How Long Does Pre-Construction Take?

How Long Should Preconstruction Take? Here’s What You Need to Know

In this blog, I’m going to share some powerful concepts to help you understand how long pre-construction should actually take. If you want to plan better, win more often, and see remarkable results in your projects, this blog is for you.

So, How Long Should Pre-Construction Take?

The answer might surprise you and maybe even frustrate you.

Use the 1/3 – 2/3 rule: however long your project will take to build, plan on spending one-third of that time in pre-construction.

• A 10-month build? Pre-construction should take 5 months.
• A 10-year build? Pre-construction should be 5 years.

This isn’t just a guess, it’s a proven rule used by successful militaries and applied in high-performance construction worldwide.

But What If We Don’t Have the Time or People?

I hear you. “We don’t have the people… the bench… the resources.” I understand. But skipping pre-con is like ignoring the air quality in LA, it might be inconvenient to change, but you’ll still suffer the consequences. The risks are real.

In fact, the biggest cause of project failure? Not spending enough time planning.

“Projects don’t go wrong. They start wrong.”

Real Experience, Real Results:

On a 20-month project, I personally started 10 months ahead of time. That prep was key. The project finished ahead of schedule, under budget, with self-perform profits and our VP said it was like “Disneyland.” Why? Because we planned thoroughly.

So How Do You Plan Effectively?

It’s not just about assigning a superintendent with a set of plans. Here’s a quick breakdown of how you can plan well across each phase:

Proposal Phase:

• Begin planning during the proposal.
• Call out 3 key concerns or advantages to show deep understanding.
• Build trust early with strategic insights.

Concept Design Phase:

• Create a macro-level Takt plan.
• Identify zoning, long-lead procurement, general conditions, and budget trends.
• Use this to guide Target Value Design and avoid poor “value engineering.”

Schematic Design Phase:

• Develop zone maps, logistics plans, and procurement logs.
• Align construction approach with evolving designs.
• Influence the design for constructability and prefabrication.

Design Development:

• Start building the actual plan!
• Involve trade partners, perform model reviews, and initiate pull planning.
• Prepare detailed plans for the first 90–120 days of the job.

Construction Documents Phase:

• Review and iterate plans at least 3 times.
• Finalize: Takt plan, zone maps, trailer layout, org chart, risk register, procurement log, everything in place before breaking ground.

Signs Your Pre-con Effort is Falling Behind:

• Not enough time to review and revise the plan multiple times.
• Rushing through procurement.
• Builders not involved early.
• Inadequate alignment between duration and budget.
• Strategic misrepresentation or pushing changes without planning.

Final Thoughts:

Planning time should be dictated by project size and needs not by team availability. If you want better outcomes, your team must show up early and plan thoroughly.

“You’ll only have a 50% chance of finishing under budget, an 8% chance of finishing on time, and just a 0.5% chance of delivering the project exactly how the owner wants unless you plan properly.”

Let’s raise the bar. Plan thoroughly. Build remarkably.