How To Manage A Construction Project During The Exterior And Interior Phase

Mastering Construction Phasing: How to Align Exterior and Interior Work

Managing the exterior and interior phases of a construction project is like orchestrating a dance. If done right, the movements are smooth, coordinated, and efficient. In this blog, we’ll walk through the key considerations and planning strategies that ensure both exterior and interior scopes align seamlessly throughout the life of your project.

Exterior and Interior: A Coordinated Dance

Think of exterior and interior phasing like two dancers moving in sync. You need the exterior sealed to protect sensitive interior work, and the interior must support commissioning efforts like temporary heating and cooling. Getting these two to “dance” together takes clear coordination.

Critical Intersections to Monitor:

There are three intersections that should always be on your radar:

1. Perimeter Framing & Demising Walls: You can’t finish walls to the edge without perimeter framing in place.
2. Weather-Sensitive Materials: Don’t start drywall or any other sensitive finishes until your building is sealed — substrate, air/vapor barrier, waterproofing, and windows must be substantially complete.
3. Commissioning Requirements: Your commissioning team can’t proceed without a sealed building.

The Common Disconnect: Vertical vs. Horizontal Progress

Interior trades usually move floor by floor, while exterior crews often work in vertical segments. This can create a mismatch if not properly planned. For example, one side of your building might be completely open while interiors are moving forward. You must actively manage this phasing.

Comeback Areas:

On high-rises especially, you’ll find “comeback areas” where exterior work lags behind. These should never be a surprise. Trade partners need to know about them during bidding. These areas should be clearly identified in your plan.

Exterior Logistics Planning:

Not every section of your building will be built the same way. You might use scaffolding on one section, swing stages on another, and boom lifts somewhere else. Your logistics plan must answer: How are we going to build this? And more importantly: Is there enough space outside the building to support it?

Whether it’s curtain wall, masonry, or brick veneer—each has unique space and access requirements. Plan your scaffolding, swing stages, and boom lifts with intention.

Interior Logistics Must Fit Too:

Now layer in your interior logistics. How are materials moving up the building? Through a hoist? Great—but remember that hoist will eventually come down and leave infill work behind. Coordinate logistics so the hoist doesn’t interfere with exterior progress and vice versa.

Sealing the Building Should Be a Top Priority:

The primary goal of exterior work should be to seal the building. This enables temporary conditioning and protects finishes. Don’t delay sealing just to get cladding done at the ground level. Instead, seal all the way up to windows and barrier, then come back to do cladding later.

Advancing to HVAC and Commissioning:

Once sealed, move quickly to:

• Electrical and communication rooms.
• Vertical chases for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
• Fire riser rooms and service entry points.

Why? Because you need to get HVAC online as soon as possible—not just for worker comfort, but for commissioning: testing, balancing, and verifying functionality.

Break It Down by Functional Areas:

One major mistake on billion-dollar projects? Running everything with one big team. Don’t do it.

Break your job into functional areas with dedicated teams. Assign assistant PMs, PEs, and assistant supers to run the interior and exterior separately. This keeps meetings focused, reduces batching, and helps people go home to their families without burnout.

If you get the sequencing and intersections right, coordinate both interior and exterior logistics, and break the project down into functional teams—you’ll be in a much better position to succeed.