How We Build
Pre-Construction
Where Pereff designs WITH the builder at the table. Holes and busts caught before the bank sees the proforma. Value engineering protects your budget. Loan proforma delivered to the bank during construction documents.
Why preconstruction matters more than construction
Decisions made during feasibility and early programming — building footprint, structural system, target square footage, finish level — lock in 0–0% of total project cost before a shovel touches the ground. [Pereff Industry Knowledge Base, project lifecycle] That means the most consequential phase of any commercial construction project happens before the construction contract is signed.
Because Pereff is both designer and builder — or manages the design architect under Pereff's own contract — holes and busts get caught at the design table before they become change orders. Holes are items missed from drawings; busts are items designed incorrectly that won't fit or function. In design-bid-build, the GC discovers both on site and bills the owner for every one. In Pereff's model, they don't exist by the time construction starts.
Heavy value engineering runs throughout design — saving clients tens of thousands on finish-outs and over six figures on ground-up projects. The result is a validated budget, a buildable design, and a real schedule before any money is committed to construction.
What we do in preconstruction
Six work streams running in parallel — all before construction starts. This is where holes, busts, budget overruns, and change orders get eliminated, not discovered on site.
In-house design or partner architect under Pereff's contract
Pereff handles design in-house or coordinates a partner architect under Pereff's contract — making Pereff the single point of accountability. No finger-pointing between GC and architect. Holes and busts get caught at the design table before they become field change orders.
Value engineering throughout
Heavy value engineering runs the entire design phase — not as an afterthought. Finding lower-cost ways to achieve the same function and quality. Saves clients tens of thousands of dollars on finish-outs and over six figures on ground-up projects. Every time.
Bank proforma delivered during construction documents
The loan proforma is created and delivered to the bank during the construction document phase. The lender sees the real validated number from the start — not a preliminary guess that changes after design is finalized. This is how Pereff's bank facilitation works.
Long-lead identification — medical + mechanical
We flag items with long procurement lead times during precon: dental and medical equipment, rooftop units, switchgear, specialty lab casework. Order them early and they don't sit on your critical path. For healthcare, this directly protects the doctor's monthly production schedule.
City negotiations + permitting strategy
Pereff has strong relationships at every city in North Texas. We negotiate with cities during design review, schedule pre-application meetings to surface concerns before formal submittal, and compress permit timelines. Pereff got one healthcare project permitted in 1 month when the city was 8 months backlogged.
Subcontractor alignment
We identify and align the trade contractors for the project during precon — not after the contract is signed. This compresses the buyout window and gives owners better certainty on who is actually building the job before they commit.
Typical duration
Most healthcare TI and ground-up preconstruction takes 3–6 weeksfrom kick-off to complete construction documents. Multifamily and senior living projects using HUD programs require a 1-year minimum HUD review process from application to loan commitment — that review begins during preconstruction.
City permit review adds to the timeline — DFW suburbs typically run 3–8 weeks, but Pereff's city relationships have compressed this dramatically. One healthcare project was permitted in 1 month when the city was 8 months backlogged. Precon is where we build the honest schedule so expectations match reality before any construction money is committed.
What you get at the end
- Validated budget. Within ±5–10% directional accuracy — not a national database guess. Line-item, open-book, labeled as directional and subject to final GMP.
- Buildable design. Construction documents reviewed for constructability before they're finalized, so the first full set is bidable without a resubmittal cycle.
- Schedule with critical-path callouts. A working schedule that identifies the critical path, the long-lead items on it, and the permit windows so the owner can make go/no-go decisions with real information.
- Permit strategy. City confirmed, occupancy classification confirmed, pre-application meeting scheduled or completed, first-submittal checklist ready.
Frequently asked questions
Timeline, deliverables, and why the budget you validate here is the one that holds.
How long does preconstruction take?
Most commercial preconstruction engagements run three to six weeks, depending on project size and how far the design has progressed. It runs in parallel with design rather than after it — Pereff is at the table while drawings develop, not waiting for finished plans to price.
What do I actually get at the end of preconstruction?
A validated, buildable budget; a design vetted for holes and busts before the bank sees it; locked long-lead procurement; a city negotiation and permit strategy; and a loan proforma ready to hand the lender. The goal is no surprises once ground breaks.
Why does so much project cost get locked in this early?
Roughly 60–80% of total project cost is committed by decisions made in early design — structure, systems, and layout. Changing those later is what drives change orders. Preconstruction is where Pereff applies value engineering while changes are still cheap, which is how owners save months and meaningful dollars.
Can I start with preconstruction and decide on the build later?
Yes. Preconstruction is a scoped engagement on its own — you can start there, see the validated budget and permit strategy, and commit to construction afterward. Directional budgets are subject to final GMP at construction documents and are not a binding cost commitment.
Does preconstruction include the financing side?
Pereff is not a lender. During preconstruction Pereff prepares the loan proforma and facilitates the bank relationship so the lender sees a credible, buildable number — but final loan terms are bank-determined.
Start with preconstruction — commit to the rest later
Share the project type, location, size, and where you are in design. We'll scope a preconstruction engagement and tell you exactly what you'll have at the end of it.
Directional budgets are subject to final GMP at construction documents. Not a binding cost commitment.