The 6 Phases of a Construction Project Lifecycle

Almost all construction processes involve six phases. You need to plan for all these phases well in advance and analyze various ways to use your resources with utmost efficiency. Do prep work to set up things before you press the ‘Go’ button. Even the smallest of issues may slow you down, so you need to do all the due diligence; ponder over all the aspects of the construction. Be prepared to deal with the unexpected.

Here’re six phases of a construction project:

Feasibility Study

Before embarking on a project, you need to establish its viability. This is done by identify the various aspects regarding the construction project and preparing the project documentation such as the business case and project execution plan. It’s important to consider all feasible alternatives and pick a line that meets the economic, financial and environmental criteria.  The feasibility study may include issues such as

  • Site appraisals including geotechnical studies, the availability of services, uses of adjoining land an assessment of any contamination, easements and restrictive covenants, and other such issues.
  • Environmental impact assessment
  • Legal/statutory approvals
  • Planning permission
  • Budget analysis
  • Procurement options

Design Phase

Once the decision to proceed with a project has been made, you need to come up with a ration design that integrates functional and performance requirements. You need to take into account construction goals and equipment and working methods. A detailed design must entail all  the projects whether it is for capital, maintenance or if it is remedial. It should lay down a complete set of specifications regarding the project.

The Bid

The bid is your chance to demonstrate what you can bring to a project. You should submit a bid that illustrates and highlights your expertise and resources. A sophisticated cloud-based takeoff software like Square Takeoff can be immensely helpful in determining a cost and bid management.

Pre-construction

A necessary evil, a pre-construction meeting will help make a project successful. Sit with the client to review all the documentation together and arrive on a start date for the project. Apart from the core areas, you may need/want to discuss peripheral topics like the parking for the construction crews, job signs, permit box locations, location of the debris/material staging area/portable toilet, and more.

Construction

This phase begins when you or any of your subcontractors take control of the construction site. It’s a good idea to split the work into smaller “packages”, rather than complicating the project by incorporating too many components at a single go. Clarity regarding schedules, roles and quality expectations will help keep the project on track.

Moreover, it will help to work out with the clients how they can provide some kind of guidance on the site. Even the best of contractors require some kind of active support on the job site and it is the difference between mediocre and excellent work.

Project Closeout

A successful closeout is key for getting final payments. Often, projects running perfectly go wrong at the end, tuning a perfect project into a nightmare. As statistics suggest, 77% of projects have some sort of schedule overrun.

You cannot hope to have a simple wrap up of things in construction projects. At the end of the project, problems tend to pop up, out of nowhere. By that time, you’re likely to be short on resources making it hard for the correction of errors. Devise a solid plan for handing the project ownership to client.

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