ProSpeak

Starting a build project can be intimidating. There are many factors that go into a successful project, so where do you begin? 

Project cost is important — every project has a budget. There are different alternatives for decision points in a project, and a design firm’s job is to help advise the client on good, better and best options for as many of those decision points as possible. A lot of time and effort is spent in the design phases to ensure these align, but there are variables that impact cost, and at times these variables are out of our control. Examples include market conditions, inflation, material escalation, labor shortages, exorbitant lead times, product discontinuation and inclement weather. There is a change management component of design and construction that is just a part of the process. The expectation going into any project is that you’re going to run into a few hiccups.

How can we anticipate these changes and manage them in a good way? We advocate for establishing a contingency for the project to protect the client from unexpected costs that may arise. It’s wise to budget for this in the design phase, and adjust that contingency as design progresses and confirm those early assumptions are in the project criteria. Through the design process, we try to make the unknowns known, but even then there will always be surprises in the construction phase. If it’s a renovation project, for example, you may find something behind a wall that you didn’t know was going to be there. 

Additionally, furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE), A/V, artwork and signage are examples of things that sometimes get overlooked, but are important to plan around. Certain project types can run pretty high with soft costs — health care, for instance, can have significant budgets for major medical equipment, technology, etc.

While we don’t know with certainty what change factors will occur during a project, contingency planning is one of the best ways to protect against the unexpected and still maintain the other non-cost related project goals. We don’t ever want our clients to feel like they have to sacrifice quality or program with an unexpected change. Unfortunately, sometimes that is the reality, but if we can help guard against that, the project is ultimately better for it. 

Comments