During the preconstruction phase, Featherstone manages the design team in the client’s interest to assure that the project will facilitate the client’s needs within their desired budget and schedule. This is achieved by our involvement with the project from its inception and our activity in all of the design meetings. We guide our clients through the decision-making process and advise them, as well as, the design team on issues such as economic design approaches, constructability, and scheduling impact.
As the design continues through its various phases, the project’s estimate and schedules are updated to assure compliance with the client’s budget and schedule.
Featherstone also offers independent cost estimating and scheduling outside of our normal services. Utilizing a construction cost-estimating service company with project management experience, that has had every project come in on time and on budget, would be of benefit to you and your client. Featherstone’s forty years of cost-estimating experience is the right solution in providing accurate estimating services from the early conceptual programming level through full construction documents. Access to our project management team gives our estimators “boots on the ground” cost information that separates us from most other cost-estimating services.
Once the design is completed and the project budget and schedule are aligned and approved, Featherstone organizes the contract documents and competitively bids each individual trade activity. This assures that the client obtains the most competitive bidding process while providing the best value for the construction phase of their project. After the bids are collected, Featherstone closely scrutinizes each bid to confirm compliance with the construction documents and then recommends to the client who should be awarded the various subcontracts.
Our highly trained and experienced project team works together on the client’s behalf to administrate the contract documents through the entire construction phase. On site field managers closely coordinate the multiple subcontractors and provide quality control supervision to assure compliance with the contract documents. The office staff of Featherstone supports the field management staff by coordinating the flow of information between the client, design team, and the subcontractors. The office staff, in a combined effort with the field staff, provides implementation of changes, as well as, prepares progress cost and scheduling information. The team works together to implement the subcontractors’ application for payment process to assure work in place and accounting compliance. Each approved subcontractor’s application for payment and waivers are then compiled into a monthly summary report for the client’s review and processing.
Featherstone’s job is not complete until all contract documents have been adhered to and the client is completely satisfied. We extensively walk through the entire project with the client and the design team to closely inspect the project and take any corrective measures necessary to assure total satisfaction. Featherstone also compiles all of the as-built drawings, operating manuals, and warranties from the various contractors and provides extensive building systems training before facility turnover.