Details
1. You’ll need government compliance, a complete Market
Study and a well-thought-out Site Plan to have a successful
project. Consider this small sampling of questions you’ll
need to get answers for before you proceed:
- Does the town want your project there, or will there
be resistance from the local populace that might make it difficult
to get any required variances?
- Does your Market Study report
that the area will support your facility after you open for
business?
- Does the site you’ve chosen have the right highway
frontage and the right topographical profile?
- Is the lot the
right size and configuration for your proposed building with
parking requirements per code?
- Do you know if utility service
is available and if you can get an agreement for service? Which
utilities are cutting back
on service, and which new sources of energy may be available for
your project?
- Has there been a recent Environmental Phase I
Study done?
2. Most Design/Build Projects require a long list of professionals
in order to bring the project to a successful conclusion.
- Do you know why each person on the list needs to be
included in your project?
- Are there other professionals you’ll
need to include based on the special properties of your Project?
3. You will need to analyze the scope of work for each professional
and understand where one’s work ends and the next person’s
begins. And often, there are gaps—which cause delay and
additional unbudgeted expense—that no one covers. Sometimes,
there is an overlap of the scope of two professionals’ services—which
means you’re paying twice for the same thing. Here are
a few examples:
- Who is doing the conceptual site layout, plotting your
building on the lot—the Land Planner, Architect, or Civil
Engineer? Which one is best suited to do this task for your
specific project?
- Who will stake out the building? The Civil
Engineer? Or will you have to hire your own Surveyor?
- Who will
design the preliminary Landscape Plan needed for Site Plan
approval by the local Planning Board? The Architect or
the Civil Engineer? Who will design the final Landscape Plan? The
Civil Engineer or the Landscape Architect? Which one is best
suited for your project?
- Who will specify the interior finish
materials, and design the Reflected Ceiling Plans? The Architect
or the Interior Designer?
4. Contract negotiations are always a tricky business—and
more so when there are millions of details to include in the
legal documents. Think about the following:
- If three professionals are capable of performing one
task, what is each charging for his or her level of talent
and skill? Is that person really right for that task—or
will you end up having to spend more money hiring another professional
for gaps in knowledge or expertise because the terms and conditions
of your contract weren’t specific enough? Not knowing
could cause costly delays, liens and/or lawsuits.
5. Each Change Order has the potential to impact your project
with delays and hit your wallet for more money.
- Have you searched for potential problems while in
the design phase that could slow down your project and/or cost
you
money?
- How will you handle unforeseen problems that arise in
the field—such
as digging up a dinosaur fossil or discovering a protected
species of animal, such as the Golden Gopher Tortoise?
- Do you
have an Early Warning System in place to resolve issues with
a minimum of delay and cost?
- Do you have a source of additional
funds at the ready in case there are extra costs because
of Change Orders?
6. Coordinating multiple schedules on a daily basis is complicated
and time consuming—but a critical factor in driving the
project to a timely completion. Consider:
- Do you have the time to plan each person’s schedule,
note where overlaps occur, and integrate and update each schedule—as
well as the overall project schedule—on a continual basis?
- Do
you know what the impact is on the Project schedule if an individual
person’s schedule changes?
- Do you have the proper tools
for managing and updating schedules as well as keeping track
of costs, budgets and performance?
7. Keeping track of schedules is only part of what you need
to do to ensure a successful project.
- How will you manage dozens of checklists with hundreds
or thousands of critical details—on a daily basis?
- Will
you have the tools you need to establish procedures for communicating
progress? Adjustments? Changes?
- What happens when one detail
is skipped and others are dependant on it?
To ensure all of your project’s details
are under your control, call us for a free initial
consultation
at 609-230-7800. Ask for Rich
St. Maur.
Coordinated
Project Solutions—Taking the devil out of the details!
Ask about our special expertise in the field of Senior
Care Facilities (Independent Living, Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s
facilities).
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