When it comes to construction projects, most initial planning is within budget projections. The planning purposefully makes sure the expected costs add up correctly, even with a buffer of 10 or 20 percent in many cases for overrun. However, it’s typically not bad planning that triggers out of control construction costs once the work actually starts. Instead, the problem has to do with being committed to the project so that it can be averted (i.e. too far down the path to reverse) and changes that don’t match the original plan but those involved feel they need to occur. No surprise, everyone in the construction project then feels captive to the need for a change order or multiple change orders, and the costs go up without control.
In reality, while change orders are necessary in many cases due to unforeseen factors involved with construction projects, change order review can go a long way in controlling otherwise runaway costs from exploding. Simply because an additional change is needed doesn’t mean the barn door has to be flung wide open.
Let the TruEst team manage and mitigate complicated and detailed change order reviews. Their team comprises of experienced quantity surveyors, who provide support in the change order review process as part of their quantity surveying services.
Mitigating and Managing Change Orders
Contractors oftentimes take advantage of these situations and related panic scenarios to boost costs and their own profit margins. However, with quality change order management scrutiny, such situations can be easily controlled so that only what is actually necessary for a change is expended. TruEst’s team of experienced quantity surveyors work to ensure that your budget stays fairly under control and maybe within the original overrun buffer, your contractor realizes that a spec change won’t mean suddenly a free pot of gold, and your project doesn’t run off the rails without any management control.
Construction change orders often slip through because how they get started is frequently a legitimate reason. Even the best planning doesn’t anticipate labour problems, poor grade materials being delivered, missed shipping deadlines, unexpected regulation and permit problems and much more. These issues can be guessed at, but mistakes and wrong assumptions happen.
Your Partner in Construction Change Order Process
Thus, when the change order comes in its legitimacy often has folks feeling like they have no choice but to agree. However, with an experienced partner helping with change order management, projects can easily stay on track instead of becoming the next spec order disaster story everyone hears about locally.
Give TruEst Cost Consultants a call or email to find out more. Your project financial success may very well depend on having the right help before the change order occurs.