So you are about to embark on a new construction project. Before breaking grounds, did you spend an adequate amount of time thinking about the things you need to consider? What are your priorities? Do you have a specific budget or time frame? And what challenges or roadblocks should you expect?
There’s always that strong temptation to jump right into a construction project without doing sufficient planning. After all, we believe that the sooner we start, the sooner we finish. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way in the construction industry; there are many things you need to consider before breaking ground on a new project.
So if you want a comprehensive project plan, make sure you reflect on these things before beginning the project.
1. The type of construction project
Different types of projects have different procedures that should be followed. For this reason, you need to have a clear insight into the kind of project you are dealing with, so you can determine other important requirements.
2. Management strategy
As the adage goes, “a good plan is work half done.”
Your management strategy determines your workers’ capability to complete each stage on time. In fact, with a good strategy, your workers can have an adequate amount of breaks without sacrificing their productivity time. A complex and disorganized management procedure, on the other hand, can cause your workers to overwork. Worse, it can push your project past the deadline.
3. Manpower
Securing sufficient manpower is important throughout a construction project. After all, manpower is proportional to productivity. The more workers that are available, the closer you are to completion. Aside from that, you must know that your workers are the face of your company. So make sure that you hire only the best construction workers for your project.
4. Cost overruns
Your clients will expect you to hit the budget for the project. However, cost overruns can always cause you to go over budget. From unexpected equipment and tools expenses to budgeting errors, cost overruns will always be an inherent part of a construction project.
You don’t have to feel bad if you run into this problem though. However, you can perform contingency planning beforehand to minimize the occurrence of cost overruns. Start by creating a list of potential cost overruns including delivery delays, weather conditions, or disputes with suppliers. After that, write down possible solutions to prevent such problems. You can also create a risk matrix where you assign the probability to each problem.
5. Necessary permits
Getting approval from all necessary bodies before embarking on a construction project needs not to be underestimated. A lot of projects have been stopped midway just because the owners didn’t get the permits needed ahead of time. Ensure that you do not overlook this factor when planning your construction project. And another tip: send in your applications early in the project planning! This is because permission generally takes at least 2 weeks to be signed.
6. Ability to comply with the deadlines
Missed deadlines are often caused by delays and workforce management problems. To prevent such a problem, you should deal with the potentiality of the problem earlier. How do you do this? You should always aim to understand all terms and conditions before signing a contract. Document all similar projects. Most importantly, always communicate with the stakeholders in a crystal clear fashion.
By doing this, you are aiding the project in preventing lengthy disputes and potential lawsuits.
Planning is the key to all aspects of life, and your construction project is no exception. Just a heads up: only take on projects with a comprehensible goal in mind. I hope that these considerations will help you do just that so you can start your project on the right foot.