by John Scott, Scott-Long Construction
Every business transaction should perform a risk analysis, especially a church construction project. We see two main risks – in Part 1, we will deal with unforeseen conditions in construction.
What are unforeseen conditions and what could they cost? Typical budgets for church construction include a 10% contingency. It is not unusual for half of this contingency to be used for issues unknown by the contractor and design team for unsuitable soils and unexpected existing conditions unanticipated by the designers.
For example, each project has specific standards for compaction of soil in trenches, under footings, and backfill of structures. Oftentimes, the soil material onsite is unable to achieve the required level of compaction. Therefore, the contractor must bring new soils onsite, or manipulate the existing soils, and remove the unsuitable soils. These efforts are very expensive.
In a renovation project many architects and engineers assume what is behind walls, ceilings, and slabs instead of performing a thorough investigation. This can lead to significant coordination issues in the field for the contractor – often costing the church dearly.
Could these costs be avoided? Not totally but they can be mitigated by an increased level of planning in preconstruction. For example soil investigations are a common and necessary practice required for confirming the structural integrity of the site. We recommend that enhanced soil studies be performed, beyond standard practice to test all soils onsite and make a plan for any issues that arise.
On a renovation project exploratory demolition should occur. Removing drywall or even concrete to expose actual locations of structural, mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems is money well spent.
Next we’ll explore the impact of how change in scope can bear additional risk to the project. Stay tuned for part 2.