When to bring a builder in: the cost of engaging too late
By the time a project is fully documented, most of the cost is already committed. Early contractor involvement is about influence over that cost, not about winning the job early.
The ability to influence project cost falls away sharply as design progresses. By the time a set is issued for construction, the majority of the cost is locked in by decisions already made.
Early contractor involvement puts construction knowledge into the design phase while the cost is still movable — on buildability, on long-lead procurement, and on the staging strategy.
Worked example — on the Wantirna site the decision that moved the most money was not a material substitution or a trade price. It was the staging, and it was settled before the drawings were issued for construction.
A builder brought in at that point can price a staging strategy as an option against the programme. A builder brought in at tender can only price the staging that has already been drawn. The difference does not show up as a saving on a trade package; it shows up as months of holding cost.
Value-management outcomes with the figures attached are provided on request as part of the prequalification pack, where the client has approved their release.
Completed projects beyond those published here can be provided on request, with dwelling numbers, contract values and referees. Ask for the full list.
Also from the sites.
Tell us about the site.
Send the address, the documentation stage and the programme you are working to. We will tell you what we would need to price it, and who would run it.