What is Fast Track Construction
...and why are we owners so in love with it?
At least until construction pricing started rising here 2% per month...
The short definition of fast track is that you start digging the hole, installing your utility connections, and building a foundation prior to completing design of the superstructure.
The benefit is that you get to overlap your final design time with the first phase of the construction period. This takes a couple of months out of the design/construction schedule. It allows you to dial in your exact finishes when you get a chance to walk the building, and get a "full scale model" perspective of the light, air and spatial relationships.
It seems like we only perform fast track delivery anymore, much to the consternation of our talented (and opinionated) architects. Given the fact that this is what the market demands, what and how can you fast-track?
We will not commence a project until we have all permits and firm fixed price contracts for the following:
- We complete design on everything related to the exterior envelope, structure, waterproofing and rough openings for doors and windows.
- We complete design on HVAC system supply and return duct sizing and locate units. We locate kitchen exhaust fans and ducts.
- We locate dryer exhaust ducts and waste plumbing returns.
- We complete all MEP work for each floor, detailing connection sizing and location of verticals.
Basically--we do all work under one building permit. This takes a great deal of the approvals risk out of the budget, and allows us one or two passes of building it on paper to get our numbers close to right.
We price off a version 1.00 of the finish schedule. Many of these items can be placeholders--the trick is the thickness of the assembly needed for stone or paneling--including any mortar beds. What we want to fix are wall, ceiling and subfloor dimensioning and relationships--top of subfloor, and back of mortar beds in bathrooms. Casework and cabinetry are placeholders, with unit costs budgeted in according to the level of finish indicated in the finish schedule. Landscape and pool are placeholders.
In short, we have a complete budget tied to a placeholder finish schedule, that we can iterate off of as construction gets underway. This eliminates a good portion of construction risk, and yields a cost to complete and time to complete estimate that is a reliable budget and planning tool.
