Something old, something new: 6 strategies for bottleneck-free preconstruction

By

Bruno Pasini

and Diane McCormick

Last Updated May 13, 2026

By

Bruno Pasini

and Diane McCormick

Preconstruction can be a primary source of construction bottlenecks: Before projects get off the ground, they are often mired in volatile material pricing and continuously evolving designs.

But how can construction stakeholders make predictions about an unpredictable future, where the old rules and standards could be jettisoned at any moment?

The solution lies in blending the fundamentals with new techniques and tools agile enough to keep pace with change.

There are a few strategies for clearing preconstruction bottlenecks. Some require fresh takes on timeless goals like understanding the client, writing contracts, and saving pennies. Others call for brand-new tactics — sourcing inspiration from public-sector projects, finding surprising correlations through AI, and leveraging project formats.

Together, they create a blueprint for disrupting longstanding assumptions, breaking through the preconstruction logjam, and pointing projects toward a timely, profitable finish.

The mysteries of preconstruction

Effective preconstruction can be a Catch-22 — the classic problem of two dilemmas locked in a closed loop. It demands precise and early budgeting and scheduling, but how can teams attain precision when future budgeting and scheduling are at the mercy of constantly surging variables?

No solution is perfect, but a proactive, data-driven approach delivers real-time market insights that can offer peeks into future trends.

Amid volatility, airtight preconstruction can mean the difference between go or no-go. A bottleneck-free process creates the launching pad for a project that begins and ends on time, delivers ROI to owners, and assures contractors a healthy profit.

6 keys to efficient preconstruction

Like a baseball manager who preaches the fundamentals while deploying sabermetrics, contractors and subcontractors can streamline preconstruction by revitalizing the basics while stocking their toolboxes with new techniques.

1. Understand the client’s goals.

A volatile and uncertain economic climate magnifies the importance of this preconstruction fundamental.

Contractors entering a project must nail down their understanding of the owners’ expectations. Time spent on ranking their priorities of time, cost, and budget – project-wide and for individual elements – anticipates the moments when one must yield to another.

Is on-time completion imperative to begin collecting rents from an apartment complex, or is postponement acceptable if it saves costs on a delayed shipment of high-end chillers? Bringing that equation to the estimator adds a new layer for supporting decisions and preventing preconstruction from bogging down in back-and-forth discussions.

The owners don’t look at construction as something you build and you’re done with. Property for owners, they’re an asset. They will take care of that asset for the entire life of that building.

Bruno Pasini

Senior Solutions Engineer, Overlay, PM & Preconstruction

Procore Technologies

2. Add new variables to contracts.

The construction industry is adept at securing escalation clauses for projects extending years into the future. Those cost-related clauses must now expand to account for anything that can upset even the best-laid plans.

The whims of politics and conflict bearing down on the global economy are a near-constant factor, and preconstruction is the time to contractually lock in protections.

Supply fluctuations caused by unrest, political clashes, or contingencies that simply aren’t foreseeable could also be included. For example, if a type of granite typically sourced from Africa becomes unavailable, the flexibility to pursue alternatives should be carved into the contract.

3. Turn old procedures into new strategies.

Buying early. Scouring the globe for alternate suppliers. Purchasing basic supplies in bulk. The pennies saved in recommitting to old-fashioned economy can amount to dollars earned.

The trick to getting results from cost-conscious shopping tactics is enfolding them into comprehensive strategies. Know when and how to analyze their impact, and imbue them into preconstruction SOPs.

4. Apply public-sector practices to private-sector jobs.

In public-sector construction, contractors manage constraints on buying and hiring by relying on highly trained specialists to find qualified subcontractors and US-made supplies.

In a world of current and future limitations, private-sector contractors can learn lessons from their peers working in the public sector.

Skilled staff or consultants can carve channels in preconstruction for scouting out alternatives, building supplier relationships, and vetting candidates.

5. Take advantage of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for the construction phases. In preconstruction, AI can produce more accurate estimates quickly, stripping away the delays and lingering questions that can slow the process.

AI’s calculations can encompass a world of varied but interrelated indicators. Will price hikes for Brazilian coffee affect the cost of Brazilian plywood? What story does falling tourism tell about the economic health of a major steel-supplying country? AI considers the seemingly disparate factors that can ripple directly into construction sites.

AI can also scale expertise across projects. The knowledge gleaned about the impact of future developments on, for instance, the price of steel can be applied to the preconstruction tracks underway for multiple projects.

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6. Put skin in the game with design-build and value engineering.

The design-build format is growing in popularity, due in part to its flexibility. The ability to adapt to fluid circumstances intrigues contractors seeking higher-margin jobs and the collaborative input that elevates outcomes.

When more and better options for plans and specs are on the table, stakeholders have access to more puzzle pieces for resolving the new obstacles gumming up the traditional challenges of preconstruction.

In the absence of design-build opportunities or capabilities, value engineering can help fill the gap. Contractors and subcontractors who step up with alternatives steeped in their specialized knowledge can help untangle preconstruction conundrums and keep the process on track.

Keeping preconstruction fresh

As times change, the techniques, strategies, and tools for managing uncertainty must also change. Collateral accumulates in the form of knowledge that braces stakeholders to anticipate and navigate the unknown.

Contractors and subcontractors that strategically refresh their preconstruction processes are the ones prepared to contribute certainty to planning and to collaborate with owners on projects that get the green light despite the uncertainties ahead. 

Written by

Bruno Pasini

Senior Solutions Engineer, Overlay, PM & Preconstruction | Procore Technologies

Bruno Pasini is a Solutions Engineer at Procore, where he develops new tools to simplify and streamline the preconstruction process. He spent nearly 20 years as an estimator and project manager for general contractors and specialty contractors in New York and California. He currently lives in San Diego.

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Diane McCormick

Writer | Procore Technologies

57 articles

Diane McCormick is a freelance journalist covering construction, packaging, manufacturing, natural gas distribution, and waste oil recycling. A proud resident of Harrisburg, PA, Diane is well-versed in several types of digital and print media. Recognized as one of the premier voices in her region, she was recognized as the Keystone Media Freelance Journalist of the Year in 2022 and again in 2023.

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