects keeps our experts in tune with up-to-the- minute marketplace pricing in the Central Texas region.
A major part of our estimating success is our ability to develop trusting relationships with sub-contractors and suppliers. With a deep pool of resources available, complimentary teams with specialized skills are developed for each specific project our company undertakes. We go to great lengths to assist each of these trusted sub-contractors in understanding the dynamics of a project and develop associated scopes of work. This helps to mitigate unknowns and achieve accurate cost estimates.
Value Engineering Allows us to Share our Expertise.
Value engineering is an ally to most, if not all, construction projects and the benefits can be a real plus. While the goal is not necessarily a cost-cutting exercise, the value engineering process can often times save a few percentage points on projects depending on the complexity and specified finish materials. Essentially, the value engineering process is a creative, organized effort aimed at improving the project through studying alternate design concepts, materials, and methods without compromising the functional and value objectives of the client. It addresses all aspects of the building lifecycle from the initial construction through the sustainability of sourced materials and utility efficiency of the final project.
Our team brings a fresh outside view of alternate solutions from other similar projects, which can include environmental and social impact solutions that positively affect the safety and wellness of the surrounding community. Given some latitude, ECI’s construction expertise pays dividends in producing straight forward, concise project planning, as well as providing productive, cost−effective solutions to reduce the construction budget. Utilizing ECI for value engineering can often reduce construction costs and shorten the overall schedule.
Effective Collaboration is at the Heart of Every Successful Build.
Collaboration is not a “nice to have” organizational philosophy, it is a fundamental ingredient for success. At ECI, we focus on building trust first and foremost, which leads to confidence in the reliability, integrity and honesty between the client and our construction teams.
Our organizational culture and managerial practices are built around nurturing collaboration. We approach each project with the mindset that we are an integral part of the client’s team, constantly striving to best reach the end goal by providing the leadership, administration, supervision and management to achieve a successful project.
ECI is accomplished at collaborating with owners, engineers and architects, as well as our sub-contractors, through every phase of a construction project with a desire to further the investment to our clients. We are thorough in each aspect of the project cycle – from pre-construction through post-construction and all steps in between - proactively maintaining direct communication with our clients to ensure their needs and expectations are not only met but exceeded.
Engen Contracting Inc.
A full-service general contractor specializing in commercial construction, ECI brings a strong reputation for building quality projects that are competitively priced, a commitment to quality craftsmanship, professionalism, and building trusting relationships to every project we undertake.