Try PlanHub for Suppliers FREE for 14 days, and watch your sales pipeline grow. Learn More Here.

PlanHub’s Q2 Research Reveals Many Opportunities. Register for the Webinar and Learn More

The 7 Essential Phases of Any Construction Project

A Construction Worker Holding a Phone

Construction projects aren’t built in a day, usually. The construction process takes planning and schematic design ahead of the project for even the simplest remodel. A Project team works tirelessly before construction begins to determine what work needs to happen and what materials should be used. Only then do contractors bid on the construction plan work. From there, it’s a matter of selecting the winner and going to contract. Once the phases of the construction project are done and the owner has moved in, then the warranty period begins.
If you’re wondering what does a construction project manager do, they essentially manage the entire construction process from A to Z. Here are the essential construction project phases and what occurs in each construction phase.

1. Feasibility

The first step in any construction project life cycle is to determine if the project plan is feasible for the owner. They’ll do a construction cost estimate and construction schedule analysis to determine whether the project works for them in terms of budget and construction schedule. An architect or other designer may assist with this construction cosy analysis, providing a high-level description of the work or a sketch showing the project scope.

2. Design

If the project is determined to be feasible in budget and schedule, it moves on to the design phase. An architect and engineering team in the design phase are selected, and drawings and specifications are created in this project phase. These schematic design drawings and specifications provide instruction to the future projects construction managers and contractors about the construction plan work that will be performed and the materials that are to be provided.

3. Permitting

Once the design has been completed, the drawings and specifications are turned in to the permitting jurisdiction, usually the city or county the project is based in. The jurisdiction reviews the design documents to see if the construction shown meets code requirements. The design may have to be revised, depending on the findings of the review. Once approved by the jurisdiction, building permits are issued and construction can begin.

4. Bidding and Contractor selection

Next, the owner will advertise the construction industry project for bid or send it to select general contractors to bid on. General contractors take the plans and specifications and look for subcontractors to perform any work they don’t provide in-house. They will often advertise for subcontractors on job lead sites, like PlanHub. PlanHub is a great way to let subs know you’re looking for bids, as you can invite specific subcontractors in the area of the physical construction project. Whether you’re in California, Texas, Maine, or anywhere in between, PlanHub will have quality leads for you. Subs can also look for projects to bid on by searching for keywords in the plans and specifications. Once the subcontractors have bid the work from one of the construction bidding websites, the general contractor selects the best proposals, based on the price and quality of the project team, assembles their bid for the overall project, and submits it to the owner for review. The owner selects the best team based on their criteria, which often includes low bids and might include general contractor software for free.

5. Construction

If you are confused about the differences between a construction manager vs project manager, let us explain. A Project manager deals with all the management responsibilities and a construction manager deals with this process. After the winning construction contractor has been selected, and contracts have been signed, the physical construction phase can begin. Construction involves the installing of the materials and equipment as shown on the bid documents and managing the budget and schedule. Contractors can ask questions by submitting RFI’s to the general construction contractor and the design team. Changes are a regular occurrence on construction projects and are addressed through change orders.

6. Move in and Occupancy

Once the work is completed, the jurisdiction makes final inspections to ensure that everything has been installed per code requirements, and the owner creates a final punch list of items that need to be addressed. After these items are complete, a certificate of occupancy is issued, and the owner can move in. On commercial construction projects, the HVAC and electrical equipment are often commissioned by a commissioning agent to ensure that they are running as per the plans and specifications.

7. Warranty

Once the owner has moved in, the contractor must be available to address warranty issues for at least one year after move-in. If something isn’t working correctly or breaks within that timeframe, the contractor is responsible for making repairs or replacing the work.

Be the first to know

PlanHub insights, resources, and news, sent directly to your inbox.

    planhub
    planhub icon

    Data and Deep Insights

    We make construction smarter by connecting with the right people, at the right time, for the right project.

    With our technology and data intelligence, we empower construction professionals to easily build the right business relationships, streamline pre construction processes, and make efficient decisions.

    From competitive intelligence in each project allowing you to know how many other contractors are downloading or bidding to insights as to contractors’ performance, we provide the data you need to lead your business to success.

    By providing faster, simpler, and unmatched data insights in each step of the pre construction process, PlanHub helps your business lay a strong foundation for the success of the rest of the construction process.

    planhub icon

    Bid Leveler & Proposal builder

    Comparing bids to one another has never been easier. Users can now see bids side by side, compare bid amounts, and review subcontractors’ certifications and qualifications all in one place.

    Bid Leveler’s apples-to-apples approach allows you to easily drill down and see detailed, easy-to-scan cost breakdowns. Indicate bid preference, hide bids that don’t meet your needs, and request needed information from subs.

    planhub icon

    Full Bid Management

    From the initial decision to pursue a project to the final bid submission and follow up, bid management plays a central role in pre construction.

    Effectively managed bids during the preconstruction phase set the stage for a successful project execution and satisfied clients.

    Streamline bid management from project posting to estimating, bidding, and awarding in one place with easy project posting, project-contractor automatic matching based on trades, location, and qualification with PlanHub.

    Use bid planner, bid builder, bid leveler, and award tools to always know what’s going on with each project and bid.

    planhub icon

    Estimation and TakeOff

    Let’s face it—time is money. And the more time it takes to perform takeoffs and submit bids, the more you risk losing out on valuable revenue opportunities. Manual methods and locally installed desktop software slow your takeoff process, and many digital solutions currently on the market can be overly complex and not user-friendly. 

    Build faster takeoffs, get more bids out the door, and win more projects. Forget pen and paper, outdated desktop software, and overly complicated digital takeoff solutions. PlanHub’s easy-to-use Takeoff tool helps you and your team build accurate takeoffs faster, minimize errors and material waste, and win more projects that boost your business growth. Performing your takeoffs with PlanHub allows you to:

    • Streamline and integrate your process: Perform your takeoffs in the same platform you use to manage your network and bids.
    • Avoid costly estimating errors: Get better accuracy with digital tools instead of traditional, mistake-prone pen and paper.
    • Collaborate easily: Share and work with your team, no matter where you—or they—are located.
    • Submit more bids and win more projects: Get quality bids in front of general contractors faster and get ahead of your competition.
    planhub
    planhub icon

    Document Management

    Organize, store, and manage various documents, blueprints, drawings and other information related to projects before the actual construction phase begins.

    This phase is crucial for setting the foundation of a successful construction project, and effective document management plays a significant role in ensuring that all necessary information is accessible, accurate, and up-to-date to all interested parties.

    Access, review, work on, and share large complex documents in one platform with amazing speed. From project definition, drawing management, takeoff, estimation, bid management, and contracts, everything happens in PlanHub.

    planhub crm
    planhub icon

    CRM

    Be part of a construction professionals’ ecosystem that enhances collaboration, streamlines project management, and fosters smart relationships between companies, construction professionals, and projects.

    Enjoy seamless communication, build strong relationships, and streamlines project management. By leveraging the power of connections and collaboration, we enhance efficiency, save time and resources, and drive collective growth in the industry.

    planhub network
    planhub icon

    1M+ pre-qualified network

    PlanHub is the leading platform that connects companies, construction professionals, and projects in the pre-construction industry, focusing on building and developing meaningful relationships to enhance efficiency and productivity.

    We have integrated general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers’ workflows in one platform to simplify the complex back and forth usually present in preconstruction. By allowing all interactions to be done through PlanHub, tracking projects and relationships is much easier, saving contractors and material suppliers time and money. Interactions in the platform are tagged and measured to provide insights to users.

    General contractors create bid packages that are shared in PlanHub as projects. They can include templatized lists of all CSI cost items as part of the new Baseline feature. Baseline allows for faster and more accurate bid requests, facilitates homogenization of subcontractors’ bids, and simplifies the comparison of incoming bids.

    Subcontractors are automatically matched with relevant projects based on their profile, preferences, and pre-qualification information saving hours of research to both sides. They can review project details, documentation, and blueprints.

    planhub icon

    High-quality projects

    Your one-stop job for qualified hard-to-find private project leads in varying stages like pre-planning, bidding, etc., and across different geographies, zip codes, or distance to your office.

    Projects include plans, specifications, bid dates, and other relevant project information.

    You can segment project leads by type of project, status, project building use, trades and sub trades, or create your own list of keywords — and be notified when one of them is found in a posted project’s documentation or plans.

    We make it simple to find projects that match your business — and make sure you are notified right away.

    				
    					<script src='https://planhub.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js' id='jquery-core-js'></script>
    <script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//js.hsforms.net/forms/embed/v2.js"></script>
    <script>
      hbspt.forms.create({
        region: "na1",
        portalId: "7063061",
        formId: "ced7254f-5c61-49b9-9ce0-6f870b79a958"
      });
    </script>
    				
    			

    Get the report!

    From the very beginning, PlanHub has been a place where people can do meaningful work and build strong relationships.

    Come grow with us! We’re building innovative technologies that simplify preconstruction for everyone.

    Estimation is a simple yet powerful digital estimating tool for general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers that integrates with PlanHub’s existing Takeoff software
    Create quicker, improved takeoffs effortlessly. PlanHub’s Takeoff aids your team in accurate, faster estimates, minimizing errors, and driving business growth.

    Expand your network and connect with general contractors, subcontractors, owners, architects, and suppliers – not to mention thousands of relevant projects at your fingertips.

    Generate relevant leads, faster and with precision. With access to private, hard-to-find projects, you can connect with architects and owners on projects still in the pre-design and design stages.

    PlanHub’s advanced suite of bid management tools allows you to increase productivity, identify relevant projects using data, build bids with Takeoff, and manage bids through the entire process.