What is Constructability Review?
A constructability review is an independent and structured review of construction bid documents by construction professionals to make certain that the work requirements are clear, the documents are coordinated, and the documents aid the contractor in bidding, construction and project administration to result in minimal impacts to the project.
When Does a Constructability Review take place?
When to begin a constructability review is debatable because each project has its own unique variables. However, it is common to begin the process when construction documents are 50%, again at 75% and a final at 90% complete. The general rule of thumb is to never perform a constructability review prior to the 50% design milestone. The review should be completed by an independent construction professional with a contracting background. Utilizing experience from relative projects, a construction professional can identify potential conflicts, offer alternate improvement materials, suggest varying construction details, and share difficulties experienced on similar projects that may be beneficial to the project.
What are the Benefits of a Constructability Review?
Constructability reviews are an important component of the design phase. Reviews done properly will reveal conflicts that can impact construction time and cost. Reviews must be done independently of the designer, and completed well before the bid cycle begins, to allow an ample amount of time for corrections to be considered.
Once the design review is finished and plans are 90 – 100% complete, an additional phase of the review should include the review of all the construction documents to be used for bidding purposes. The objective is to expose any conflicts between drawings, specifications, omissions, ambiguities, and to assure the bid schedule includes the complete scope of work. The result of this process will reduce the RFI process, minimize bid addendums, reduce change orders, minimize delays, create greater understanding of the project goals, provide a smoother construction process, and reduce administrative costs over the course of the project for all parties. Ultimately, the goal is to produce a comprehensive bid document that will be included in the project contract between owner and contractor.
If possible, the ideal time to engage with a construction professional is in the beginning stages of the design process, long before the constructability review starts. Owners aim to build a select team of professionals based on common values and create a working environment where team relationships can grow and flourish with one another.
Blog Written By: Scott Porterfield, Executive VP, Project Management
Comments or questions?
Please feel free to contact Scott at sporterfield@murowdc.com.
