Driving Project Success through Contractor Collaboration

Daniel Hines, Principal at Bohler Charlotte

As Principal of Bohler’s Charlotte, NC office, Daniel leads a team of site civil engineering, land surveying and landscape architecture professionals focused on helping developers across the Carolinas tackle site challenges to accomplish their land development goals. With 20 years of civil engineering design and project management experience, Daniel offers extensive knowledge and exceptional problem-solving skills. His expertise spans both commercial and residential land development, including site design and permitting, stormwater management, roadway design, low-impact development and implementing innovative, value-driven engineering strategies.

Benefits of Early Contractor Involvement in Commercial Real Estate Projects

Many commercial real estate developers rely on architects and engineers to help define a project’s scope and cost, delaying the selection of a general contractor or construction manager until just before construction begins. However, this traditional approach may result in missed opportunities.

At Bohler, we often recommend involving contractors early in the planning process. Experienced contractors can offer valuable insights into material and labor costs and availability, helping shape key planning decisions. They can also collaborate with site civil engineers to streamline site preparation, utility work, access and trade sequencing.

Involving a general contractor early is particularly beneficial for large-scale or phased construction projects. It enables us to approach the design more strategically, reduce costs and deliver more accurate timelines.

“The overall goal of getting a general contractor and an engineer working together is to maintain your schedule and your budget,” agrees Jeff Mitchell, director in the Charlotte, North Carolina office of Duffey Southeast Construction Inc.

When our friends at Duffey Southeast Construction are brought into a project, they collaborate with a site civil engineer to identify and address constructability challenges, such as material lead times, rocky terrain, or deep manhole connections. They assist developers in planning resources and timelines for project tasks, leveraging field experience to resolve potential issues.

Insights from Subs

While engineers design projects, contractors and subcontractors are responsible for physically bringing them out of the ground. Subcontractor input on assembly can help manage costs effectively.

“Involve your general contractor early in the planning process to leverage their insights on costs and logistics, ensuring a smoother and more cost-effective project execution.”

Contractors and subcontractors often help project owners secure the best material pricing or recommend early purchases to address long lead times. This collaborative approach is a key feature of the design-build process, where design and construction phases are combined under one contract. This integration promotes cost-efficient designs and faster project completion.

During the design phase, subcontractor cost feedback is typically gathered at key milestones, such as 30%, 70% and 90% design completion, to ensure costs align with project goals. Throughout planning and construction, open communication allows contractors to propose alternative methods to reduce costs or accelerate timelines. Subcontractors also provide valuable insights into seasonal labor trends and supply chain fluctuations while helping identify potential safety issues and lead time challenges early in the process.

Collaboration in Action

Seamless coordination between Duffey Southeast, Bohler and other project partners recently made for a smooth delivery of more than 450,000 square feet of industrial space in Huntersville, North Carolina. 

The three-building project is part of McDonald Development Co.’s North Chase at The Park industrial campus.

Phase 1 required careful staging to have materials on hand as each subcontractor arrived, completed their work on one building and then moved on to the next, making way for the next crew to quickly move in for the next stage of construction. Working with precision speed and efficiency, the team stood 278 concrete tilt-walls in seven-and-a-half days.

“Working with true professionals makes the job easier on everybody and the Bohler team are true professionals,” Duffey Southeast project Manager Dolph Hargis told me. “This great accomplishment was a team effort by our supervision and our trade partners. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Streamlining Permits and Approvals

Contractors can help designers navigate permitting challenges as well. Where possible, they may suggest steps like securing an early clearing or mass grading permit. This enables contractors to begin work while the more detailed design and permits are finalized, helping developers stay on or ahead of schedule.

Another opportunity to streamline permits is in large, multi-phase projects like North Chase at The Park. To improve efficiency for future phases, our site civil team worked with the contractor to lay out the grading and stormwater management systems to support the overall development. The goal was to balance earthwork and meet the overall stormwater requirements up front, rather than addressing each building or parcel individually. As a result, the team obtained permits for the overall stormwater management measures, allowing for flexibility and efficiency in completing those future phases.

The Bottom Line

There is usually more than one engineering solution to a particular site’s challenges. Through open communication with the contractor, we can work together to identify a cost-effective and efficient approach for that specific scenario. Every project is an opportunity to learn, get creative and ultimately deliver value by keeping the work on time and within budget.