What should commercial preconstruction services include?

Commercial preconstruction services help owners understand project costs, compare design options, and plan how a building will be delivered before construction begins. A useful preconstruction process provides more than an estimate: it gives you information to make decisions about budget, materials, schedule, and building performance.

Use the checklist below to understand what your project team should address and which services belong in the agreed scope.

Start with feasibility and predevelopment

Early feasibility work asks whether a project is practical for a particular site and business plan. It can include site evaluation, due diligence coordination, and identifying required approvals. These activities often begin during commercial predevelopment services, before detailed design and estimating.

• Due diligence coordination: Identify the geotechnical, environmental, and hazardous-material investigations needed to understand site and property conditions.
• Approval planning: Identify required municipal approvals, the information each agency needs, and anticipated review timeframes.

Clarify who is responsible for each task and how the findings will inform the design, budget, and project schedule.

What design-phase preconstruction should include

As design develops, preconstruction focuses on aligning the proposed building with the owner’s budget, performance requirements, and schedule. Ask your team to address:

• Budget development and check-in estimates: Update cost information as the design becomes more detailed so you can understand changes and make informed decisions.
• Comparative pricing: Compare building assemblies, materials, products, and manufacturers alongside their performance and maintenance requirements.
• Means, methods, and constructability: Review how proposed assemblies and details can be built, and identify opportunities to improve coordination and execution.
• Value engineering: Evaluate alternatives that help align cost with the owner’s functional and quality goals.
• Sustainability review: Consider energy performance, potential return on investment, and applicable utility rebates.
• Lead-time planning: Identify procurement requirements for materials, equipment, and building systems that could affect the schedule.
• Bid packages and phasing: Define how work will be packaged and sequenced, including whether an early construction phase is appropriate while later design work continues.
• Project scheduling: Develop a schedule that communicates expectations for design, approvals, procurement, bidding, and construction.
• Competitive bidding and vendor qualification: Seek pricing from qualified vendors and review their ability to meet project requirements.

Questions to ask before moving forward

Before engaging a team, confirm the services, deliverables, responsibilities, and fees in writing. Ask how often estimates will be updated, how alternatives will be evaluated, and how budget or schedule risks will be communicated. The scope and cost of preconstruction services should be clear for your specific project.

At DBS Group, estimators work with designers, engineers, and project managers to evaluate costs and constructability as plans develop. Our integrated design-build services connect that planning with project delivery.

Explore our preconstruction planning and estimating and commercial construction services, or contact DBS Group to discuss your project.