In today’s unpredictable construction environment, preconstruction planning has become more than just a best practice — it’s a necessity.

“The construction industry continues to face myriad uncertainties, including tariffs, fluctuations in material costs, supply chain delays, and increased competition for a limited pool of funds,” wrote Andy Cushman, director of business development and proposals at Urban Engineers. “Given that climate, constructability reviews and value engineering become critical to finding safer, more efficient and cost-effective alternatives that help owners manage both budgets and risks without compromising the final product.”

Preconstruction reviews identify potential errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in design documents before construction begins. They not only reduce the likelihood of change orders and cost overruns but also address critical issues like scheduling, phasing, and construction methods that directly impact execution in the field.

A Stronger Bid Process

Cushman emphasized that the bidding phase is one of the most effective times to apply constructability reviews. When design documents are clear, contractors can prepare bids on a level playing field, reducing wide cost variations caused by differing interpretations of incomplete or ambiguous plans.

“When the most effective construction approach is vetted early and clearly communicated to prospective bidders, it creates a level playing field and drives down costs,” Cushman explained. “Contractors are bidding against a consistent, well-defined scope, rather than interpreting ambiguities or making assumptions that could later lead to disputes.”

Without that clarity, some contractors may add extra costs to protect themselves against risks, while others might bid low and rely on renegotiating through change orders later. Reviewing plans through a contractor’s lens helps refine specifications so the bid documents truly reflect the project’s intent and scope.

Experience Matters

Another advantage is involving professionals with real-world contracting and ownership experience in the preconstruction phase. These experts can anticipate challenges like staging areas, sequencing, laydown space, or long-term maintenance needs — issues that may not be evident on design drawings but can derail a project later.

“This experience also plays a major role in mitigating risks through value engineering by accounting for critical elements, including staging areas, construction sequencing, laydown space, long-term maintainability and operations,” Cushman noted.

Essentially, it’s like having a contractor’s insight before the first bid comes in, but without the contractual complexities that typically follow once construction starts.

Communication and Scalability

Strong communication is also at the heart of successful preconstruction planning. Coordinating technical input from engineers, contractors, and owners into one unified set of bid documents ensures scope clarity and minimizes the chance of costly disputes.

“Without that clarity, missed scope items lead to contract add-ons, and poorly scoped work results in change order discrepancies,” Cushman warned.

And while these practices are common in large-scale infrastructure or capital projects, they apply equally well to smaller endeavors — from nonprofit builds to municipal projects. Regardless of project size, the principle remains the same: eliminate uncertainty, reduce risk, and create a more predictable path to construction.

Building Stronger Projects Before They Begin

Cushman concludes that early reviews provide owners with a critical edge. “Having real-world experience managing, building, and troubleshooting construction projects offers insight into what separates buildable plans from those prone to costly surprises. Applying that knowledge early gives owners a critical advantage, allowing them to strengthen their projects before the first bid ever comes in, protecting both their budgets and their timelines.”

By integrating constructability and value engineering into the pre-bid process, owners can better safeguard against rising costs, schedule disruptions, and disputes — ensuring smoother, more stable projects in a volatile 2025 market.

Originally reported by Andy Cushman in Construction Dive.