Fundamentals of
Pre-Construction & Project Management
Course goal
Our goal in this course is to teach you the best residential construction Project Management and Estimating practices we know. With a new (or renewed) foundation of these skills we hope you end the course with more confidence in your work, access to new tools, and a network of other emerging project managers and estimators in the industry.
To-do before Session #1:
Introduce yourself on the Project Management Forum
Read Bringing Up the Budget blogpost by Paul Eldrenkamp
Read Charging for the Estimate: How to Avoid Giving Away a Lot of Free Work by Brian Altmann (Note access to this article requires registering with The Journal of Light Construction - which is free)
Read the HELM Glossary for this course
Session 1: Welcome and Orientation
Slides
Session 1 Slides
Recording
Session 1 Video
Agenda
Welcome/Intro to HELM
Goals of Course
Land Acknowledgement
Participant Introductions
Pre-Construction, and what a Project Manager Does During Pre-Construction
Related Documents
Homework for Session 2
Complete this Pre-Construction Survey
Review the sample project (bathroom) Design Development (DD) plans. Imagine that your job is to estimate this project. Come to Session 3 with any questions about how to do that.
Session 2: Estimating Basics and Cost Codes
Slides
Session 2 Slides
Recording
Session 2 Video
Agenda
Review Homework
Approach to Sample
HELM’s Approach to Estimating
Sample Estimate HELM’s Version of the Bathroom Estimate
Questions
Related Documents
Tia’s Bathroom Estimate
Homework for Session 3
Read Reap the Bottom-Line Benefits of Active Job Costing
Review this Estimating Packet:
Complete 2 takeoffs from the Design Development Plans from Sample Project (link shared above in Session 2). Use the Estimating Template 2023 we shared with you via Google. FYI, this is a google version of the Pre-Con & PM Training Estimating Template, which is part of the Estimating Packet.
**If you want Tia to review your work, share your Google Sheet with Tia by Sunday night.**
Session 3: Cost Interventions and Presenting Estimates to a Client
Slides
Session 3 Slides
Recording
Session 3 Recording
Agenda
Homework review and questions/Survey
Cost Intervention Overview
Budgeting and Estimating Your Pre-Con Time
SD Estimate Ranges.
Need for historic data
Preliminary budgets for renovations/no historical data
Markup – Bathroom Example
Presenting Deliverables to Clients
Homework for Session 4
Read two articles on Pre-Mortems to familiarize yourself with the process
Fine Homebuilding Pre-Mortem by Fernando Pages Ruiz (requires registering for a Free Trial from Fine Homebuilding)
The Pre-Mortem: A Simple Technique to Save Any Project From Failure by Tyler Tevooren
Complete SD Budget Range (***using new Estimating Template***) based on SD drawings
Session 4: Contracts, Kickoffs & Pre-Mortems
Slides
Session 4 Slides
Recording
Session 4 Recording
Agenda
Review Homework
Contract Essentials
Project Pre-mortem
Project Kick Off