How can value engineering help control the cost of a build?

Every build starts with an approved budget. Value engineering (reengineering), as CH3's technical team applies it on the job site, is the set of additional solutions that make it possible to optimize some costs within that budget.

The concept applied to construction

One of the concepts behind value engineering is helping organizations rethink how they carry out their activities at the best cost. On the job site, that means reassessing decisions about structure, materials and finishes in light of what matters in the project. There are many ways to handle cost, and situations during the build may or may not justify a revision.

On a recent residential build, for example, CH3's technical team suggested a structural value engineering change. Approved by the client, it cut material replacement by 30%.

Where value engineering usually comes in

• Structure: when a column stands in the middle of a large space, removing it is not always the best option, because it requires a new structure and adds costs.
• Materials and finishes: on residential builds, prices can vary enormously. An entire wood wall is often dropped because of the high cost, and some finishes cost as much as 10 times more. Experience counts when replacing the expensive item with another that delivers the desired quality and look.
• Planning: whether the build is corporate or residential, it takes close attention to spreadsheets of costs, suppliers, materials, schedules and labor for the numbers to add up with no surprises.

What the client gains

The goal is a balance between the idea and the price. CH3 starts from the principle that it is always possible to adapt the design with something that won't harm or disappoint the client. Applied on the job site, value engineering makes the company more competitive, because the commitment is that the client never suffers a financial loss.