Is Pre-Construction A Good Investment?

Is Pre-Construction Planning a Good Investment?

In this blog, we explore one of the most important questions in construction management: Is pre-construction planning worth the investment? The answer is an emphatic, undeniable, trillion-percent YES.

Let’s break down why this phase is so critical, referencing key concepts from the powerful book How Big Things Get Done, along with insights from Elevating Pre-Construction Planning, resources every construction professional should have at their fingertips.

Why Pre-Construction Planning Matters:

You’ve probably heard someone say, “Just throw a superintendent in an office with a set of drawings.” That never works. Pre-construction isn’t about sitting around; it’s about actively shaping the conditions for project success.

In fact, the goal is to complete at least three iterations of the construction plan before breaking ground. Yes, that might sound ambitious, but with the right support (and possibly a pre-con department), it’s possible. And it’s worth it.

By the time you mobilize onsite, you should have:

• A detailed Takt plan.
• Zone maps.
• Logistics plan.
• A fully designed trailer layout.
• A clear org chart.
• A risk and opportunity register.
• A comprehensive procurement log.
• And of course, a thoroughly reviewed budget.

Backed by the Numbers:

From the book How Big Things Get Done, we learn from 16,000+ projects worldwide (now likely over 25,000). The statistics are shocking:

• Only 48% finished on budget.
• Only 8–9% finished on time.
• Only 0.5% met owner expectations (budget, schedule, and satisfaction).

Why? Lack of planning.

The Cost of Not Planning:

When projects skip thorough pre-construction, the consequences are steep:

• Design issues discovered late.
• Permitting delays.
• Late procurement of long-lead items like elevators, switchgear, and curtain wall systems.
• Uncoordinated teams moving in opposite directions.
• High costs to fix issues during construction.
• A “Window of Doom” the longer the project takes, the more you’re exposed to black swans (major unforeseen problems).

Solving Problems Where It’s Cheapest:

Here’s the truth: It’s 10x more expensive to solve a problem during construction than it is during pre-con. If you catch it in pre-con, you erase a whiteboard or delete a file. If you catch it in the field, you pause crews, rework installations, lose schedule, and morale drops.

Lean Thinking: Iterate Early

Lean isn’t about iterating in the field while crews wait. It’s about iterating on paper, design, simulate, refine so that when you execute, you’re not wasting time or resources.

Final Thoughts:

Pre-construction planning is the investment that protects every other investment you’ll make in the project. From budget to safety, to team alignment and client satisfaction, it all starts with great planning.