{"id":35365,"date":"2017-05-17T08:28:46","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T12:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=35365"},"modified":"2017-05-19T15:37:12","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T19:37:12","slug":"how-early-project-involvement-can-benefit-contractors-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/how-early-project-involvement-can-benefit-contractors-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"How early project involvement can benefit contractors: Part one"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Howard Jancy, CSI, CDT<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Consultative calls must start before construction begins on the project.<\/span>
Photo \u00a9 BigStockPhoto<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On commercial and high-end residential projects, contractors seldom provide input into product selection\u2014a fact that makes little sense. At the time of bidding, materials and processes are already dictated by the project specification, making changes to this document time-consuming and challenging to implement.<\/p>\n

Savvy contractors and construction product manufacturers can gain greater project input and secure more work for their companies by becoming involved with design professionals during the early stages of project design. Architects, interior designers, specifiers, and landscape architects are key team members for the project types mentioned above\u2014they design the project and are involved with product research and selection. By engaging with these professionals and assuming a proactive role as a design consultant\u2014or, more specifically, as a design-assist contractor\u2014subcontractors can gain greater insights, bid projects more knowledgably and successfully, and assert greater influence on installation outcomes.<\/p>\n

This article, the first in a two-part series, delves into the background knowledge required to correctly time and plan a visit to a design firm.<\/p>\n

Design-assist contractors<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to \u201cDesign-assist: Getting contractors involved early\u201d by Gregory R. Andre, \u2018design-assist\u2019 is a project delivery method involving the coordination of the construction team with the architect during the design phase. The intended outcome for this type of pre-construction collaboration is reduced construction cost and time, improved constructability, and added value, which are often difficult to address once construction has started. (More information can be found here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Although design-assist is often a formalized and structured process, both individual contractors and manufacturers\u2019 representatives can perform the same function and attain comparable benefits for the architect and themselves. The key, as mentioned, is getting involved with a project early enough.<\/p>\n

Project design team<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step is simply getting in front of an architect, long before the first shovels of dirt are turned on a project, and positioning oneself as a reliable resource for products and services. Many contractors seem intimidated by architects, assuming they are already quite knowledgeable about the many materials used in construction\u2014but just the opposite is often true. Considering the incredible number of products and processes involved with a building\u2019s construction, architects do not have the time or inclination to be experts on each element. A contractor\u2019s many years of hands-on field experience will be welcomed and respected if he or she interacts with the architect proactively as a consultant, not just as an installer after the job starts.<\/p>\n

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A project’s design is often carried out by several people, so multiple meetings or discussions are required.<\/span>
Photo \u00a9 BigStockPhoto<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is important to do a little homework before contacting a design firm\u2014for instance, most design firms maintain websites containing information such as:<\/p>\n