Month: March 2026

Technology in Pre-construction

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 29 min

AI in Pre-Construction (How Technology Accelerates Estimating and Frees Humans for Strategy)

Most of a project well done happens in pre-construction. So today I’m talking with Aaron Kivitz from Stack Construction about AI, labor shortages, and how technology is changing pre-construction. Aaron, would you mind doing an introduction, your background, kind of what you’re passionate about?

Aaron’s Background: From Architects to Contractors

Sure. Yeah, so my name is Aaron Kivitz. I work for Stack Construction. I am based in Kansas City, and I’ve been in the construction tech industry for almost 20 years. I kind of started off working with architects, which was a lot of fun, and I’ve kind of switched teams and now I work for contractors. So, we develop takeoff and estimating solutions, and that’s kind of where my passion is right now.

What was fun about working with architects?

You know, architects are artists. And it’s different, right? I got to travel the world, you know, visiting amazing firms like Foster and Partners, you know, seeing models of the Apple campus as they were working them in the office. And, you know, it was just a lot of fun being able to kind of be involved in that creative atmosphere.

The Contractor’s Biggest Need: Technology Adoption

When you’re working for contractors, what is their biggest need and how do you provide that need?

Yeah, that’s a good question. You know, I think we’ve probably all heard by now that construction is the least technology adoptive industry out there, right? I mean, that’s been around for a long time. But I think that’s really true. It’s kind of dramatically true.

I was at ConExpo last week. We had a booth there and I’m still talking to people that are doing takeoffs with a pencil and a ruler and estimating with a calculator. And there’s just so much opportunity to change these people’s lives so that they can spend less time doing things that they don’t really want to do. Just like an architect doesn’t want to put together a project budget, a contractor doesn’t want to spend time estimating.

And to your point, that’s what they should be doing, right? Like an architect should be doing the artistic side of it. And builders should be able to supervise in the field and do what’s important to them so they have capacity.

Construction technology should be doing the things that it should do so we can do the things that we should do, right? AI, like I am a huge fan of AI. Like I use it to help me, not replace me. Yeah, 100%.

Aaron’s Approach to Pre-Construction

What is your approach to pre-construction? And where are you seeing most of the benefits?

Yeah, I mean, I think my world view in pre-con, pre-con is kind of a big word, like it encompasses a lot of things. And my kind of pre-con world is smaller. I’m kind of looking at everything in that estimating lens and how things kind of radiate out from that.

And I wanted to kind of connect this back to what you were just saying a minute ago, like nobody really wants to estimate, but you probably know better than I do how vital an accurate estimate is to the rest of the project. Like if you have messed that up, you’re digging yourself out of a very deep hole.

So, I think this is an area where something like AI, we see is going to allow a contractor to spend less time focused on doing something that they don’t want to do, and more time building things. So, I definitely don’t look at AI as, and it’s not going to replace anyone’s job here. The key is trying to accelerate what it is you’re able to get done, what it is you’re able to do. So that, again, you can get back to doing what you want.

How Stack Uses AI: 12 Million Pages Per Month

Would you mind letting me put you on the spot a little bit with, what are some of the specific things you’re using AI for?

Yeah, so we’ve had an AI-based takeoff tool for almost two years now. So, we’ve been able to do things, pretty basic things like draw walls, draw areas, find windows, find doors, things like that. And we’ve learned a ton from the way that people have actually used those tools. And this year we’re going to see really dramatic advances in what we’re going to be able to do with that capability.

Just to kind of give you an example, Jason, we process over 12 million pages per month through Stack. So we have a ton of data. So we’re going to be able to do things here very shortly, like automatically identify the wall types, automatically identify the materials and the details and the spec for those wall types, and then automatically be able to pick the items and assemblies to go with that wall type.

So that in a few clicks, you’ll be able to go from a set of plans to a pretty much complete takeoff to an estimate with those item and material and labor quantities in it. Like you said earlier, it’s not going to replace one’s job. Like it’s not 100% accurate, right? Like we’re looking at this as a way to accelerate that process.

Rather than you having to get all that work done, you’ll just be able to go in and check and make sure that the computer has done it correctly. Has it missed a wall, right? Has it misidentified a wall type? Was it not able to find the fasteners, for lack of a better example. So you can think of it less as a completed estimate and more as a mostly completed estimate, right? And you’re the 100%.

What Humans Still Do: Strategy, Not Takeoffs

So let me put it in my own words. We’re still going to have conversations of where we source materials. We’re still going to have conversations about does the general contractor take this or that scope on as self-perform? We’re still going to have conversations about which trade partner we should select. We’re still going to have conversations about what is the right assembly? What would be fit for prefabrication?

But we shouldn’t, if I’m hearing you right, have to worry about, do we have the right takeoffs? Do we understand the specs? Do we understand what is actually included in an estimate? Like these basic things that AI right now can help us with bid leveling, with estimating, with quantity takeoffs, with all of these things that allow humans now to go do the strategy portion better to get to the overall budget so we can even build the job. Do I get any of that right?

Yeah, I think that was right. And you can do all those things in Stack today by hand, right? You can draw a wall or you can assign an assembly to it, and you can calculate those material quantities. The difference that AI will make is, instead of you having to do it, it’ll do it for you.

It’s not going to understand how difficult it is to build that one. It’s not going to understand if the architect shouldn’t have put the wall there, or whether or not it is the right type of construction. It’s not going to replace the experience that a seasoned estimator has that can figure that stuff out by looking at a set of drawings and understanding those facts.

Narrowing Feedback Loops: From Weeks to Hours

But what I’m hearing from you is that the experienced estimator will still do their job, but it’s going to narrow the feedback loops, right? The time that it takes. Like, typically in design, you’ll get a new drawing set, and then it’s weeks to figure out what the impact is. And back in the day, it would be weeks to figure out what the schedule impact is.

And let’s just even forget about constructability reviews. The team doesn’t even have time to deal with that. So now, if I’m hearing it right, AI is going to help us know, this is the new quantity, this is what impacts the budget. With things like Takt planning and other Lean scheduling systems, we’re going to be able to see within hours what is the scheduling impact. And now we actually have the capacity to go do the builder type things that we’ve always actually been paid to do and need to be doing.

That’s a good way to put it. And I think it’s really, I kind of look at AI just as a tool to do exactly what you said. It’s trying to, it’s going to mean I can spend less time doing the low value work and more time doing the things that really require me to think through a problem.

Addressing Labor Shortages: Multiply Skills and Influence

And you mentioned that there is a shortage of trained project delivery team members in the industry, as well as there’s a shortage of trained, skilled labor in the industry. And if somebody’s like, “Oh, you’re going to replace my job with robots,” well, no. Teams complain all the time about being overwhelmed with admin. Can you talk to me more about that? How does your approach help fill in those gaps?

Yeah, it’s a consistent message that we hear from our customers that they just cannot find estimators to hire. They want to bid more work. They want to expand. They want to grow, but they can’t find estimators that can help them bid those jobs.

And really what they’re sort of left with is training people to do it internally. And that process, I mean, that’s obviously vitally important that these contractors out there are passing on those skills to the next generation. But that sort of on-the-job training is really how you become a seasoned estimator, right?

And I think the key there is, instead of replacing the estimator, you’re going to spend less time clicking around a polygon to draw an area on a plan just to measure it. And more time helping somebody else learn how to then do that constructability review, to understand how the schedule would be impacted by the change. That’s really, I think, how AI and tools like this can help with that labor shortage problem.

Basically, we’re increasing capacity. And the folks that use a service like Stack or are using AI are going to multiply, meaning multiply their skills and their influence faster and do better in their career.

Yeah. And I think one of the reasons why there’s a labor shortage in this area of the industry is also just, it’s filled with these dated tools and point solutions that are disconnected. And you fire up something like Bluebeam and it’s a 20-year-old desktop application that has no numbers in it. It’s just there. Why would you want to do that? And then they’re cutting and pasting numbers into an Excel spreadsheet somewhere. And these estimators have these Excel spreadsheets that they’ve worked in for 25 years.

The Problem with Disconnected Workflows

Whenever I’m on a video, I’m like, I love Excel with the possible exception of getting a formula wrong in an estimate, which we’ve all been there. It’s like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, where’d that 700 grand go?” Well, I had the wrong formula in the Excel sheet.

And I think the problem with those tools is because of that disconnection between the takeoff, the quantification and the Excel estimate. If there is a change, you have to start all over or you have to pull this thread back from your estimate to where on the drawing that thing was, figure out what’s changed. That sort of disconnected workflow is just a gigantic waste of time. 100%, 100%.

Here’s what AI in pre-construction enables:

  • Stack processes 12 million pages per month – AI-based takeoff tool for almost two years. Draw walls, draw areas, find windows, find doors. This year: dramatic advances. Automatically identify wall types, materials, details, specs. Automatically pick items and assemblies. Few clicks: set of plans to complete takeoff to estimate with item, material, labor quantities.
  • Mostly completed estimate, humans check accuracy: Not 100% accurate. Accelerates process. Rather than you doing all work, you check: Has it missed a wall? Misidentified wall type? Not able to find fasteners? Think less as completed estimate, more as mostly completed estimate. You’re the 100%.
  • Humans still do strategy: source materials, trade selection, assemblies, prefab: AI won’t understand how difficult to build. Won’t understand if architect shouldn’t have put wall there. Won’t understand right type of construction. Won’t replace experienced estimator who figures that stuff out by looking at drawings. Humans do strategy, AI does takeoffs.
  • Narrowing feedback loops from weeks to hours: Typically, new drawing set, then weeks to figure out impact. Now: AI helps us know new quantity, what impacts budget. With Takt planning and Lean scheduling, see within hours what scheduling impact is. Now have capacity to go do builder type things we’ve always been paid to do.
  • Addressing labor shortage: multiply skills and influence: Customers cannot find estimators to hire. Want to bid more work, expand, grow. Instead of replacing estimator, spend less time clicking polygons to draw areas. More time helping someone else learn constructability review, understand schedule impact. Folks that use Stack multiply their skills and influence faster.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

Aaron’s Closing Statement: Don’t Be Afraid of AI

Anything else you want to communicate?

Yeah, I mean, I think the key takeaway is that Stack, we’re trying to solve these problems. We’re trying to give people more time in their day to do the work that they love. And I think that these tools like AI shouldn’t really be something that you’re scared of. It’s the people that are taking advantage of it that are going to win. Not the people that are afraid to use it or don’t want to use it because they’re afraid of it.

Learn how to use it, learn how to apply it. I think tools like Stack can give you really actually practical usable ways of doing that. So that’s really what excites me is really helping people get back to the work that they want to do.

That’s a powerful passion statement. Like that’s really important in our industry. Well, yeah, I mean, that’s why we show up to work, right? I like to solve problems. Contractors like to build stuff. Architects like to design stuff. That’s why we’re doing what we do. Where can people get ahold of you?

Yeah, Stack, you can find us at stackct.com. We’re fully cloud-based, so you can just go there, create an account, get started. Our AI tools, like I said, they’re going to be dramatic advances this year in what we’re able to do. And we want more people to be able to jump on that train. As we say at Elevate, AI accelerates pre-construction: Stack processes 12M pages monthly, automates takeoffs and estimates, increases capacity. Tools free humans for strategy work.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Stack use AI for takeoffs and estimates?

Stack processes over 12 million pages per month. AI automatically identifies wall types, materials, details, specs, then picks items and assemblies. Few clicks: set of plans to complete takeoff to estimate with quantities. Not 100% accurate, you check. Mostly completed estimate.

What do humans still do with AI-powered estimating?

Strategy: where to source materials, does GC self-perform this scope, which trade partner to select, what’s the right assembly, what fits prefabrication. AI won’t understand how difficult to build or if architect shouldn’t have put wall there. Experienced estimator still needed.

How does AI address the labor shortage in estimating?

Customers cannot find estimators to hire. Instead of replacing estimator, spend less time clicking polygons to draw areas. More time helping someone else learn constructability review, understand schedule impact. Multiply skills and influence faster.

How does AI narrow feedback loops in pre-construction?

Typically, new drawing set, then weeks to figure out impact. Now: AI helps us know new quantity, what impacts budget. With Takt planning and Lean scheduling, see within hours what scheduling impact is. Have capacity to do builder work.

Why shouldn’t people be afraid of AI?

It’s the people taking advantage of it that are going to win. Not the people afraid to use it. Learn how to use it, learn how to apply it. Tools like Stack give practical usable ways. Helps people get back to work they want to do.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

What is a Pre-Construction Notification?

Posted on by 20North

Read 14 min

Your Quick Guide to PCNs in Construction

Before breaking ground on any project that falls under nationwide permits, there’s a critical step that many project managers and construction leaders need to understand: the pre-construction notification (PCN).

At a Glance:

  • A pre-construction notification is a written submission to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required before certain construction activities can begin under a nationwide permit.
  • PCNs help the district engineer evaluate whether the proposed activity meets general conditions and will have minimal adverse effects on the environment and surrounding areas.
  • Not every nationwide permit requires a PCN, but when one does, the prospective permittee must submit it before starting any construction work.
  • A complete PCN includes details about the proposed work, the project site, potential impacts to wetlands or historic properties, and any required compensatory mitigation plans.
  • Submitting a thorough and accurate PCN can prevent costly delays, rework, and compliance issues down the line.

Pre-construction notifications serve as a bridge between planning and execution, giving regulatory agencies the information they need to evaluate a project’s potential impact. For construction leaders managing commercial or multi-family projects, understanding PCNs is a practical necessity that can save time, money, and headaches.

What Exactly is a Pre-Construction Notification?

A pre-construction notification is a formal document submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) district engineer before a prospective permittee begins work under a nationwide permit (NWP). Nationwide permits are general permits issued by the Corps that authorize specific categories of construction activities in waters of the United States, including wetlands, riparian areas, and other regulated areas.

The PCN gives the district engineer a chance to review the proposed activity and determine whether it satisfies the terms and conditions of the applicable nationwide permit. This includes evaluating whether the project will result in more than minimal adverse effects on the aquatic environment, adjacent property, or designated critical habitat.

In simple terms, the PCN is a heads-up to the Corps that says, “Here’s what we plan to do, here’s where we plan to do it, and here’s how we plan to minimize any negative impact.”

Infographic showing the definition of a pre-construction notification

When is a Pre-Construction Notification Required?

Not every project that falls under a nationwide permit triggers the need for a PCN. However, several situations make it mandatory. A pre-construction notification is typically required when:

  • The proposed work involves a discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.
  • The activity may affect listed species, threatened species, or designated critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act.
  • The project could impact a historic property listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
  • The work takes place on tribal lands.
  • Regional conditions imposed by the local district engineer require notification for specific activities.
  • The project involves certain types of construction like partial demolitions, additions to residential structures or multi-family structures, or work near a storage facility in sensitive environmental areas.

It’s also worth noting that some nationwide permits have specific conditions outlined in Appendix D that require additional information or a PCN regardless of the scope of work. Always check the applicable permit and any regional conditions before assuming notification isn’t needed.

What Should a Pre-Construction Notification Include?

A complete PCN requires appropriate documentation and detailed information about the proposed activity. While requirements can vary slightly depending on the applicable nationwide permit and the district engineer’s office, a standard submission generally includes:

  • Project description: A clear explanation of the proposed work, including the purpose, scope, and methods of construction.
  • Site location: Maps, coordinates, and descriptions of the project area, including any proximity to wetlands, riparian areas, or critical habitat.
  • Impact assessment: An evaluation of potential effects on the aquatic environment, including any expected wetland losses and how the project will maintain minimal adverse effects.
  • Mitigation plans: If applicable, compensatory mitigation plans that outline how the prospective permittee will offset unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources.
  • Species and habitat considerations: Information about any listed species or threatened species that may be present in or near the project area.
  • Historic property review: Documentation showing whether the project could affect historic properties, and any coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer.
  • Adjacent property details: Information about neighboring properties and any potential effects the construction work may have on them.

For non-federal permittees and non-federal applicants, providing thorough and accurate documentation upfront is one of the best ways to avoid requests for additional information, which can slow down the review process and push back your project timeline.

Infographic showing the 7 main components of a pre-construction notification.

How Does a PCN Move Through the Review Process?

Once the district engineer receives a complete pre-construction notification, a review period begins. During this time, the Corps evaluates the submission against the general conditions and specific conditions of the applicable nationwide permit. Here’s a general overview of how the process works:

1. Submission and Completeness Check

The district engineer’s office reviews the PCN to confirm all required information has been provided. If the submission is incomplete, the office will request additional information before the review can proceed.

2. Evaluation of Impacts

The Corps assesses whether the proposed activity will result in more than minimal adverse effects on the aquatic environment, adjacent properties, endangered species, or historic properties. This may involve coordination with other agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the State Historic Preservation Officer.

3. Decision

After review, the district engineer will either verify that the activity qualifies under the nationwide permit, require modifications to the project, request compensatory mitigation, or determine that an individual permit (IP application) is needed due to more than minimal adverse effects or a substantial change in the project scope.

4. Authorization

If the project is verified under the NWP, the prospective permittee receives authorization to proceed with construction work. This authorization may come with specific conditions that must be followed throughout the project.

The typical review period is 45 days from receipt of a complete PCN, though more complex projects or those involving listed species, tribal lands, or historic properties may take longer.

Why Pre-Construction Notifications Matter for Your Project

PCNs might seem like just another layer of paperwork, but they play a real role in keeping projects on track and in compliance with federal regulations. Here’s why they matter:

Avoiding Project Delays

Submitting a thorough PCN from the start reduces the likelihood of back-and-forth requests for additional information. This keeps your project moving forward on schedule.

Maintaining Compliance

Nationwide permits come with general conditions and regional conditions that must be met. A proper PCN demonstrates that the prospective permittee has done their due diligence in meeting preconstruction review requirements.

Protecting the Environment

PCNs exist to verify that construction activities won’t cause unacceptable harm to wetlands, riparian areas, endangered species, or other sensitive resources. Compensatory mitigation plans, when required, help offset unavoidable impacts.

Reducing Risk

Projects that skip or rush the notification process risk stop-work orders, fines, and the need to apply for an entirely different permit. For CEOs, project managers, and supervisors, the cost of non-compliance far outweighs the time spent on a well-prepared PCN.

Tips for Submitting a Strong Pre-Construction Notification

For construction teams looking to put their best foot forward, consider the following when preparing a PCN:

  • Start the process early, well before your planned construction start date, to allow time for the 45-day review window.
  • Work with a chartered engineer or environmental consultant to prepare accurate impact assessments and mitigation plans.
  • Double-check that your submission aligns with the specific nationwide permit you’re applying under, including any regional conditions.
  • Include all supporting materials such as site plans, environmental surveys, and historic property evaluations in your initial submission to avoid delays.
  • Keep organized records of all correspondence with the district engineer’s office for future reference.

Builder workers partners looking at new construction plan and discussing it

Let Elevate Construction Help You Build with Confidence

Navigating pre-construction notifications, compliance requirements, and permit applications doesn’t have to slow your team down. At Elevate Construction, we specialize in pre-construction services and the organizational systems that help construction teams thrive. From planning and preconstruction review requirements to project execution and recovery, our training and consulting services are built for superintendents, project managers, and field leaders who want to work smarter and deliver results. If you’re ready to take the complexity out of your next project and set your team up for success, reach out to Elevate Construction today.

Working Control For Field Engineers (How To Set Layout Points In Construction)

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 23 min

Working Control for Field Engineers (How to Set Layout Points in Construction)

In this blog, I’m going to talk to you about the difference between working control and secondary and primary control and some of the things that you really need to look out for when you are designing it.

The Three Types of Control Networks

We know that primary control is a control network that is precise and accurate that surrounds the project site, that is permanent. And that secondary control is building specific and it’s semi-permanent. And that working control is where once you have grid lines and you need to lay out a wall line, you can lay out that wall line and that’s called working control.

What Is Working Control? (Component-Specific and Temporary)

So let me just go ahead and zoom in a little bit. Like, let’s say that this is your slab on grade. I’m just using general terms here and general examples. Let’s say that my grid lines are right there and I have this wall that I want to build and the carpenters asked for a 3-foot offset line and they want to make sure that there’s an elevation temporary benchmark over here. That right there is working control.

Now, grid lines are technically still secondary, but let me give you some guidelines here.

The Wrong Way to Establish Offsets (Don’t Do This)

When you are taking a foundation plan and a slab-on-grade plan, and you’re going to transfer your baseline, which can technically be on grid line perfectly or at an offset, I’m going to do offsets.

Let me just do this the wrong way and then I’ll show you the right way. Let’s say that somebody was like, “Okay, I’ll do an offset in this direction, and then I’ll do an offset in this direction, and then I’ll do an offset in this direction, and then an offset in this direction, and then offset in this direction.” We’re going to confuse somebody, and we’re going to get something way wrong.

The Right Way: Consistent Offset Direction and Dimensions

You want to keep your offsets the same across the board. So, if the offset was on this side, it needs to be on this side, this side, and then when you hit the end, you can bring it on the inside if you want. And you can have one of these at the other side offset on the inside if you want, but for the most part, these are on the same side of the grid line at a consistent offset.

We wouldn’t do like a 3-foot offset, 4-foot offset, 5-foot offset back to three. We want them for the most part on the same side of the grid line. And if they’re a 3-foot offset, we’re going to do three, three, three, three, three, and three. So that’s crucial.

Critical Mistake: Not Considering Building Components

But another thing is don’t just come in here and design your offsets or your grid lines on your slab on grade willy-nilly because let’s say that you have throughout the building a massive mechanical duct run that is running in this direction and you have some massive building components in your way and you have designed your grid lines to where when you bring them up the building you can’t plumb up through sleeves in the actual concrete decks and now you can’t really bring your horizontal control up vertically properly throughout the building.

The Three Key Rules When Setting Layout Points

Let me just draw the actual rules here. Number one, you will want to have consistency. Consistency in the direction of the offsets. You will want to have consistent offset dimensions. And number three, you will want to consider building components.

And when I say building components, what I mean is mechanical electrical plumbing that could be in your way, finished floors, like maybe you have exposed concrete floors, permanent structures. Is there going to be like gang boxes staged in your way? You want to design your grid system to where it’s as out of the way as possible and consistent.

Now, I’ll talk about this in the next video, so don’t get me talking too much. But if you have a high-rise, you want that secondary control grid on the ground floor to be where you at least have two points and you can plumb up through sleeves on each floor and that is the best way. Just want you to know there’s some debate about that. You can plumb up from the ground floor all the way up and control the plumb of that building. So these have to be done properly.

First Step: Ask the Craft What Offset They Want

Now let’s talk about working control specifically. Let’s say you have your grid lines and you want to go build a wall over here. The first thing that you’ll want to do is talk to the carpenters or the folks doing the work and you ask them what offset they want. Hopefully, it’s the same as the other so we don’t make mistakes. And they’ll say, “Okay, I want a 3-foot offset on this side.” Or maybe because they’re going to use tattletails, meaning they’re going to plumb from the top of the formwork, maybe they want a 6 inch or a 1 foot or, you know, whatever it is. Ask them what offset that they want.

How to Measure Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

When you do that, there’s a couple things that you can do here. Number one, if you’re setting this line and it’s at the right offset, you can measure from this line by holding here at this point and pulling a radius and holding at this point and pulling a radius. And then what you’ll do is you’ll snap past the farthest points to get a perfectly parallel line there. These are just a couple of the rules.

The other thing is sometimes we have to mark a perpendicular line and you can use the 3-4-5. Can you believe I was taught 6-8-10? I don’t know why that happened, but the base is 3-4-5. So, you can actually come down here and measure a multiple of 3-4-5 and measure three, make a mark. Measure four out here and do an arc. And then measure five and do an intersecting arc. And that means you can create a perpendicular line.

So, you’re going to use these two taping techniques to go from your grid lines over to your working control.

Two Benchmarks Per Building (Always)

But the bottom line is if I’m going to build this wall, I will want offsets that I can give to the craft and they might want a temporary benchmark over here. And I’m sorry, but if you are going to do a temporary benchmark and let’s say that on both sides of this building, you have two benchmarks. By the way, if this is a building, you want two benchmarks around that building.

Some people will say one because if it’s wrong, at least it’s all consistent. I don’t want it to be wrong. I want to be able to check into two benchmarks. There’s always two benchmarks per building.

So, if I’m going to set a temporary benchmark over here, I will set up my automatic level, backsight, foresight. Then I will backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight, close, and be able to get the new value for the elevation here. Anyway, so you are going to follow that commandment of every benchmark that you set, having gone through two other benchmarks, using three wire leveling, estimating to the nearest thousandth, and like I already said, closing back and adjusting the points if necessary.

Working Control Is Communication with the Craft

If you have working control for this wall, you’ll have your offset lines and you will have your benchmark working control and it’s temporary. So one of the things I like to do is if I’m doing these lines, I might spray down clear coat on the slab before I snap the line. Let it dry, then snap the line, then clear it again, so that one of these days when we’re polishing that floor, those marks will just come up and I won’t stain it if it’s exposed concrete.

But the bottom line is these should be temporary marks specific to the component. So, it could be for embeds, it could be for wall height, it could be a 4-foot offset line in the form, but working control needs to be a communication between you and the craft. Your grid lines need to enable it and how you’re going to take the rest of the building up through the structure.

Here’s the working control process:

  • Consistent offset direction: Keep offsets on same side of grid line across the board. If offset on this side, needs to be on this side, this side. When hit the end, can bring on inside if want. Don’t do offset this direction, then that direction, then this direction. You’ll confuse somebody and get something way wrong.
  • Consistent offset dimensions: If 3-foot offset, do three, three, three, three, three, three. Don’t do 3-foot offset, 4-foot, 5-foot, back to three. Keep dimensions consistent.
  • Consider building components: Don’t design offsets or grid lines willy-nilly. Consider: massive mechanical duct runs, massive building components in way, whether can plumb up through sleeves in concrete decks, MEP in way, finished floors (exposed concrete), permanent structures, gang boxes staged in way. Design grid system as out of way as possible and consistent.
  • Ask craft what offset they want: Talk to carpenters or folks doing work. Ask what offset they want. Hopefully same as other so don’t make mistakes. They’ll say “3-foot offset this side” or “6 inch or 1 foot for tattletails” (plumb from top of formwork). Communication between you and craft.
  • Two benchmarks per building (always): Some people say one because if wrong at least all consistent. I don’t want it to be wrong. I want to be able to check into two benchmarks. Always two benchmarks per building. Set temporary benchmark: backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight, close. Go through two other benchmarks, three wire leveling, estimate to nearest thousandth, close and adjust points.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Field Engineers

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Design your working control properly. Keep offsets on same side of grid line with consistent dimensions (three, three, three, three). Consider building components: MEP duct runs, can you plumb up through sleeves, gang boxes staged in way. Design grid system as out of way as possible.

Ask the craft what offset they want. Communicate. Set two benchmarks per building (always). Go through two other benchmarks, three wire leveling, estimate to nearest thousandth, close and adjust points.

Use two taping technique from grid lines to working control. Hold at this point and pull radius, hold at this point and pull radius, snap past farthest points for perfectly parallel line. Use 3-4-5 for perpendicular lines (measure three, make mark, measure four and arc, measure five and intersecting arc).

Working control is temporary marks specific to component: embeds, wall height, 4-foot offset line in form. Communication between you and craft. Your grid lines need to enable it and how you’re going to take rest of building up through structure.

As we say at Elevate, working control for field engineers: consistent offset direction and dimensions, consider building components, two benchmarks per building, communicate with craft.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between primary, secondary, and working control?

Primary control is precise, accurate, surrounds project site, permanent. Secondary control is building specific, semi-permanent (grid lines). Working control is component specific, temporary (wall offset lines, temporary benchmarks for specific wall or component).

Why keep offsets on same side of grid line?

Because if you do offset this direction, then that direction, then this direction, you’ll confuse somebody and get something way wrong. Keep offsets on same side across board with consistent dimensions (three, three, three).

Why consider building components when designing grid system?

Because if you have massive mechanical duct run and design grid lines without considering it, when you bring them up the building you can’t plumb up through sleeves in concrete decks. Can’t bring horizontal control up vertically properly throughout building.

Why two benchmarks per building instead of one?

Some people say one because if wrong at least all consistent. I don’t want it to be wrong. I want to be able to check into two benchmarks. Always two benchmarks per building.

How do you set a temporary benchmark?

Set up automatic level, backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight, close. Go through two other benchmarks. Use three wire leveling. Estimate to nearest thousandth. Close and adjust points if necessary. Follow benchmark commandments.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

Secondary Control For Field Engineers (How To Expand Construction Survey Control)

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 23 min

Secondary Control for Field Engineers (How to Expand Construction Survey Control)

In this blog, I’m going to talk to you about secondary control and the proper ways of bringing it in from primary so that we have it right on the project site. I love this because if we get this wrong, your grid lines will be wrong, you’ll be chasing a quarter inch, three-quarters of an inch, three-eighths around the building. It will be a nightmare. So let me talk to you about this right now.

The Foundation: Primary Control Network

We’ve already talked about how every building will have probably a basis of bearings and then what you can do is create primary control points around the building that are permanent, surround the job site, and are the basis for all other survey shots on the project. Now, let’s say that this is your slab on grade and foundations. I’m just drawing it that way to make it easy. And of course, everybody knows you have grid lines, typically in the United States, at 30-foot intervals. It can be lots of different things, but it should match from drawing set to drawing set. And you want to lay out this building. Thankfully, you have a primary control network where you have a northing, an easting, and an elevation. So that’s awesome.

The Worst Option: Corner Offsets (Don’t Use This)

Let me tell you the different types of secondary control. And I’ll tell you my most favorite. Sometimes you’ll have offsets for a secondary control network. And this is probably the most used, meaning a surveyor will come out and do offsets from the corners. I hate this. This is the most worthless thing ever. And it’s because you can’t check if a point is wrong. It’s very much not helpful to maintain control. It will help you set up batters with your sticks and strings, but it’s not very useful in the long run. You’ll have to trust me on that.

Why You Need Four Points Per Line (Not Three)

The other thing is I have seen secondary control networks end up basically being offsets on a grid pattern all the way around. I like this just fine. I think this is fantastic. And I’ll tell you why. It has corner hinge points so you can check the perpendicular of the lines and you have more than four points to a line. Let me explain why that’s so important right now.

This is all from Wesley Crawford, by the way. If you have three points and they’re not in a perfect line and they’re not matching for distance, which one is wrong? Well, this could be the line. That could be the line. That could be the line. You don’t really know. But if you have four points and it’s like this is what’s going on and you notice that this one is off. Well, these are all on their increment and they’re all in line. Those are the right ones and that one is wrong.

So, in a four-point line, you can always find out if a point is wrong because you can compare them within themselves. And so, a baseline must have four points to it. So that’s what, again, why I don’t like this. You can check 90, you can check the line, you can check every point. Here you can’t check anything. You can’t hit those points and they better be right from the start. So, I really don’t like that one.

Different Ways to Set Up Baselines (Ranked from Worst to Best)

The other thing you can do, which I really love, is you can do a single baseline and then turn 90s. It’s not as good as if you have the situation where you have two outside intersecting baselines. That’s a little bit better. My favorite, believe it or not, is inside intersecting baselines.

And here’s what I mean by that. A lot of times most of the activity and damage is going to be outside of the building footprint. And so if you sleeve the slab on grade for key monuments or all of them, I don’t care, and you are controlling the building from within where there’s a lot less traffic, logistics, generators, pump trucks, cranes, blah blah blah, rebar. I freaking hate rebar everywhere. Or at least me when I was a field engineer. I could keep this baseline protected and center all of my accurate control at the cores where it mattered most. I love intersecting inside baselines.

So, you can design your secondary control however you want. I would say this is definitely a no for me. I hate that the industry does this. And I would say this is probably the least effective. And then I’ll write a happy face on these because these are the jam. These are absolutely fantastic.

This just proves that most of what we do in construction, just because we’ve always done it doesn’t mean that it’s right. Most of what we do is wrong in construction. That’s absolutely horrible thought process there.

How to Bring in Secondary Control from Primary (Three Sides of the Traverse)

So if we create a baseline and we’re like, “Hey, we want to design this.” So, let’s say we design that in AutoCAD and we want to bring it in from primary control. This is how we’ll do it. I have a beautiful traverse that’s very precise. I will set up on one point. Let’s say I set up here and I’m going to backsight longer than my foresight. That’s a rule. And so, I’ll set up and I’ll backsight and I’ll lay out this point and this point.

I’ll usually want to do it from three sides of a traverse. So, I did it here. I’ll probably want to do it here and I’ll probably want to do it here. I’ll show you why in a minute.

Then I will go ahead and set up, backsight farther than my foresight, and I’ll lay out and I will lay out. And then I’ll set up here, backsight longer than my foresight, and I will lay out and I will lay out.

The Three Dots: Instrumental Error and the Real Point

Now when you look at this monument, if you do this right, we’ll end up with three beautiful little dots. Now why are they not the same point? It’s because of instrumental error. You can say human, but it’s mostly instrumental. In a total station, unless you buy those really fancy $50,000 ones, you’re going to have about 3/16 of error, roughly around 0.015 of error inside the EDM, the laser inside the total station.

And so, what you’re seeing is that the real point is the average of those three. And so when I mark my point, I’ll mark the middle. See how beautiful that is?

How to Check Distances Between Baseline Points

Now, here’s the key point. When I’m setting up my secondary, I don’t want to lay these out from my primary. I’ll just go from here to here. And then I’ll verify a couple things that my distance between the points is accurate.

What I’ll do is I’ll mark a line forward, mark a line back, and I will then shoot a distance forward on these and then set up over here and shoot a distance on these back.

Let’s say I have a point here and a point here. I will set up backsight and I will pound a hub and mark a line, mark a line, mark a line, and then I will shoot a distance and shoot a distance and shoot a distance. Then I’ll set up here and backsight here, confirm the line, and then shoot a distance and shoot a distance and shoot a distance.

If I zoom into this, it will look exactly like this. It’ll show here’s my hub and here’s my line and I’ll see a line and a line. Why did that happen? That’s the instrumental error. Again, the point is right in the middle.

And so, what I can do is mark the middle of these points and then I’ll check it with a tape measure and you’ll be hitting flat. You’re not going to be chasing three-quarters of an inch or a half of an inch or a quarter of an inch or three-eighths or an eighth. You’re not going to be chasing that around your grid system. You’re going to have a perfect solid baseline here.

And if you wanted to do these other patterns, you would simply do the same thing on those other patterns. And then also like for this one, you could check the diagonal. But the bottom line is that’s how you’re going to bring it in from your primary control.

What Secondary Control Enables

Your secondary control should allow you to set up and backsight along the baseline and have the radius be longer than any foresight, and you should just be able to turn 90s into that building. And that is secondary control. It’s building-specific and it’s semi-permanent.

Here’s the secondary control ranking from worst to best:

  • Corner offsets (worst, don’t use): Surveyor comes out and does offsets from corners. Most worthless thing ever. Can’t check if a point is wrong. Not helpful to maintain control. Will help set up batters with sticks and strings, but not useful in long run.
  • Single baseline with 90s turned (least effective): Not as good as other options. Limited checking capability.
  • Grid pattern offsets all around (good): Has corner hinge points so you can check perpendicular of lines. Has more than four points to a line. Can check 90, can check line, can check every point.
  • Two outside intersecting baselines (better): Good option for checking and control.
  • Inside intersecting baselines (best, my favorite): Most activity and damage outside building footprint. Sleeve slab on grade for key monuments. Control building from within where there’s less traffic, logistics, generators, pump trucks, cranes, rebar. Keep baseline protected. Center accurate control at cores where it matters most. This is the jam.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Field Engineers

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Design your secondary control as inside intersecting baselines. Sleeve the slab on grade for key monuments. Bring it in from primary control by shooting from three sides of the traverse. Set up, backsight longer than foresight, lay out points. Do it from three sides. You’ll get three beautiful little dots. Mark the middle. That’s the real point because of instrumental error (3/16 in total station EDM).

Then verify distances between baseline points. Mark line forward, mark line back, shoot distances. Set up on other end, confirm line, shoot distances back. You’ll see two lines. Mark the middle. Check with tape measure. You’ll be hitting flat. You won’t be chasing three-quarters of an inch or half of an inch around your grid system. You’ll have a perfect solid baseline.

This just proves that most of what we do in construction, just because we’ve always done it doesn’t mean that it’s right. Most of what we do is wrong in construction. As we say at Elevate, secondary control for field engineers: inside intersecting baselines best, four points per line, shoot from three sides of traverse, mark middle of three dots.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are corner offsets the worst option for secondary control?

Because you can’t check if a point is wrong. Not helpful to maintain control. Will help set up batters with sticks and strings, but not useful in long run. You can’t hit those points and they better be right from start.

Why do you need four points per line instead of three?

If you have three points and they’re not in perfect line, which one is wrong? You don’t know. But if you have four points and one is off, the other three are all on increment and in line. Those are right, that one is wrong. Four-point line lets you find if a point is wrong by comparing within themselves.

Why are inside intersecting baselines the best option?

Most activity and damage outside building footprint. If you sleeve slab on grade for key monuments, you control building from within where there’s less traffic, logistics, generators, pump trucks, cranes, rebar. Keep baseline protected. Center accurate control at cores where it matters most.

Why shoot from three sides of the traverse?

Because you’ll get three beautiful little dots at each monument because of instrumental error (3/16 in total station EDM). Real point is average of those three. Mark the middle. That’s how you get perfect solid baseline without chasing three-quarters inch around grid system.

What is secondary control?

Building-specific and semi-permanent control. Allows you to set up and backsight along baseline with radius longer than any foresight, then turn 90s into building. Brought in from primary control points.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

The Biggest Leadership Mistake Ignoring

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 14 min

A Problem Is Actually a Problem (When Positivity Masks Urgency)

I heard this concept in Japan: a problem is actually a problem. Let me set this up here just for a little bit though.

The Positive Framing: Problems Are Just Opportunities

I remember back at Hensel Phelps and this person didn’t do anything wrong, but he said, “Oh, problems are just opportunities.” And he would always say, “Hey, we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity.” And I thought that was really neat because it was positive and it really got us to thinking about, “Hey, we can lean in here and make things better.” And so I adopted it for a long time.

The Japan Perspective: No, a Problem Is Actually a Problem

And then I heard in Japan that no, a problem is actually a problem. And I changed my mind a little bit and I’m actually fine with both. But what we have to do is make sure a person understands it and the folks that we’re mentoring understand the concept.

The person that said a long time ago, “A problem is an opportunity” is saying that a problem isn’t necessarily something that’s bad and we can dig in and fix it together and make it better. That’s a really great message. And it’s really great because it also says, “Don’t be afraid of problems.”

But then the other message, which I’m fine to embrace as well, and then everybody learn wherever you want, obviously, is that, “Hey, a problem is actually a problem, though.” And it is also urgent. And we should have some urgency with how we deal with it. And we should also understand the risk.

The Danger: Victim Mentality Masks the Real Impact

There are instances where folks will just get into a victim, “This is the best we can do” mentality in construction, and then they fail to actually understand the need that we have to solve it and be aggressive with it. So we also need to understand that no, a problem is an actual problem. It does impact people. It especially impacts the trade partners. And if we don’t understand that we are going to be in big, big trouble. And we must tackle this with urgency.

And yes, problems are not a problem if we identify, discuss and solve them before it impacts work. However, a problem is actually a problem. And we must be very, very aggressive with it.

The Stakes: Trade Partner Finances and People’s Lives

And also, especially if you’re a general contractor, understand that the finances of the trade partner, and their success and the lives and well-being of our people depend on us solving these problems. And that the best project teams ever are fanatical about identifying, discussing and solving roadblocks, and are fanatical about the concept that Taiichi Ono talked about where problems are not a problem. Thinking that we don’t have problems is the only problem.

The Key Distinction: Before or After It Impacts Work

So I do accept that problems are an opportunity. I also know that problems are actually a problem. And here’s actually where it will get remarkable where you’re like, “Jason, you’re talking semantics.”

A problem is only an opportunity if you identify, discuss and solve it before it impacts work. A problem is a massive problem if you are not identifying, discussing and solving it before it impacts work. That is the difference.

And so problems are not a problem if we have a culture of bringing them to the surface and solving them aggressively. Problems are a massive problem if we fear problems, think we don’t have problems and don’t go looking for problems and are trying to hide problems, because they will affect us and hurt the people we are here to protect.

Here’s the key distinction on problems:

  • Problem is only an opportunity if you identify, discuss, solve it BEFORE it impacts work: “Problems are opportunities” message is positive and says don’t be afraid of problems, we can lean in and make things better. This works only if you have culture of bringing problems to surface and solving them aggressively before work gets impacted.
  • Problem is a massive problem if you don’t identify, discuss, solve it BEFORE it impacts work: Some folks get into victim “this is the best we can do” mentality and fail to understand the need to solve it aggressively. A problem is actually a problem. It does impact people, especially trade partners. We must tackle this with urgency.
  • Best project teams are fanatical about roadblocks: Finances of trade partner, their success, lives and well-being of our people depend on us solving these problems. Best project teams ever are fanatical about identifying, discussing and solving roadblocks. Taiichi Ono: thinking we don’t have problems is the only problem.
  • Problems hurt people when we hide them: Problems are not a problem if we have culture of bringing them to surface and solving them aggressively. Problems are massive problem if we fear problems, think we don’t have problems, don’t go looking for problems, try to hide problems. They will affect us and hurt the people we are here to protect.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Construction Leaders

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Stop saying “We have an opportunity” when you mean “We have a problem that needs urgent attention.” Be fanatical about identifying, discussing and solving roadblocks before they impact work. That’s when a problem is an opportunity. After it impacts work, it’s a massive problem.

Understand that the finances of the trade partner, their success, and the lives and well-being of our people depend on us solving these problems. Don’t get into victim “this is the best we can do” mentality. Tackle problems with urgency. Bring them to the surface. Solve them aggressively. Don’t fear problems. Don’t think we don’t have problems. Don’t hide problems.

As Taiichi Ono said: thinking we don’t have problems is the only problem. So go looking for problems. Identify them. Discuss them. Solve them before they impact work. That’s when problems become opportunities. That’s when problems are not a problem. As we say at Elevate, a problem is only an opportunity if you identify, discuss, solve it before it impacts work. Otherwise, it’s a massive problem. Be fanatical about roadblocks.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between “problems are opportunities” and “a problem is actually a problem”?

A problem is only an opportunity if you identify, discuss, and solve it before it impacts work. A problem is a massive problem if you are not identifying, discussing, and solving it before it impacts work. That is the difference.

Why is the “problems are opportunities” mindset dangerous?

Because some folks get into victim “this is the best we can do” mentality and fail to understand the need to solve it aggressively. A problem is actually a problem. It impacts people, especially trade partners. We must tackle with urgency.

What did Taiichi Ono say about problems?

Taiichi Ono talked about where problems are not a problem. Thinking that we don’t have problems is the only problem. Best project teams are fanatical about identifying, discussing and solving roadblocks.

Why must general contractors understand that problems are actually problems?

Because the finances of the trade partner, their success, and the lives and well-being of our people depend on us solving these problems. If we don’t understand this, we’re in big trouble.

When are problems not a problem?

Problems are not a problem if we have a culture of bringing them to the surface and solving them aggressively before they impact work. Problems are massive problem if we fear, hide, or ignore them.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

10 Leadership Mistakes That Disrespect Your Team

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 20 min

The 10 Ways You’re Likely Disrespecting Someone Today

I saw a really neat LinkedIn post that said, “Here are the 10 ways you’re likely disrespecting someone today.” And it hit me that I do a lot of these things. And it gave me so much growth that I was like, I really want to share this. So, I’m going to share these with you one by one, perhaps with some thoughts from me.

But obviously, I’m somebody who has to grow so much and can learn so much from these. So, I’m going to basically say that I need these more than anybody. Here we go.

Number One: You’ll Hand Someone Work Without the Details They Need to Do It Right

This is Jason Schroeder sin number one through 45. For everything that I’ve ever done in my life, I live with this. Maybe I spent my childhood as an only child. I have a half-brother and half-sister. They’re 12 and 13 years older than me, approximately, that I really never lived with. And so I grew up as an only child. Even when they were in the house, I was in a separate area because of the dynamics of my mother’s divorce and things like that.

So, I mean, I saw them, but we weren’t close. And really, I grew up as an only child. Anyway, probably like most other people, so I’m not saying I’m unique. But I lived out in Apple Valley, California. And my parents built a beautiful big house way out in the desert. And there were a couple of people around, like my grandma and like a distant aunt and uncle. But nearest neighbor is maybe a quarter of a mile away. And not very many people at that. The bus had to go way out to get us.

Anyway, so I spent a lot of time by myself and being in my head. And so, it’s hard for me sometimes to know whether or not I’m clearly communicating or just thinking about something inside my head. And so oftentimes, I’ll find myself sometimes where, when I’m on a long trip with one of my children and I’m like, “Holy hell, have I just been thinking and talking to myself for 10 minutes and ignoring my child?” Like maybe everybody does that.

But I guess what I’m saying is like, I will just expect irrationally that somebody knows what I want. And it’s really quite irresponsible. So this is like a huge wake up call for me. I’m doing more voice notes, more impact filters, meaning clear instructions where AI is helping me. Just videos like, “Hey, I’ll just record a quick video.” I’m really, really working on this. And I thought you’d like it too.

Number Two: You’ll Interrupt Someone Who Is Finally Getting Real Work Done

Oh my gosh, I have a pet project. I want to go ahead and get this done when they’re actually in a focus.

Number Three: You’ll Make Someone Wait Because You Didn’t Reply, Decide, or Prepare

This one I’m not too bad at because I hate disrespecting people’s time. But you know, if it’s email didn’t reply, like in every situation, can you get back to them right away? And if I’m not going to use email, have I just sent them back a message in some way?

Number Four: You’ll Give Someone a Deadline You Didn’t Think Through

That one’s a big one because it could overburden somebody. Oh, the other thing is not giving a deadline at all is automatically an ASAP deadline. Like I’ve with the personal administrators gotten to a point where I’m like, “Hey, this is not important. Like next six months is fine.”

And then I realized one time, our personal administrators were really, really stressed. And I was like, “Well, why are you stressed?” And they were like, “We’re getting everything done that you tell me every day.” And I’m sending them stuff all day. And I’m like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Some of that’s not even important.” But how are they supposed to know?

So now I’m like, “Nope, that’s not important. We can get that done in the next year. Or hey, that one we can get done in the next three months. Hey, this one is actually urgent.” So, I love that.

Number Five: You’ll Dump Your Disorganization on Someone Else to Clean Up

I’ve gotten a lot better about this. But I’ll give you an example. Having a disorganized trailer or boot camp organization, then dumps it on the people helping me to set up a boot camp. Now, like this last boot camp over the Christmas break, I took some time, I think it took a day. It took a little bit longer than that. But it took a day to unpack the trailer, get it all Leaned out, label everything, create standard work.

And it was like setup and takedown was remarkable. I was respecting their time. So, I like this. I learned a lot with this one recently.

Number Six: You’ll Ignore a Problem and Force Someone Else to Deal with It Later

One of the ways where this shows up with me is where I have an unpopular opinion and could lead and everybody’s arguing and I’m staying out of it to be liked. And really the lack of clarity is just me disrespecting people. I don’t know if you do that sometimes too.

Number Seven: You’ll Leave a Workplace Messy and Expect the Next Person to Clean It

I don’t do this anymore after my Lean journey, but definitely one to consider.

Number Eight: You’ll Change the Plan Without Telling the People Affected

Definitely something to watch out for.

Number Nine: You’ll Assume Someone Should Know Instead of Explaining the Expectations

Oh my gosh, this is sin number 46 through 100. And I’m always talking about elevating people and training and then I don’t clearly explain it. I’ve changed that a lot. You know what’s so weird with me, with most of the books that we have that are published out there in the industry and the videos and things are things that we’re doing so I can better explain it to our own company. And so, the books are really guides, like internal manuals for our folks.

And a lot of the videos I created because it was an actual need from one of our folks. I’m getting better at that.

Number Ten: You’ll Reward Effort Instead of Correcting the Lack of Results

So, this one’s a tough one because somebody’s effort is key. And if they’re not providing or getting to the results and they have awesome effort, it’s really a system problem. So, I would actually change this to saying you don’t dig in to fix the process or the system so the person can actually achieve the results.

So not perfect, saw it on LinkedIn and I just loved it. And this was one of those, you know, not everything I see on social media helps me, but this one really, really helped me. I don’t know if it is going to help you, but I sure hope it does.

Here are the ten ways you’re likely disrespecting someone today:

  • Handing work without details: You expect people know what you want irrationally. It’s irresponsible. Fix: voice notes, impact filters with clear instructions, quick videos. AI helps. Record a quick video explaining exactly what you need.
  • Interrupting someone in focus: You have a pet project you want done when they’re actually getting real work done. Respect their focus time.
  • Making someone wait (didn’t reply, decide, or prepare): Email didn’t reply. Every situation: can you get back to them right away? If not using email, send them back a message some way.
  • Giving deadlines you didn’t think through: Could overburden somebody. Also: not giving a deadline at all is automatically an ASAP deadline. Fix: “Not important, next six months is fine” or “Next three months” or “Actually urgent.”
  • Dumping disorganization on someone else: Disorganized trailer dumps it on people helping setup. Fix: take a day, unpack, Lean out, label everything, create standard work. Setup and takedown become remarkable. Respect their time.
  • Ignoring a problem, forcing someone else to deal with it later: You have unpopular opinion, could lead, everybody’s arguing, you stay out of it to be liked. Lack of clarity is disrespecting people.
  • Leaving workplace messy, expecting next person to clean it: After Lean journey, don’t do this anymore. Definitely one to consider.
  • Changing the plan without telling people affected: Something to watch out for.
  • Assuming someone should know instead of explaining expectations: Always talking about elevating people and training, then don’t clearly explain it. Fix: books are internal manuals for our folks, videos created because actual need from one of our folks.
  • Rewarding effort instead of fixing the system: If they’re not getting results and they have awesome effort, it’s really a system problem. Fix: dig in to fix the process or the system so the person can actually achieve the results.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Construction Leaders

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Print this list. Read it every morning. Ask yourself: which of these ten am I doing today? Then fix it. Hand work without details? Record a quick video explaining exactly what you need. Interrupt someone in focus? Respect their focus time. Make someone wait? Get back to them right away. Give bad deadlines? Say “not important, next six months is fine” or “actually urgent.” Dump disorganization? Take a day, Lean out, label everything, create standard work. Ignore a problem? Lead with clarity. Leave workplace messy? Clean it. Change the plan? Tell people affected. Assume someone should know? Explain expectations clearly. Reward effort without results? Dig in to fix the system.

Not everything I see on social media helps me, but this one really, really helped me. I don’t know if it is going to help you, but I sure hope it does. As we say at Elevate, ten ways you disrespect people: hand work without details, interrupt focus, make them wait, give bad deadlines, dump disorganization, ignore problems.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the biggest way people disrespect others at work?

Handing someone work without the details they need to do it right. You expect people know what you want irrationally. It’s irresponsible. Fix: voice notes, impact filters, quick videos explaining exactly what you need.

Why is not giving a deadline disrespectful?

Because not giving a deadline at all is automatically an ASAP deadline. Personal administrators were really stressed: “We’re getting everything done that you tell me every day.” Fix: “Not important, next six months” or “Actually urgent.”

How does dumping disorganization disrespect people?

Disorganized trailer dumps it on people helping setup. Fix: take a day, unpack, Lean out, label everything, create standard work. Setup and takedown becomes remarkable. Respect their time.

What’s wrong with rewarding effort instead of correcting lack of results?

If they’re not getting results and they have awesome effort, it’s really a system problem. Don’t reward effort instead of fixing the system. Dig in to fix the process so the person can actually achieve the results.

How does ignoring a problem disrespect people?

You have unpopular opinion, could lead, everybody’s arguing, you stay out of it to be liked. Lack of clarity is disrespecting people. Lead with clarity instead of avoiding the problem.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

Advanced Teaching through AI Images

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 19 min

AI Image Generation for Construction (Seeing Concepts Changes Everything)

Here’s an exciting development for the way I communicate construction concepts: AI image generation. And I couldn’t be more excited about it. Let me tell you what it is first, then I’ll tell you why it matters.

The Discovery: Sergio’s Lean Images

There’s a content creator named Sergio on the Elevate Construction LinkedIn page who does really, really neat Lean images. And it’s based around manufacturing, but if somebody was like, “Oh my gosh, what is a heijunka board or heijunka box rather, or what is poka-yoke or what is whatever?” He has examples on there and it’s really, really neat.

And the reason that I think it’s so neat and the reason I’ve been posting them, meaning sharing them, is that it’s hard for people to understand and I’m sorry, me included understand these concepts without an image. And they’re so crisp and they’re so wonderful. And I have just, I just absolutely loved seeing them. And so I post them on the Elevate Construction LinkedIn channel quite often, and I just absolutely adore these images because you really, really get it.

The Breakthrough: Gemini and Canva

And then I kept asking people, I was like, “How do I make those images?” Nothing, nothing, lots of people trying to help doing a great job. But, and maybe it’s just the AI has reached a point now where it can be done. And I asked Sergio on LinkedIn, I said, “How do you do these?” And he said, “AI and Canva.”

Now, if you know Canva, Canva is great for a lot of things. It’s got a little ways to go with AI, but when in the program, you can erase things, you can modify things. And Canva is just one of those programs that changed everything for us. And it’s very, very visual.

And then I saw a post about AI that said, Gemini is really, really doing well with images. And the post talks about all the different AI platforms, but Gemini was one of those that was really phenomenal. And I didn’t think anything of it. And I shared it with our leadership team.

And then Kate immediately popped on and realized that we already have a subscription. So there you go. And she was like, “Jason, you better try this. This is pretty cool.” Anyway, I actually signed up for the Ultra, not just the Pro. We already had it on our Google account.

The Process: Hand Sketch Plus Text Description

And I would make, oh, I started doing a hand sketch of what I wanted to basically show on an image and then described it with text. And I was, to say I was blown away is an understatement, absolutely blown away. And I am like geeking out over this, like excited. Like I want to go do this, like personal hobby, like excited about this.

Because I started creating images that looked as good as Sergio’s and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this is amazing.”

Why This Matters: Concepts Lock In When You See Them

So I’ve had these key things that I want to show people that I can’t explain well enough or show people. Like a good example for me is the advanced queuing area, which is actually one of the first ones I did where the concept is that trucks come in, it’s pretty close to the trailer and you have a shop forklift on a flat level surface, either base or asphalt or concrete, unload the truck and kit it properly by zone right there with water spiders. And then the telehandlers take their kits to the zones and it makes sure, and we just throw away any trash right then and there.

And this concept, it’s like, people are like, “Yeah, great. Yeah. Okay. Okay, Jason.” But you see the image and it’s like, “Yes, I get it. Yes. We need to do that.” Like there’s something that locks it in.

And I shared it and somebody on LinkedIn actually said, “You should also consider a compactor and a baler and you won’t even have to take or have most of that be trashed.” And I was like, “Oh my gosh.” So then in Gemini, I’m like, “Hey, can you create a compactor and a baler for me as well? Put it in the image.” Boom. It’s right there.

And I then put it into Canva and I might want to crisp up some lines or put some call-outs on it. You know, the title bars, you know, whatever else. Oh, the other thing is if I want to erase something, Canva is amazing with erasing things on an image or selecting them, isolating them so you can pick them. And then it just looks so beautiful.

What AI Has Enabled: Accelerated Book Writing and Audible Access

Like, I know it sounds really silly, but my point is like AI, I know there’s a lot of haters out there and that’s fine. AI has accelerated our book writing. In the next few months, four more books will come out that are in my voice, that the core content is mine. It’s human made, but AI organized.

And that will then go on Audible with an AI narrated voice, which is amazing, which means now people have faster access, quicker access to things. And now all of these critical concepts that I’ve been wanting to describe, like the Masaguda and the Genkan, or the advanced queuing area, or area boards, or rerouting and queuing instructions for incoming trucks, or signage, or the second story observation office on a construction project. Like all these things that people are like, “What?” But now you can see them.

I even put in two images. One was how a context box can be organized. I’m going to do an image here pretty soon that talks about how we 5S and organize our work trucks.

Why I’m So Excited: Everybody Sees What the Leader Sees

And then somebody will see, oh, let me close this out. Well, here’s why I’m so excited about it. Joe, who is a former plumbing foreman, he’s since deceased, I found out. Very sad. Joe, a plumbing foreman that I worked with a long time ago, he said, “Jason, I get you now. You just want us to see things the way you see them,” which is kind of toxic. Meaning I hope I’m more collaborative than that.

But it really is on a job site about everybody seeing what the person sees who has the highest expectations or the leader. And being able to see these images and share them with the world. And once I’m done with like most of what I want to publish there, actually putting it in a colored book so that it’s like a quick reference guide for anybody that wants to learn construction. Like this is going to change the learning game.

And I’m just so proud of what AI has enabled us to do and how effective we’re able to be now with training. It’s absolutely remarkable.

Here’s what AI image generation enables:

  • Concepts lock in when people see them: Advanced queuing area example: people say “Yeah, okay Jason” until they see the image. Then: “Yes, I get it. Yes, we need to do that.” Something locks it in. Images make abstract concepts concrete and visible.
  • Critical construction concepts now visible: Masaguda, Genkan, advanced queuing area, area boards, rerouting and queuing instructions for incoming trucks, signage, second story observation office, context box organization, 5S work truck organization. All the things people are like “What?” Now they can see them.
  • AI accelerates book writing and training: Four more books coming out in next few months: human-made core content in Jason’s voice, AI organized. Then on Audible with AI narrated voice. Faster access, quicker access. Colored book quick reference guide for learning construction.
  • Everybody sees what the leader sees: Joe the plumbing foreman: “Jason, I get you now. You just want us to see things the way you see them.” On a job site, it’s about everybody seeing what the person sees who has the highest expectations or the leader. AI images enable this.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Construction Leaders

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Try AI image generation. Use Gemini for image creation. Use Canva to crisp up lines and add call-outs. Hand sketch what you want to show, describe it with text, generate the image. Then share it with your team.

Think about the concepts you’ve been trying to explain but can’t quite get people to see. Advanced queuing area. Area boards. 5S work truck organization. Context boxes. Masaguda. Genkan. Whatever it is. Create the image. Share it. Watch people lock in when they see it.

This is going to change the learning game. And I’m just so proud of what AI has enabled us to do and how effective we’re able to be now with training. As we say at Elevate, AI image generation transforms construction training. Advanced queuing area, Masaguda, Genkan, area boards visible now. People see it, they get it. Game changer.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What AI tools do you use for construction images?

Gemini for AI image generation (hand sketch plus text description), then Canva to crisp up lines, erase things, add call-outs and title bars. Gemini creates the image, Canva polishes it.

What construction concepts have you made visible with AI?

Advanced queuing area, Masaguda, Genkan, area boards, rerouting and queuing instructions for incoming trucks, signage, second story observation office, context box organization, 5S work truck organization. All the things people couldn’t visualize before.

Why do images lock in concepts better than words?

Because people are like “Yeah, okay Jason” until they see the image. Then: “Yes, I get it. Yes, we need to do that.” Something locks it in. Abstract concepts become concrete and visible.

How has AI accelerated your book writing?

Four more books coming out in next few months. Human-made core content in Jason’s voice, AI organized. Then on Audible with AI narrated voice. Faster access, quicker access to training content.

What did Joe the plumbing foreman say?

“Jason, I get you now. You just want us to see things the way you see them.” On a job site, it’s about everybody seeing what the person sees who has the highest expectations or the leader.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

Why Labor Counts Matter in Construction

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 19 min

Why the Heck Do I Care About Labor Counts? (Question Everything in Construction)

Here’s a question that came up recently: Why don’t I fill out labor counts on pull planning stickies?

I was doing a pull plan, and I started filling out the stickies, but I didn’t fill out what people would say is the manpower. I call it labor, the labor count for the crew composition. And that is typically taught in pull planning. And I’ve typically taught it as well. So, I got called out a little bit: “Jason, why don’t you put it in there?”

And I was thinking to myself, well, for a couple of reasons, but it’s really not pertinent. And let me tell you why. I’m probably going to confuse everybody and then hopefully bring it back around because I can actually tell you why it is pertinent, but why it’s not pertinent to me.

When Labor Counts Actually Matter (Single-Train Takt vs Multi-Train Takt)

Let me give you a couple of scenarios. In single-train Takt planning, where you force more of the Takt time and packaging inside the Takt time versus multi-train Takt planning, which is more resource-based and you don’t force one single Takt time. By the way, the second is my favorite.

In the first scenario where you force crews into a Takt time, one of the biggest things that you meaning levers that you can pull to adjust the actual cycle time to fit on average well within the Takt time is to address crew composition. So having that number, meaning the labor count, would be important for that.

The Civil Crew Example (When One Missing Person Cuts Productivity in Half)

I remember working with a civil contractor. And I’m not going to get this exactly right because I’m not a civil contractor. I’m a concrete builder that happens to do a lot of work with civil in a supervisory capacity, but I’ve never actually worked the shovel on a civil crew. So, I’ll give this to you in my layperson’s terms.

On a typical civil environment, let’s say a crew is installing force main. And these are not the exact names, but let’s say you have a foreman, lead person, equipment operator. Heck, you may even have two, but let’s say you at least have one equipment operator. You have two or three pipe layers and let’s say a general laborer.

And let’s say one person doesn’t show up. Your crew productivity for that, like let’s say you have a seven-person crew and one person doesn’t show up, your productivity could actually cut in half because of the way each of the process steps work in installing the pipe. Now that’s not a really great way for me to explain. I feel kind of silly, but what I learned was it’s not like, “Oh, you lose one person from a 10-person crew, it’s a 10% loss.” It could actually be detrimental to the entire crew or cut your productivity in half. So that would be another reason to track labor.

I could keep going on and on. Obviously labor counts are one factor in the overall cycle time that we’re attempting to fit well within the Takt time. So I do get that it’s important.

The Problem: GCs Track Labor Without Clearing Roadblocks (Myopic)

But I’ve got to ask myself why it’s important to me. And let me say that most general contractors will ask for labor. When in the Last Planner System, and I think this is wrong, a lot of people teach that, “Hey, I want to know what area you’re working in,” meaning in the morning foreman huddle. They want to know where you’re working, how many people you have. The GC typically wants to track that you have the right number of people.

There’s a couple of things wrong with this. First of all, we shouldn’t be having the foreman huddle be in the morning. It should be the afternoon before. Second of all, where they’re working and how many people, they have is fairly inconsequential to the rest of the trades. And I would say probably as well, the general contractor.

And the third consideration is that it’s really not a good idea to try. It’s basically myopic. It’s incorrect to say, “Hey, if we have all of the right people on the crew, you’re going to reach full productivity.” It has more to do with, are we clearing roadblocks?

The False Assumption: Right Crew Size Equals Full Productivity

Let me give you a for instance. Let’s say the crew is supposed to have five people and the foreman says, “Yeah, we have all five people.” And then you falsely think that they’re going to make production. It doesn’t so much have to do with how many people you have in all instances. It really has more to do with, is the work made ready?

And so, it’s not something that’s ever been, let me say this: I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever seen a general contractor track whether or not crews have enough or the right amount of people and had it make any difference whatsoever with anything on the project site.

Does the GC Need to Know Labor Counts? (Probably Not)

So, I keep asking myself, why do I need to know the labor counts? Well, the other reason I would say is that it’s really up to the trade partner. Like it is their business. And unless I’m trying to help them modify or optimize their cycle time, I don’t really need to know.

So, for all of these reasons, if I think to myself, “Hey, do I need to know the labor count specifically for the pull plan?” Well, not really, because I’m probably not going to force everybody into a single Takt time. Do I need to know it so that the other trades and the superintendent can monitor it? Well, no, not really. I don’t need to know it for that reason either. And you’re like, I can go through any of the other reasons. No, I don’t really need to know.

Does the trade need to know? Yes. Do I need to know? Probably not.

The Real Question: What Outcome Are We Getting?

So I’m not going to say definitively, not that I’m the expert on anything, but I’m not going to say definitively that you don’t need to know it as a general contractor or supervisor. You definitely probably need to know it if you’re a trade partner. But I will say this: the emphasis placed on it is misguided.

And we have to really ask ourselves if we’re tracking this, what real outcome are we getting? And I think it needs to be questioned really in construction. Everything needs to be questioned. We can’t be sticking to old traditions just because this is the way we’ve always done it.

Many of the things that we do make absolutely no sense. It may be like a composite cleanup crew where it’s actually the worst thing you can do. And it never should have been invented in the first place.

Here’s when labor counts matter and when they don’t:

  • Labor counts matter for trades optimizing cycle time: If you’re forcing crews into single-train Takt time, crew composition is a lever to adjust cycle time to fit within Takt time. Civil example: 7-person crew loses one person, productivity cuts in half because of process steps. Trades definitely need to know labor counts.
  • Labor counts don’t matter for GC tracking without roadblock removal: Most GCs ask where you’re working and how many people you have in morning foreman huddle (should be afternoon before). This is myopic. Having right number of people doesn’t equal full productivity. What matters is: is the work made ready? Are we clearing roadblocks?
  • GCs tracking labor has never made a difference: I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever seen a general contractor track whether crews have enough people and had it make any difference whatsoever with anything on the project site. It’s fairly inconsequential to rest of trades and GC.
  • Emphasis on labor counts is misguided: Unless GC is helping trade modify or optimize cycle time, GC probably doesn’t need to know. It’s really up to the trade partner. It is their business. Does trade need to know? Yes. Does GC need to know? Probably not.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Construction Leaders

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Question everything. Ask yourself: if we’re tracking labor counts, what real outcome are we getting? Are we clearing roadblocks? Are we making work ready? Or are we falsely thinking that if crews have the right number of people, they’re going to make production? We can’t be sticking to old traditions just because this is the way we’ve always done it. Many of the things that we do make absolutely no sense. It may be like a composite cleanup crew where it’s actually the worst thing you can do. And it never should have been invented in the first place.

Focus on what matters: Is the work made ready? Are roadblocks cleared? Is the zone ready? Is the sequence protected? Is the next trade enabled? Those are the questions that drive production. Not “How many people do you have?” As we say at Elevate, labor counts matter for trades optimizing cycle time, not for GC tracking. Tracking crew numbers without clearing roadblocks is myopic. Make work ready first.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do labor counts matter in Takt planning?

In single-train Takt planning where you force crews into a Takt time, crew composition is a lever to adjust cycle time to fit within Takt time. Labor counts are important for trades optimizing their cycle time.

Why is GC tracking of labor counts myopic?

Because having the right number of people doesn’t equal full productivity. What matters is: is the work made ready? Are roadblocks cleared? I have never seen a GC track labor and have it make any difference on the project site.

What’s the civil crew example about?

Seven-person crew installing force main loses one person. Productivity cuts in half (not 10% loss) because of the way process steps work. This shows labor counts matter for trade composition, not for GC tracking.

Do GCs need to know labor counts?

Probably not, unless helping the trade modify or optimize cycle time. It’s really up to the trade partner. It is their business. Does the trade need to know? Yes. Does the GC need to know? Probably not.

What should GCs focus on instead of labor counts?

Is the work made ready? Are roadblocks cleared? Is the zone ready? Is the sequence protected? Is the next trade enabled? Those questions drive production, not “How many people do you have?”

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

Primary Control Level Loop For Field Engineers (Construction Elevation Control Basics)

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 20 min

Primary Control Level Loop for Field Engineers (Construction Elevation Control Basics)

In this blog, I’m going to talk to you about level loops or level circuits is what a surveyor might call it as it relates to primary control.

So let me start out by saying that primary control is permanent and it surrounds the job site and it lays out everything within. Secondary control is something like a baseline that controls the building and it’s semi-permanent. And then working control would be like after grid lines laying out a wall or a column and laying out the actual column or wall lines or the offsets for the wall or the column meaning it’s component specific and it’s temporary.

So primary, secondary, and then working control. We always have those different types.

Establishing the Complete Network (Northing and Easting Only)

In the last blog, we talked about if you have your basis of bearings that might be out on the roadway here and you want to build a building, let’s say that we’re just looking at the foundations and the slab on grade that you will create points in your site and these points will surround the job site like we talked about and they will be permanent. And what you’ll do is you’ll take distances and angles and connect these. So, we’re on the same page and then you will have a complete network.

From there, if you’re going to go ahead and lay out a baseline, you would, for instance, set up here, backsight a longer backsight, and you’ll radial stake from that point. Then you’ll do it from another side of the traverse. Set up here, backsight. And then what you’ll do is you’ll radial stake that one and radial stake that one. And then you might set up here and backsight a longer backsight than your foresight. And you will lay out that one. And you will lay out that one.

And what happens is the points at the end are now laid out and it’s a beautiful thing. And then you can do a forward and back for your baseline and do direct and reverse shots to establish your distances. And so, you have a really nice tight control network.

Now all you have is basically your northing and easting for each of these. Your northing is your y and your easting is your x. And I’m using civil coordinate geometry basics. You might run from the x-axis, but in survey and in civil, you go from the y-axis 360 degrees around the circle in four different quadrants. So, you have a northing and easting, but you don’t have an elevation.

The Design Benchmark (Where Elevations Come From)

But one of these bases of bearings, these monuments inside the roadways will likely have what I call the design benchmark. That means the benchmark from which the surveyors working for the design team took as-built elevations of the adjacent roadways and the sidewalks and the topography of the site for the purpose of designing the building. That means the building is based on that benchmark.

Let’s say it’s right here. What you want to do is level loop. And a level loop has a couple of key things. Number one is you are going to do what’s called three-wire leveling. Number two, you’re going to estimate to the nearest thousandth. Number three, you are going to close your level loop.

How to Do a Level Loop (Backsight, Foresight, Close)

And here’s how you do it. You take a calibrated, well-functioning automatic level with the proper specs. And what you’ll do is set up and you’ll pace forward to this point and then back and then get the exact middle. You don’t have to go all the way back on the second. And you will set up your automatic level and you will come sight your level rod and you’ll take your benchmark plus your backsight which becomes your instrument height and you will come over here and you will shoot to your foresight and that instrument height will be minus your rod height will establish the new elevation of this point but not yet.

And so let me make this point that you will backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight all the way to your original point. And what will happen is that you will in a nice format in your field book log each of your elevation shots.

Three-Wire Leveling (Top, Middle, Bottom Readings)

Now, here’s the deal. When you’re doing these shots inside in your scope, you will read your top number, your middle number, and your bottom number. Those other horizontal crosshairs are called stadia hairs. They’re used for two different purposes.

One is you can take the top reading minus the bottom multiplied by 100 and that’s how far away from your rod you are which is really cool how they did that. The other thing it’s for is if you take your top, middle, and bottom, add them up, divide by three, the average should match your middle rod reading, or else you read the rod improperly.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to go traverse a massive 200-acre site only to find out I made a mistake here. I’m going to three-wire level as I go. The other thing is you’re not going to get good enough numbers to be accurate by the time you close if you don’t do that.

Estimate to the Nearest Thousandth (Not Hundredth)

The other thing is you’re not going to read these as the nearest hundredth. You’re not going to be like, “Okay, 252.02.” No, you’re going to be like “252.023 feet.” And somebody would be like, “Well, Jason, you’re guessing on that third number.” But if you round up to the nearest hundredth, you’re intentionally guessing to the wrong number. So, if you guess to the right number, that’s much more accurate than rounding.

So, you’re going to estimate to the nearest thousandth and you’re going to close back.

Closing the Level Loop (Within Tolerance)

Now, what happens when you put this into an Excel sheet and you actually look at your linear error of closure and it’s within the tolerance, you can then adjust the elevations ever so slightly around this thing to match and to close that linear error of closure or that vertical error of closure, what you could also call it, as long as you’re within the tolerance.

Now, in the third version of the book, the Construction Surveying and Layout on page 716, I just had that memorized over the years, there’s first, second, and third order accuracy depending on your acreage that will give you a little mathematical calculation to tell you how far you can be off when you close. If you’re within that tolerance, now you have elevation on all of these points. In addition to your northing and easting, you have your elevation.

Why You Need Elevation on Primary Control

And the reason you need your elevation is because you want to reference it for any additional control. And if you ever want to bring in another benchmark inside the site, like let’s say I want a temporary benchmark in here, you will go backsight, foresight. Then you’ll do backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight. Include two benchmarks in that level loop from known elevations and close. And only then can you know the elevation of your new point. You cannot just do a side shot and spray over there to it.

So, this level looping is how you get elevations on your primary control and then how you would later bring it in through this process to your secondary and working control.

Here’s the level loop process:

  • Start from design benchmark: One of the bases of bearings monuments will have the design benchmark (elevation used by design team to as-built topography and design building). Start from this benchmark.
  • Backsight, foresight around the network: Set up automatic level at exact middle between points. Benchmark plus backsight equals instrument height. Instrument height minus foresight equals new elevation. Backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight all the way back to original point.
  • Three-wire leveling (top, middle, bottom): Read top, middle, bottom on stadia hairs. Add them up, divide by three. Average should match middle reading or you read rod improperly. Top minus bottom times 100 equals distance to rod.
  • Estimate to nearest thousandth (not hundredth): Don’t round to nearest hundredth (252.02). Estimate to nearest thousandth (252.023 feet). Rounding to hundredth is intentionally guessing wrong. Estimating to thousandth is guessing right.
  • Close within tolerance and adjust: Put into Excel, check linear error of closure. Page 716 of Construction Surveying and Layout has first, second, third order accuracy formulas based on acreage. If within tolerance, adjust elevations slightly to close. Now you have northing, easting, and elevation.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Field Engineers

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Run a level loop on your primary control. Start from the design benchmark (one of the basis of bearings monuments). Set up automatic level at exact middle between points. Backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight all the way around and close back to the original point. Use three-wire leveling (read top, middle, bottom). Estimate to the nearest thousandth. Log each elevation shot in your field book. Put into Excel, check linear error of closure against page 716 formulas. If within tolerance, adjust elevations. Now you have northing, easting, and elevation on all primary control points.

And remember: you cannot just do a side shot to set a new benchmark. You must go through two known benchmarks and close. That’s how you know the elevation of your new point. As we say at Elevate, level loop for primary control: backsight/foresight from benchmark, three-wire leveling, estimate to nearest thousandth, close within tolerance, adjust elevations. That’s construction elevation control basics.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between primary, secondary, and working control?

Primary control is permanent, surrounds the job site, lays out everything within. Secondary control is semi-permanent (like a baseline) that controls the building. Working control is temporary and component-specific (like laying out walls or columns).

What is the design benchmark?

The benchmark from which the design team’s surveyors took as-built elevations of roadways, sidewalks, and topography to design the building. The building is based on that benchmark. You must use it for your level loop.

What is three-wire leveling?

Reading top, middle, and bottom stadia hairs. Add them up, divide by three. Average should match middle reading or you read rod improperly. This ensures accuracy over large sites and provides distance check.

Why estimate to the nearest thousandth instead of hundredth?

Because rounding to nearest hundredth (252.02) is intentionally guessing wrong. Estimating to nearest thousandth (252.023) is guessing right. You won’t get accurate enough numbers to close within tolerance if you round to hundredths.

How do you set a new benchmark inside the site?

Go through two known benchmarks and close. Backsight, foresight, backsight, foresight. Include two benchmarks in that level loop from known elevations and close. You cannot just do a side shot and spray to it.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

Primary Control Traverse For Field Engineers (Construction Survey Control Basics)

Posted on by Danny Jiménez⁩
Read 22 min

Primary Control Traverse for Field Engineers (Construction Survey Control Basics)

In this blog, I’m going to talk to you about how traversing really ties into how we should be setting up a project as a field engineer. And I’m going to draw it the way I understand it. And I’m going to encourage you to check out the book Construction Surveying and Layout by Wesley Crawford if you want to know more.

Let me talk about this.

What Is Control in Construction?

When you have a building in construction and you want to properly control it, the term control and I’m not talking about toxic, like abuse of spouse control, but like control we’re trying to control the location of every component on the project site. So, control is like we’re keeping control of that building. If we want to lay out the foundations and the slab on grade and then start going up for this building, we need to get there from the basis of bearings.

So typically, we’ll have like, let’s say out here on the road there’s a city monument, and then over here on the road there’s another city monument, and they’re like, “Hey, go build this building.” Okay, great. Well, you’re going to have to go research with a surveyor or with a civil engineer the northing, easting, and elevation for these monuments and make sure that these are the ones that were used in the design.

See, now let me make sure I’m doing a good job here. Whatever basis of bearings and design benchmark is what I call it. It’s basically a city monument with an elevation that was used to as-built the elevations and the topography on the site to design the building, is what you now need to use to lay out the building. At least to double-check it.

Setting Up Primary Control (Surrounding the Building)

So, if I want to build this building and I’m like, “Hey, I want some primary control around the site in concrete monuments that are permanent that will control the building,” I will make sure that it is surrounding the building and the entire project site, and I will make sure that it ties to the basis of bearings. So, what I would do is I would connect a traverse from here to here to here to here to here. Let’s go that direction and then back.

How Traversing Works (Distance and Direct/Reverse Angles)

And what a traverse basically is and let me just do it with three points. When you do traversing, you set up your total station and you shoot a distance, then you turn an angle: direct, reverse, direct, reverse at a minimum, and then you shoot a distance. Then, depending on which direction you’re going, you’ll set up again and you will shoot a distance. And you’ll do direct, reverse, direct, reverse, and then shoot another distance so you have two.

Then you’ll set up over here and you’ll shoot a forward distance so you have two. Direct, reverse, direct, reverse, shoot another distance. So now every leg has two distances, and it has direct and reverse shots for the angle.

And what happens is those numbers should create a perfect geometrical object. But they won’t because of human and instrumental error. So, this is what I like to do when I’m teaching field engineers. That triangle should hit flat. But because of human and instrumental error, once you move the measurements into AutoCAD, it will have a gap. And that is called your linear error of closure. So, what it does is if you’re within the right accuracy, it will close and adjust the data. So you have accurate coordinates at all of the different points.

So traversing is essentially networking these points together in a precise way. Accuracy is, am I in the right location per the world? Precision is, do I have a good relationship from point to point within a network? So, precision and accuracy are two different things.

The Biggest Mistake: Not Comparing Traverse to Survey Coordinates

So, when I do this, I will network these points together. And here’s a really important point. If these points already have survey coordinates, you can plug those into AutoCAD. But let’s say that that’s your points. And in AutoCAD, you plugged them in from the survey data. And then you go do this traverse and you’re like, “Oh my gosh, we closed with greater than 1 in 50,000, which is what I typically recommend.” Which means that you did such good work on this traverse that it would take you 50,000 linear feet of traversing to be off a foot. That is the ratio that they use to make sure that you have an accurate traverse.

So, let’s say that you’re above 1 in 50,000. You’re like, “Oh, my points are good.” That’s the biggest mistake people make. Just because you did a good traverse doesn’t mean you know these points are right. What you have to do I hope you like and subscribe but what you have to do then is take your traverse coordinates and overlay them using your basis of bearings as your basis and then overlay it over the points. And I’m just doing a little demonstration here.

Let’s say the black marks on this sheet were the coordinates that you got from the surveyor, and the blue is what your traverse came up with. Well, obviously you can see you’re pretty close on these, but this one’s way out of whack. And we find this all the time. And so, the traverse has to be overlaid with the survey coordinates. And that’s why we go back to that other blog that it’s important to do that in AutoCAD or Civil 3D to make sure they’re correct.

Now, if you see this problem, you call the surveyor back out and you reconcile it and then you align and make sure that everything’s pretty close. The other thing you can see is if you’re within acceptable tolerances. Like if this is 0.01 off, 0.01, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02, 0.02, 0.025, and this one’s 0.05, and this one’s off like by 0.80, you’re probably going to want to adjust that one too and talk to the surveyor about that one.

Why Accurate Traverse Points Matter (Laying Out Baselines)

The traverse points are very crucial to get the network tied in the way it needs to be. And let me tell you why. If you just take these random I am going to call them random because typically surveyors will just go spray points with a 4-foot prism pole and it’s garbage they will not be accurate.

If you go take these points and you like set up over here and you’re like, “Hey, I want to lay out the baseline for this building.” And you set up backsight farther back than foresight, and you lay out these two points. And then you set up over here and you backsight a backsight that’s longer than this building longer backsights than foresights. And you lay out these two points. And let’s say you do it from a third point, which is typically a good practice. And you actually look in here at this monument and I’m just going to draw this real size. This is what we see.

You’ll see a point here. You’ll see something like that. You’re like, “What in the world is that? What’s the real point?” You’re introducing a lot of error, and you are also not maintaining consistency.

Once you get the surveyor and you align and you use the coordinates from your traverse and you lay out this end point of the baseline from one side having a longer backsight than foresight and then from this side and then from this side, and you actually go zoom in to one of these and I’m telling you this happens every time you’ll see exactly what I just drew right there: three perfect little dots, and the real point is right in the middle, taking the average of that, and that’s getting rid of that instrumental error.

And so that 3/16 of a problem inside the total station that’s going to get rid of it. So you can literally position any building within this network whenever you want as long as you’ve done this right.

Key Rules When Doing a Traverse

Now a couple of rules. When you do the traverse:

  • Use tribrachs with prisms for backsights: Not 4-foot prism poles which are garbage and inaccurate. Use tribrachs with omni prisms for precise work.
  • Use greater than 3-second gun: You need really good equipment for construction control. 3-second total station or better.
  • Shoot forward and back, direct and reverse: Every leg has two distances and direct/reverse shots for the angle. This gets rid of instrumental error.
  • Close the traverse: Do the traverse computations to get rid of error. Must close better than 1 in 50,000 (meaning it would take 50,000 linear feet to be off a foot).
  • Compare traverse with actual survey points: Take traverse coordinates, overlay using basis of bearings, compare to surveyor’s coordinates. Call surveyor to reconcile if points are out of whack.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

What Happens When You Do This Right

And if you do that, this is what you’re going to do. You are going to end up with beautiful tied-in, aligned to the basis of bearings beautifully accurate, beautifully precise points from which you can go lay out your secondary baselines and anything else where, if you hit them from three any layout that you’re doing from three sides of a traverse you’ll get a perfect little triangular pattern and you’ll be able to take the average and have the exact right point.

And this matters because if you’re like on big airports, if you don’t have that, if you don’t do it from different sides of a traverse, you’ll have this building over in this direction, that one over in that direction, and then when you connect them with bridges or other connections, it won’t be accurate.

So, you’ve got to be able to do this. Traversing is great. The next step is level loop. We’ll cover that in a different video, but if you follow these practices with Wesley Crawford’s book, you’ll be spot on.

A Challenge for Field Engineers

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Set up primary control surrounding your building. Tie to basis of bearings (city monuments with northing, easting, elevation used in design). Run a traverse: shoot distance, direct/reverse angles, close the traverse better than 1 in 50,000. Then overlay your traverse coordinates with the surveyor’s coordinates using AutoCAD or Civil 3D. Compare. Call the surveyor to reconcile any points that are out of whack.

When you lay out baselines, do it from three sides of the traverse with longer backsights than foresights. You’ll get three perfect little dots, take the average, and have the exact right point. That’s how you position buildings accurately within the network. As we say at Elevate, primary control traverse: tie to basis of bearings, shoot distance and direct/reverse angles, close traverse, overlay coordinates, compare to survey points. That’s construction survey control basics.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the basis of bearings?

City monuments with northing, easting, and elevation that were used to as-built the topography and design the building. You must use the same basis of bearings to lay out the building to maintain accuracy.

What’s the difference between accuracy and precision?

Accuracy is: am I in the right location per the world (tied to basis of bearings). Precision is: do I have a good relationship from point to point within a network (traverse closure).

Why overlay traverse coordinates with survey coordinates?

Because just because you closed the traverse well doesn’t mean the surveyor’s points are right. We find points out of whack all the time. Overlay, compare, call surveyor to reconcile discrepancies.

Why shoot from three sides of the traverse when laying out?

Because you’ll get three perfect little dots instead of scattered points. Take the average and you have the exact right point. This gets rid of the 3/16 instrumental error in the total station.

What accuracy should a traverse close to?

Better than 1 in 50,000. Meaning it would take 50,000 linear feet of traversing to be off a foot. That’s the ratio for accurate construction control traverses.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

On we go

    faq

    General Training Overview

    What construction leadership training programs does LeanTakt offer?
    LeanTakt offers Superintendent/PM Boot Camps, Virtual Takt Production System® Training, Onsite Takt Simulations, and Foreman & Field Engineer Training. Each program is tailored to different leadership levels in construction.
    Who should attend LeanTakt’s training programs?
    Superintendents, Project Managers, Foremen, Field Engineers, and trade partners who want to improve planning, communication, and execution on projects.
    How do these training programs improve project performance?
    They provide proven Lean and Takt systems that reduce chaos, improve reliability, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate project delivery.
    What makes LeanTakt’s training different from other construction courses?
    Our programs are hands-on, field-tested, and focused on practical application—not just classroom theory.
    Do I need prior Lean or takt planning experience to attend?
    No. Our programs cover foundational principles before moving into advanced applications.
    How quickly can I apply what I learn on real projects?
    Most participants begin applying new skills immediately, often the same week they complete the program.
    Are these trainings designed for both office and field leaders?
    Yes. We equip both project managers and superintendents with tools that connect field and office operations.
    What industries benefit most from LeanTakt training?
    Commercial, multifamily, residential, industrial, and infrastructure projects all benefit from flow-based planning.
    Do participants receive certificates after completing training?
    Yes. Every participant receives a LeanTakt Certificate of Completion.
    Is LeanTakt training recognized in the construction industry?
    Yes. Our programs are widely respected among leading GCs, subcontractors, and construction professionals.

    Superintendent / PM Boot Camp

    What is the Superintendent & Project Manager Boot Camp?
    It’s a 5-day immersive training for superintendents and PMs to master Lean leadership, takt planning, and project flow.
    How long does the Superintendent/PM Boot Camp last?
    Five full days of hands-on training.
    What topics are covered in the Boot Camp curriculum?
    Lean leadership, Takt Planning, logistics, daily planning, field-office communication, and team health.
    How does the Boot Camp improve leadership and scheduling skills?
    Yes. You’ll learn how to run day huddles, team meetings, worker huddles, and Lean coordination processes.
    Who is the Boot Camp best suited for?
    Construction leaders responsible for delivering projects, including Superintendents, PMs, and Field Leaders.
    What real-world challenges are simulated during the Boot Camp?
    Schedule breakdowns, trade conflicts, logistics issues, and communication gaps.
    Will I learn Takt Planning at the Boot Camp?
    Yes. Takt Planning is a core focus of the Boot Camp.
    How does this Boot Camp compare to traditional PM certification?
    It’s practical and execution-based rather than exam-based. You learn by doing, not just studying theory.
    Can my entire project team attend the Boot Camp together?
    Yes. Teams attending together often see the greatest results.
    What kind of real-world challenges do we simulate?
    Improved project flow, fewer delays, better team communication, and stronger leadership confidence.

    Takt Production System® Virtual Training

    What is the Virtual Takt Production System® Training?
    It’s an expert-led online program that teaches Lean construction teams how to implement takt planning.
    How does virtual takt training work?
    Delivered online via live sessions, interactive discussions, and digital tools.
    What are the benefits of online takt planning training?
    Convenience, global accessibility, real-time learning, and immediate application.
    Can I access the virtual training from anywhere?
    Yes. It’s fully web-based and accessible worldwide.
    Can I access the virtual training from anywhere?
    Yes. It’s fully web-based and accessible worldwide.
    What skills will I gain from the Virtual TPS® Training?
    Macro and micro Takt planning, weekly updates, flow management, and CPM integration.
    How long does the virtual training program take?
    The program is typically completed in multiple live sessions across several days.
    Can I watch recordings if I miss a session?
    Yes. Recordings are available to all participants.
    Do you offer group access or company licenses for the virtual training?
    Yes. Teams and companies can enroll together at discounted rates.
    How does the Virtual TPS® Training integrate with CPM tools?
    We show how to align Takt with CPM schedules like Primavera P6 or MS Project.

    Onsite Takt Simulation

    What is a Takt Simulation in construction training?
    It’s a live, interactive workshop that demonstrates takt planning on-site.
    How does the Takt Simulation workshop work?
    Teams participate in hands-on exercises to learn the flow and rhythm of a Takt-based project.
    Can I choose between a 1-day or 2-day Takt Simulation?
    Yes. We offer flexible formats to fit your team’s schedule and needs.
    Who should participate in the Takt Simulation workshop?
    Superintendents, PMs, site supervisors, contractors, and engineers.
    How does a Takt Simulation improve project planning?
    It shows teams how to structure zones, manage flow, and coordinate trades in real time.
    What will my team learn from the onsite simulation?
    How to build and maintain takt plans, manage buffers, and align trade partners.
    Is the simulation tailored to my specific project type?
    Yes. Scenarios can be customized to match your project.
    How do Takt Simulations improve trade partner coordination?
    They strengthen collaboration by making handoffs visible and predictable.
    What results can I expect from an onsite Takt Simulation?
    Improved schedule reliability, better trade collaboration, and reduced rework.
    How many people can join a Takt Simulation session?
    Group sizes are flexible, but typically 15–30 participants per session.

    Foreman & Field Engineer Training

    What is Foreman & Field Engineer Training?
    It’s an on-demand, practical program that equips foremen and engineers with leadership and planning skills.
    How does this training prepare emerging leaders?
    By teaching communication, crew management, and execution strategies.
    Is the training on-demand or scheduled?
    On-demand, tailored to your team’s timing and needs.
    What skills do foremen and engineers gain from this training?
    Planning, safety leadership, coordination, and communication.
    How does the training improve communication between field and office?
    It builds shared systems that align superintendents, engineers, and managers.
    Can the training be customized for my team’s needs?
    Yes. Programs are tailored for your project or company.
    What makes this program different from generic leadership courses?
    It’s construction-specific, field-tested, and focused on real project application.
    How do foremen and field engineers apply this training immediately?
    They can use new systems for planning, coordination, and daily crew management right away.
    Is the training suitable for small construction companies?
    Yes. Small and large teams alike benefit from building flow-based leadership skills.

    Testimonials

    Testimonials

    "The bootcamp I was apart of was amazing. Its was great while it was happening but also had a very profound long-term motivation that is still pushing me to do more, be more. It sounds a little strange to say that a construction bootcamp changed my life, but it has. It has opened my eyes to many possibilities on how a project can be successfully run. It’s also provided some very positive ideas on how people can and should be treated in construction.

    I am a hungry person by nature, so it doesn’t take a lot to get to participate. I loved the way it was not just about participating, it was also about doing it with conviction, passion, humility and if it wasn’t portrayed that way you had to do it again."

    "It's great to be a part of a company that has similar values to my own, especially regarding how we treat our trade partners. The idea of "you gotta make them feel worse to make them do better" has been preached at me for years. I struggled with this as you will not find a single psychology textbook stating these beliefs. In fact it is quite the opposite, and causing conflict is a recipe for disaster. I'm still honestly in shock I have found a company that has based its values on scientific facts based on human nature. That along with the Takt scheduling system makes everything even better. I am happy to be a part of a change that has been long overdue in our industry!"

    "Wicked team building, so valuable for the forehumans of the sub trades to know the how and why. Great tools and resources. Even though I am involved and use the tools every day, I feel like everything is fresh and at the forefront to use"

    "Jason and his team did an incredible job passing on the overall theory of what they do. After 3 days of running through the course I cannot see any holes in their concept. It works. it's proven to work and I am on board!"

    "Loved the pull planning, Takt planning, and logistic model planning. Well thought out and professional"

    "The Super/PM Boot Camp was an excellent experience that furthered my understanding of Lean Practices. The collaboration, group involvement, passion about real project site experiences, and POSITIVE ENERGY. There are no dull moments when you head into this training. Jason and Mr. Montero were always on point and available to help in the break outs sessions. Easily approachable to talk too during breaks and YES, it was fun. I recommend this training for any PM or Superintendent that wants to further their career."

    agenda

    Day 1

    Foundations & Macro Planning

    • Introduction to Takt Production System® principles
    • CPM vs TAKT comparison
    • Macro planning, zoning, and density analysis
    • Quantities and production rates
    • Hands-on application to participants’ projects with LeanTakt PM experts

    day2

    Norm Planning & Flow Optimization

    • Review and refinement of Day 1 work
    • Pull planning and sequence optimization
    • Work packaging for balanced flow
    • Project integration session with LeanTakt PM coaching

    day3

    Advanced Tools & Comparisons

    • Macro work packaging and example walkthrough
    • Calculator Norm for production optimization
    • Stacking comparison to avoid trade conflicts
    • Hands-on application to participants’ own schedules

    day4

    Buffers, Controls & Finalization

    • Review of Day 3 implementation
    • Buffer management strategies and placement
    • Takt control principles and steering methods
    • Project plan finalization with expert guidance

    day5

    Control Systems & Presentations

    • Takt steering, control systems, and real project examples
    • Participant project presentations with LeanTakt PM feedback
    • Wrap-up, feedback, and action planning for post-training implementation

    faq

    UNDERSTANDING THE TRAINING

    What is the Virtual Takt Production System® Training by LeanTakt?
    It’s an expert-led online program designed to teach construction professionals how to implement Takt Planning to create flow, eliminate chaos, and align teams across the project lifecycle.
    Who should take the LeanTakt virtual training?
    This training is ideal for Superintendents, Project Managers, Engineers, Schedulers, Trade Partners, and Lean Champions looking to improve planning and execution.
    What topics are covered in the online Takt Production System® course?
    The course covers macro and micro Takt planning, zone creation, buffers, weekly updates, flow management, trade coordination, and integration with CPM tools.
    What makes LeanTakt’s virtual training different from other Lean construction courses?
    Unlike theory-based courses, this training is hands-on, practical, field-tested, and includes live coaching tailored to your actual projects.
    Do I get a certificate after completing the online training?
    Yes. Upon successful completion, participants receive a LeanTakt Certificate of Completion, which validates your knowledge and readiness to implement Takt.

    VALUE AND RESULTS

    What are the benefits of Takt Production System® training for my team?
    It helps teams eliminate bottlenecks, improve planning reliability, align trades, and reduce the chaos typically seen in traditional construction schedules.
    How much time and money can I save with Takt Planning?
    Many projects using Takt see 15–30% reductions in time and cost due to better coordination, fewer delays, and increased team accountability.
    What’s the ROI of virtual Takt training for construction teams?
    The ROI comes from faster project delivery, reduced rework, improved communication, and better resource utilization — often 10x the investment.
    Will this training reduce project delays or rework?
    Yes. By visualizing flow and aligning trades, Takt Planning reduces miscommunication and late handoffs — major causes of delay and rework.
    How soon can I expect to see results on my projects?
    Most teams report seeing improvement in coordination and productivity within the first 2–4 weeks of implementation.

    PLANNING AND SCHEDULING TOPICS

    What is Takt Planning and how is it used in construction?
    Takt Planning is a Lean scheduling method that creates flow by aligning work with time and space, using rhythm-based planning to coordinate teams and reduce waste.
    What’s the difference between macro and micro Takt plans?
    Macro Takt plans focus on the overall project flow and phase durations, while micro Takt plans break down detailed weekly tasks by zone and crew.
    Will I learn how to build a complete Takt plan from scratch?
    Yes. The training teaches you how to build both macro and micro Takt plans tailored to your project, including workflows, buffers, and sequencing.
    How do I update and maintain a Takt schedule each week?
    You’ll learn how to conduct weekly updates using lookaheads, trade feedback, zone progress, and digital tools to maintain schedule reliability.
    Can I integrate Takt Planning with CPM or Primavera P6?
    Yes. The training includes guidance on aligning Takt plans with CPM logic, showing how both systems can work together effectively.
    Will I have access to the instructors during the training?
    Yes. You’ll have opportunities to ask questions, share challenges, and get real-time feedback from LeanTakt coaches.
    Can I ask questions specific to my current project?
    Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it — the training is designed to help you apply Takt to your active jobs.
    Is support available after the training ends?
    Yes. You can access follow-up support, coaching, and community forums to help reinforce implementation.
    Can your tools be customized to my project or team?
    Yes. We offer customizable templates and implementation options to fit different project types, teams, and tech stacks.
    When is the best time in a project lifecycle to take this training?
    Ideally before or during preconstruction, but teams have seen success implementing it mid-project as well.

    APPLICATION & TEAM ADOPTION

    What changes does my team need to adopt Takt Planning?
    Teams must shift from reactive scheduling to proactive, flow-based planning with clear commitments, reliable handoffs, and a visual management mindset.
    Do I need any prior Lean or scheduling experience?
    No prior Lean experience is required. The course is structured to take you from foundational principles to advanced application.
    How long does it take for teams to adapt to Takt Planning?
    Most teams adapt within 2–6 weeks, depending on project size and how fully the system is adopted across roles.
    Can this training work for smaller companies or projects?
    Absolutely. Takt is scalable and especially powerful for small teams seeking better structure and predictability.
    What role do trade partners play in using Takt successfully?
    Trade partners are key collaborators. They help shape realistic flow, manage buffers, and provide feedback during weekly updates.

    VIRTUAL FORMAT & ACCESSIBILITY

    Can I access the virtual training from anywhere?
    Yes. The training is fully accessible online, making it ideal for distributed teams across regions or countries.
    Is this training available internationally?
    Yes. LeanTakt trains teams around the world and supports global implementations.
    Can I watch recordings if I miss a session?
    Yes. All sessions are recorded and made available for later viewing through your training portal.
    Do you offer group access or company licenses?
    Yes. Teams can enroll together at discounted rates, and we offer licenses for enterprise rollouts.
    What technology or setup do I need to join the virtual training?
    A reliable internet connection, webcam, Miro, Spreadsheets, and access to Zoom.

    faq

    GENERAL FAQS

    What is the Superintendent / PM Boot Camp?
    It’s a hands-on leadership training for Superintendents and Project Managers in the construction industry focused on Lean systems, planning, and communication.
    Who is this Boot Camp for?
    Construction professionals including Superintendents, Project Managers, Field Engineers, and Foremen looking to improve planning, leadership, and project flow.
    What makes this construction boot camp different?
    Real-world project simulations, expert coaching, Lean principles, team-based learning, and post-camp support — all built for field leaders.
    Is this just a seminar or classroom training?
    No. It’s a hands-on, immersive experience. You’ll plan, simulate, collaborate, and get feedback — not sit through lectures.
    What is the focus of the training?
    Leadership, project planning, communication, Lean systems, and integrating office-field coordination.

    CURRICULUM & OUTCOMES

    What topics are covered in the Boot Camp?
    Takt planning, day planning, logistics, pre-construction, team health, communication systems, and more.
    What is Takt Planning and why is it taught?
    Takt is a Lean planning method that creates flow and removes chaos. It helps teams deliver projects on time with less stress.
    Will I learn how to lead field teams more effectively?
    Yes. This boot camp focuses on real leadership challenges and gives you systems and strategies to lead high-performing teams.
    Do you cover daily huddles and meeting systems?
    Yes. You’ll learn how to run day huddles, team meetings, worker huddles, and Lean coordination processes.
    What kind of real-world challenges do we simulate?
    You’ll work through real project schedules, logistical constraints, leadership decisions, and field-office communication breakdowns.

    LOGISTICS & FORMAT

    Is the training in-person or virtual?
    It’s 100% in-person to maximize learning, feedback, and team-based interaction.
    How long is the Boot Camp?
    It runs for 5 full days.
    Where is the Boot Camp held?
    Locations vary — typically hosted in a professional training center or project setting. Contact us for the next available city/date.
    Do you offer follow-up coaching after the Boot Camp?
    Yes. Post-camp support is included so you can apply what you’ve learned on your projects.
    Can I ask questions about my actual project?
    Absolutely. That’s encouraged — bring your current challenges.

    PRICING & VALUE

    How much does the Boot Camp cost?
    $5,000 per person.
    Are there any group discounts?
    Yes — get 10% off when 4 or more people from the same company attend.
    What’s the ROI for sending my team?
    Better planning = fewer delays, smoother coordination, and higher team morale — all of which boost productivity and reduce costs.
    Will I see results immediately?
    Most participants apply what they’ve learned as soon as they return to the jobsite — especially with follow-up support.
    Can this replace other leadership training?
    In many cases, yes. This Boot Camp is tailored to construction professionals, unlike generic leadership seminars.

    SEO-BASED / HIGH-INTENT SEARCH QUESTIONS

    What is the best leadership training for construction Superintendents?
    Our Boot Camp offers real-world, field-focused leadership training tailored for construction leaders.
    What’s included in a Superintendent Boot Camp?
    Takt planning, day planning, logistics, pre-construction systems, huddles, simulations, and more.
    Where can I find Lean construction training near me?
    Check our upcoming in-person sessions or request a private boot camp in your city.
    How can I improve field and office communication on a project?
    This Boot Camp teaches you tools and systems to connect field and office workflows seamlessly.
    Is there a training to help reduce chaos on construction sites?
    Yes — this program is built specifically to turn project chaos into flow through structured leadership.

    agenda

    Day 1

    Agenda

    • Intro to Camp
    • Set Expectations
    • Morning Routine
    • Plan Day
    • Explain "Why"
    • Teams Intros + Yells + Expectation
    • Focus, Physiology, Words + Yells
    • Blocks to Leadership
    • 50 Million
    • Biggest Thing
    • Choose Your Word
    • Marketing Exercise
    • Interview for the Project
    • PO Homework and Close the Day

    Outcomes

    • Understand how to get into a proper state to lead
    • Understand how to dig deep to find the confidence to lead
    • Team work and collaboration
    • Understand marketing
    • Understand how to interview for and win a project

    Day 2

    Agenda

    • Morning Routine
    • Day Planner
    • Plus & Delta
    • Macro Takt planning
    • Setup jobs + Signs + Logistics
    • Explain the IPCS™
    • Detailed logistics training
    • Team balance & health training

    Outcomes

    • Learn the IPCS™ understand how to integrate the entire project from start to finish with First Planners™ and Last Planners® through the Takt Production System®
    • Learn how to review a project
    • Learn advanced logistics
    • Learn team balance and health

    Day 3

    Agenda

    • Morning Routine
    • Day Planner
    • Plus & Delta
    • Review How Big Things Get Done
    • Review IPCSTM
    • Fix (Schedule, zone, logistics, trailer, org & procurement)
    • Fresh Eyes Meeting
    • Pre-Con Overview
    • TAKT SIMULATION
    • Recap and Review

    Outcomes

    • Understand why and how to plan
    • Understand the benefits of using a Takt production plan
    • Learn the steps to proper pre-con that sets the project up for success
    • Learn how to review a project in a Fresh Eyes Meeting
    • Learn flow from Takt planning

    Day 4

    Agenda

    • Morning Routine
    • Day Planner
    • Plus & Delta
    • Opposing Squares
    • Pull Plan
    • Takt Remaining
    • Norm Update
    • Re Zoning
    • Risks & Pre-Con Align
    • Meeting System
    • Problems
    • Recap

    Outcomes

    • Understand the Norm level Takt plan for weekly/daily planning
    • Benefits and outcomes of rezoning strategies
    • Using meetings to feed information through the system and to the Foremen

    Day 5

    Agenda

    • Morning Routine
    • Day Planner
    • Plus & Delta
    • Huddle I.D.S
    • Day Plan
    • Worker Huddle
    • Norm Update
    • Team Huddle
    • Lean Systems Recap
    • Feedback Exercise
    • Final & Close

    Outcomes

    • Know what information is needed and how to get it to the Workers
    • Better understand how to give feedback and why it’s crucial for everyone
    • How to problem solve as a team
    • Understand how all systems tie together
    • Know how the information gets all the way to the worker
    • Have perfect clarity on the individual’s personal organization planner