Value engineering to optimize construction costs

We on CH3's technical team know that the client will carry out the build on the approved budget and, by trusting our specialists' expertise, can count on additional value engineering (reengineering) solutions to optimize some costs. That's because there are many ways to handle cost, different grades of materials and, of course, situations during the build that may or may not call for a revision.

Recently, for example, our technical team was working on a residential build when, at one point, it suggested a structural value engineering change. The client approved it, and it cut material replacement by 30%.

Whether the build is corporate or residential, and whatever its level of complexity, it takes close attention to spreadsheets of costs x suppliers x materials x schedules x labor for the numbers to add up, with no surprises.

On projects with large open spaces, when a column stands in the way, removing it is not always the best option, since that means paying for a new structure. Thinking through options to keep the build on schedule and finding efficient solutions to situations as they come up is part of everyday work at CH3.

We know it is always possible to adapt the design with something that won't harm or disappoint the client. On residential builds, material prices can vary enormously. That is why a client who plans an entire wood wall in the initial design often gives it up because of the high cost. Finishes, for example, can cost 10 times more.

This is where experience counts, when the design requires replacing an expensive item with another that delivers the desired quality and look. The result should be a balance between the idea and the price.

Since one of the concepts behind value engineering is helping organizations rethink how they carry out their activities at the best cost, applying it on the job site makes CH3 more competitive in the market, because the company works hard to make sure the client never suffers any financial loss.

CH3 Technical Team