What is project development, and why is it so important?

This is a crucial question that many homeowners/investors looking to do construction projects don’t even know to ask. Project development is the process and the facilitation of organizing, coordinating and controlling the resources necessary to get a project from concept to construction. Project development is by far the most important aspect of your project. You will save a lot of time, money and frustration by properly developing your project. Also, you should always involve an experienced general contractor in your project development process.

 

 

Why is project development so important?

The amount of attention you put into developing your project the correct way directly correlates to the level of ease and efficiency experienced during the construction process. Jumping into construction without proper development generally leads to issues with functionality and design that are easily preventable with the right professional assistance from a design + build company like Blue Horse Construction. Another serious issue that often occurs is over development. Over Development is when your budget is X, but you are hoping to build Y. The issue is that you don't truly understand what you can do with the money you have and therefore end up "developing" something that isn't possible to build within your budget. This often results in financial loss and many hiccups during the construction process.

The Right Team

Hiring the rightteam of architect-engineer-contractor is extremely important. Making sure you have a team that has worked together to bring projects to fruition will help eliminate issues that cost you time and money.

The Architect

There are often issues with architects that correlate to budget problems for construction. There are many architects who do not have a grasp on the real cost of construction and how that effects the drawings and floor plan that they are developing. Sometimes architects don’t even ask homeowners about their budget. Most do not even make an effort to design something for their clients that fits within their construction budget. Many times, their only concern is providing you with a design that you like; not one that is cost effective. This is where the contractor comes in. Involving the contractor from the start is important to ensuring that the design process is not over developed. Employing this strategy will save you money in the long run.

The Engineer

The next piece of the puzzle is hiring the right engineer. How do you know if you’re hiring the right engineer? The engineer should be someone who has worked with your architect and contractor before. The more familiarity there is between these three, the less money you will spend as it will heavily streamline the process. Another reason it is so important to hire the right engineer is because of potential over specification of the structural requirements. Some engineers are very afraid of liability and will add many unnecessary structural accessories to the project in order to cover themselves in the event of a failed project. This can significantly increase your cost! The right engineer will require only the correct amount of structural stability but won’t cost you unnecessary expenses.

The Contractor

So why does the contractor matter so much when It comes to engineering? The answer goes back to the preliminary design phase. When discussing what you want with the architect and contractor, the contractor can predict what certain design specifications are going to require and cost. Without a competent contractor, its easy to get lost in the excitement of designing your dream project and not considering easily overlooked costs.

Involving the contractor from the start has more benefits than just this. There are multiple other steps that are required for permits that can be easily forgotten about, and sometimes it can even require a complete redesign of the project if these steps are not completed in the correct order. There are many reasons to involve your contractor in the development phases of your project. It could save you a lot of time, money and headaches in the long run.

Choosing your development team is crucial to your dream project

and your budget! I hope this gave you some insight into why and how to develop a project properly. For questions or help get in touch with Blue Horse Construction