CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Valcon provides comprehensive construction management consulting services that provide the best results for your project. Our experts possess decades of engineering and construction experience and apply this knowledge to the everyday challenges that owners, contractors, engineers, and architects face throughout the construction process.
Valcon’s role as a construction manager on projects is to be a reliable, capable, and trustworthy partner to our clients as we support them in the successful and safe completion of their projects and programs. Over 80 percent of our company’s work is repeat business from loyal customers; demonstrating the value of the long-term relationships we build with our clients.
Each client’s requirements are unique, so our collaborative and flexible teams approach each program differently.
From the pre-construction phase to construction to post-construction, Valcon functions as an extension of our clients, putting their best interests first and handling every aspect of design and construction delivery.
Construction Management services include:
- On-site management
- Cost estimating and value analysis
- Phasing alternatives/milestones
- Constructability reviews
- General conditions and contract requirements
- Procurement process assistance
- Schedule development and schedule monitoring
- Project coordination meetings
- Contract administration and management
- Quality assurance enforcement
- Progress reporting
- Change order management
- Dispute resolution
- Contract closeout management
WE LEARN IT, DO IT AND SHARE IT. WE ARE CURIOUS. WE SEEK, SHARE, AND BUILD UPON EXPERIENCES.
PROJECT CONTROLS
Successful projects begin when proper planning and procedures are implemented systematically with an ultimate goal of achieving predetermined objectives. A project management plan should be supported by project control processes that monitor work and identify whether the work is proceeding according to plan. To make that determination, project controls personnel assess the data and determine actions to prevent or correct issues.
Project complexity, organization maturity, team experience, cost, project importance, and other factors determine the level of control needed. Excessive control can cause project costs to spiral upward and divert resources from more important tasks. Lax control can lead to delays, errors, political repercussions, and lower-than-expected project quality.
Parallel to our program management expertise is our mission to serve as your advocate in achieving specific project goals in providing complete or select construction management services.
Valcon’s scope of services is tailored to match each client’s specific needs. Our focus is on efficient and effective management, which is aimed at protecting the interests of our client.
Our staff has managed the construction of a variety of facilities for a multitude of clients.
The Valcon team of seasoned construction managers assigned to each project takes pride in the services they provide. Our management team provides project leadership and maintain a focus on the construction schedule. They effectively communicate with the project participants, monitor the work and progress of trades, facilitate coordination, provide project documentation, and follow-up on details and issues until resolved. This maximizes the value our clients get for their construction budget.
Project Cost Controls ensures proper monitoring of the construction budget in a constantly changing environment for the Owner and/or Construction Manager. VJ Associates’ cost control services are conducted on site during the construction stage and include change order management, estimating, scheduling, field inspection, document controls, construction administration, and general project management assistance. We also compare scenarios and evaluate qualifications of new designs at the existing construction site. We manage and coordinate Request for Information and Change Order systems as well as time and cost analysis of scope changes.
PEER PLAN REVIEW
Our focused, in-depth review of plans, specifications and other contract documents is used to identify any discrepancies or opportunities for improvement during the pre-construction stage. These reviews can be narrowly focused on items such as waterproofing assemblies and building code compliance or can encompass a full scope review of all litigation targeted assemblies. Clients are able to tailor the level of each review to their individualized needs.
SCHEDULING
In the scheduling industry, PMA is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost planning and scheduling subject matter experts. We’ve pioneered numerous project scheduling innovations and have published many articles and papers on schedule, delay, and acceleration analyses and on the use of the critical path method in construction contracts.
We are experts in developing, evaluating, and maintaining design and construction schedules. Using primarily Oracle’s Primavera Portfolio Management® (P6) and/or NetPoint for planning capital projects, we develop schedules during the design phase for developing an initial schedule and project duration and for planning critical project activities. During construction, we create schedules for monitoring construction activities, analyze changed conditions and delays, and evaluate their impact on project completion. Post construction, we use schedules to facilitate project closeout and analyze claims, if necessary.
COST ESTIMATING
Valcon provides the full spectrum of cost estimating services from pre-design through bid document stages. Our estimating staff has extensive on-site experience and a thorough knowledge of job conditions, labor productivity, and operations. Our success in providing detailed and professional estimates is a result of our comprehensive database of material and labor pricing combined with our familiarity of various market conditions.
Our Project Managers and Estimators are key members of the Design Team, advising on cost issues from first discussions through completion of the estimate. We also perform constructability reviews, and analyze bids received and reconcile our estimates with the Construction Manager to ensure the accuracy of our work. Our team uses software such as On -Screen Takeoff, PlanSwift, Timberline, Revit, AutoCAD, and Microsoft Excel, and is able to meet unique client requirements as necessary.
VALUE ENGINEERING
Value engineering (VE) improves value without sacrificing quality or function by assembling a cross section of professionals who analyze project plans and requirements. VE relies heavily on team building, effective communication, and efficient decision making to reach creative solutions. By working together, the VE team often arrives at unique approaches to specific design elements that satisfy usage and aesthetic needs, but that trim costs. This approach can result in significant project savings.
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
Value engineering (VE) improves value without sacrificing quality or function by assembling a cross section of professionals who analyze project plans and requirements. VE relies heavily on team building, effective communication, and efficient decision making to reach creative solutions. By working together, the VE team often arrives at unique approaches to specific design elements that satisfy usage and aesthetic needs, but that trim costs. This approach can result in significant project savings.
CHANGE ORDER MANAGEMENT
Resolving change order situations early minimizes your costs and avoids contractor and project schedule disruptions. In order to verify and negotiate change order requests, our staff reviews all drawings, specifications and uses our proprietary database or call subcontractors to verify prices. We go out into the field to further analyze the change order. We make sure the request is accurately priced and not already included in the original scope, and that the original material gets credited if there is a change. We are committed to resolving any change-order issues quickly so the project remains within the budget and is completed on time.
CONSTRUCTABILITY REVIEW
Valcon is often asked to assess the accuracy and completeness of construction plans and specifications and to validate schedules and budgets. A constructability review looks for document inconsistencies and completeness, potential liability, coordination issues, and missed details, among others. It also identifies and eliminates ambiguities and contract language that contribute to unnecessary construction change orders, disputes, and adversarial relationships between the contractor, owner, designer, and project stakeholders.
THIRD PARTY INSPECTIONS
The quality assurance inspection process used by Valcon offers an unmatched level of service in the industry. Our stage inspections occur at pre-pour, pre-drywall and final and encompass hundreds of inspection points. These inspection points are focused on building code, preliminary weatherproofing, manufacturer specifications, architectural plans and industry best practices.
Forensic Testing &Thermal “IR” Imaging
In the case of construction defects, forensic investigation is sometimes warranted to determine the source or cause of a problem or condition. Valcon offers forensic analysis of a number of common construction defects covering most assemblies and components. In addition to careful visual inspection, examples of common forensic testing includes: foundation elevation readings, thermal imaging, moisture content testing, tracing leak-sources, and energy performance testing
* Special services such as construction field audits, video taping and education and training seminars are available.
Our staff is always available for discussion on items of particular interest to our Clients, whether in reference to a specific project or items of a general nature.
Field Observation Reports
OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVE
As owner’s representative, we serve as an extension of the owner’s staff. Valcon provides guidance through the lifecycle of your project, protecting the owner’s interests at all times.
Valcon provides owners with the value-added resources they will need to make their project a success. For an owner whose team may not have the required depth of resources to look after each component of a project, Valcon serves as an extension of their staff.
As the Owner’s “eyes and ears,” we can provide on-site representation to make sure that construction proceeds in accordance with contract documents, on time and within budget. Working as your advocate, Valcon enable clients to focus on their core business without distraction.
Valcon Consulting has over 30 years of hands-on experience and skills that are applied throughout each phase of a project. We provide clients with this technical knowledge to keep you aware of events, enabling you to make informed and timely decisions.
Owner’s Representative services include:
- Analyzing constructability
- Advising the owner on project delivery systems and forms of contracts
- Serving as a single point of contact between contractors and designers
- Representing the owner at key meetings
- Monitoring the project schedule and budget
- Auditing quality assurance/quality control procedures
- Assisting in evaluating contractor payment requests
- Providing monthly reporting
- Facilitating issue resolution