You have nailed down a design, obtained permits and hired a top notch construction crew. Now all that’s left to do is have your final preconstruction meeting, and you are ready to finally break ground on your development. This is an exciting time for anybody, but you need to make sure you stay smart despite all the anticipation.
The preconstruction meeting is the last chance to address any last-minute changes or lingering concerns, so you have to cover a lot during that meeting. To that end, here is some advice on what to include in your preconstruction meeting, from your construction consultant in the Bay Area:
- Contracts:Â Once the construction crew gets to work, altering or negotiating contracts becomes a lot more difficult. At your preconstruction meeting, give everyone involved in the project one last chance to bring up any concerns, questions or issues they have with the existing contracts, and try to come up with a solution that works for everyone.
- Final design:Â You should already have the design figured out by now, but if there are multiple parties involved in this project, it is possible that not everyone has had ample opportunity to review and assess the plans. The preconstruction meeting is a good chance to make sure this happens, but try to discourage changes unless they are urgent or necessary.
- Job site concerns:Â What time will work begin on the job site each day? Who has ultimate authority? What safety and logistical concerns will your workers need to take into account? Are any parts of the job site off limits to certain workers? Do you have ample signage to ensure that pedestrians and drivers know about the construction site? All these concerns ought to be ironed out at the meeting.
- Remodeling logistics:Â If your project is a remodel rather than a new build, you will have your own set of challenges and questions to deal with. Existing residents or tenants of the space will likely need to know if and for how long they will need to find alternative accommodations. If they will remain onsite during construction, make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to safety concerns.
- Communication throughout the job:Â It is inevitable that issues will come up during the construction process, and everyone involved will need a space to communicate them and solve problems together. Set up a schedule of weekly or biweekly meetings at a time when everyone will be able to attend.
- Establish the chain of command:Â Finally, people involved in the project will need to know whom they should turn to with those more pressing concerns that cannot wait for the scheduled meetings. Make sure the job hierarchy and chain of command is crystal clear so as to prevent any misunderstandings or mishandling of issues.
If you put some thought and preparation into your preconstruction meeting, it should go smoothly. For more advice, please contact KSD Group Inc., your construction consultant in the Bay Area.