Construction projects are complex. These projects involve people all the way from ownership of the land, conceptualising of the whole project and up to the actual construction itself.
In the course of construction, circumstances arise that may cause changes in the modalities of construction. As a result, you will find that there are significant change orders occurring in the course of construction.
Change orders are quite inconveniencing and often lead to delays in construction delivery and could also occasion a significant increase in the cost of construction which could lead to a financial loss to the construction company.
To avoid this, construction managers strive to avoid change orders and where they are unavoidable, they seek to have them at very minimal levels.
Here are some techniques to minimise change orders on your commercial construction project.
Thorough scrutiny of the plans
Construction plans are the foundation of every construction project. When competently drawn up and thoroughly checked by the different professionals involved in the project, any errors will be drawn out and rectified. Of importance also at this stage is the input from the client to ensure that the final construction plans effectively reflect their vision to avoid any changes after the construction has started.
A thorough scrutiny of the plans prior to commencement of the project and agreement from all parties concerned ensures that there are minimal change orders when the project finally gets underway.
Get all the required building licenses
As every professional in construction knows, it is important to have all the required licenses before the breaking ground on a new construction project. This ensures that you are in right standing with the local government and that you have the building code in the area of the project. It also assists greatly in gaining more information on building in a particular area.
Having all the licenses ensures that there is no delay once the project kicks off. Knowing the building code of a particular area ensures that you will not have major changes to your construction plans which could lead to substantial change orders occurring.
Effective communication with all involved
A commercial construction project brings together a variety of professions such as designers and commercial fitout experts. It is therefore important that the architects, engineers and construction company get together to discuss, create and understand the construction plans. It is also important to ensure that the client or owner of the project is part of the communication so that if there are any changes to be made on the building are made at the planning part.
Consistent communication between the parties involved ensures that everyone involved is on the same page. This will ensure that there aren’t any significant change orders occurring in the process of construction.
Accurate cost estimation
Typical commercial construction projects are very large and requiring a hefty financial outlay. It is therefore prudent for the construction company to have an accurate estimation of the cost of the whole project prior to commencement. Cost of the project should also cover any contingencies that may occur.
Once all the factors are considered in the beginning of the project, it is quite likely there will only be a slight deviation as a result of change orders. Although change orders are inevitable in a large commercial construction project, applying these techniques will help minimize them.