Before a project begins there is much work to be completed. This work is critical to starting the project on
the right foot. Depending on the structure of the company, many people will be performing their part to
insure that all of the work is completed, executed and finalized in a timely manner.
As a member of the field staff all of this work will affect how your project begins. Therefore it is imperative
that you are involved in taking a proactive role in the pre job process. The following is a list of items that
will need to be set up or completed prior to beginning the project.
The information below is a summary of what should be done at project start up. More detailed information
can be found in the procedural chapters in the website. Please see the index
Contracts
Award of Contract / Letter of Intent
Once the job has been bid and Prime Construction has been determined as the low contractor, the owner’
s awarding agency must officially award the project to Prime Construction. Following the award of the
project, the awarding agency will send a Letter of Intent that will note the Owner’s intent to issue a contract
for the project to Prime Construction. At that time a Letter of Intent should be issued to the subcontractors.
Prime Contract / Notice to Proceed
A Prime Contract will usually be issued within 10 days following the issuance of the Letter of Intent. Prime
Construction has 10 days after receipt to gather all information such as bonds and insurance or any other
requirement of the contract and return the signed contract to the Owner. The Owner will then sign the
contract and issue a Notice to Proceed letter. This letter will state the actual date the project will start.
Subcontracts Draft, Review, and Issuance
When the contract has been awarded to Prime Construction the Estimating and Contract Administration
Departments begin working on the subcontracts for the project. At this time the Superintendent and/or
Project Manager reviews the inclusions, exclusions, and issues on past projects and sends the
comments to the Contract Department for review and inclusion into the contract prior to the contracts
being issued. Subcontracts should not be issued until the Prime Contract has been fully executed. NO
contractor should proceed until the subcontract has been fully executed.
Accounting / Estimating Interface
Most companies have a separate estimating and accounting systems. The Estimating Department will
enter all information into the Estimating Program. The information will be transferred to the Accounting
system which, when complete, will be the basis for all Labor, Material, Equipment and Subcontractor
Reports. The estimate being transferred should be reviewed by the Field Staff prior to the transfer to
Accounting. Once the information is transferred, the budget reports should be compared to the original
estimate to confirm they match the estimate and the contract amount.
Initial Documents
Record Drawings
After the Owner has issued the Letter of Intent, all addenda and bid information is to be posted on the
Record Drawings. The posted Record Drawings can then be copied for the Superintendent and field
foremen’s use in building the project.
Schedule
Following award of the project the scheduling department should create a preliminary schedule for use in
determining the actual duration of the project will meet the contract duration. The Field Staff should review
the schedule and comment on any revisions that need to be made. The revisions are then reviewed with
the Scheduling Department and the schedule is revised. It is good practice to include the schedule in the
subcontracts prior to issuance.
Schedule of Values
The estimating, accounting or scheduling department will create a schedule of values for the project by
assigning values to each activity in the construction schedule from information in the estimate, and
information from subcontractors. The schedule of values must be completed prior to the first billing with
time for the owner and architect to review the values. Once approved the schedule of values will be used
as a basis for each owner progress billing as well as the subcontractor billings
Permits for the Project
Confirm with the local and state agencies that all permits have been obtained. The owner must be
contacted to confirm that the permits they are responsible for have been issued. Some typical permits
include:
- Building Permit
- Grading Permit
- Encroachment permit
- Storm Water Pollution Permit (Notice of Intent / Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan)
- Environmental Health Permit
- San Joaquin Valley Pollution Control Permits
Temporary Services
Temporary Power
After the letter of intent has been received the Project Manager / Superintendent must contact local power
company serving the project to set up temporary power for the project. This could take from 2 weeks to 22
weeks depending on the area the project is being constructed. Costs for the temporary service are
usually included in the first bill; however, larger service requests may require payment prior to any
engineering being started by the power utility.
Temporary Telephone Service
After the letter of intent has been received the Project Manager / Superintendent must contact Pacific Bell
to set up temporary telephone service for the project. This could take from 2 weeks to 6 weeks depending
on the area the project is being constructed. Costs for the temporary service are usually included in the
first bill; however, larger service requests may require payment prior to any engineering being started by
the Telephone Company. Temporary service must include lines for telephone, fax, and data.
Miscellaneous Services
Other miscellaneous services will require quotes from the suppliers. Some other services include:
- Drinking Water / ice
- Dumpsters
- Jobsite Offices
- Temporary Toilets
- Overnight Service
- Fuel
- Storage Containers
- Equipment
- Office Supplies
- Security
- Temporary Fencing
- Blue Printing
Contractor Planning and Notifications
Pre Construction Meeting
Prior to the start of construction, a Pre-Construction Meeting must be held to review the project
requirements. The architect, consultants, Owner, and all contractors are to be invited. The Project
Administrative Manual must be compiled and distributed with the contracts. Another copy will be given to
the contractors at the Pre-Construction Meeting.
Compliance and Initial Contact Letters
Prior to the start of each project information must be transmitted to the contractors relative to the
requirements of the project. The first letter should welcome the contractors as a member of the project
team. Subsequent letters should notify the contractors of project compliance issues including but not
limited to the following:
- Contracts
- Insurance
- Bonds
- Submittals
- Progress Billings
- Record Drawings
- Certified Payroll
Contract Administration will send a request for the contracts, insurance and bonds; the project staff will
generate all other information.
Contract Documents for Contractors
When the Letter of Intent is received, contact the architect to obtain the all available contract drawings.
Confirm that all sets are complete. Transmit the sets to the contractors with a letter of transmittal that
notes the drawings set, addenda, specification number, and how many sets were transmitted.
Office and Administrative Set UP
Required Jobsite Postings
Each jobsite office is required to post information relative to Safety, Labor, Medical, Business Licenses
and Permits. The project staff will be responsible for posting the information at the jobsite. The
information can be obtained from the State Website.
Project Files
The Contract Administration Department will generate a list of files for review by the Project Manager /
Superintendent. Due to the varying requirements of each project two lists of files will be provided. Any
additional files not listed can be added at this time.
Production Planning
The Superintendent and Project Manager must review all budgets to determine the following for all Prime
work:
- Crew Size relative to budget
- Crew Size relative to schedule
- Confirm crew size and scheduled time will meet the contract budget
Submittals
Review the specification to determine the submittals that will be required for the project. Enter all
information into the tracking system. Notify all contractors of the submittal requirements.
Office Supplies and Furnishings
The following is a list of office supplies and furnishings that can be used as a checklist with starting up a
project. Depending on the size and scope of the project, items may need to be added or deleted from the
list.
Office Supplies
- 2 hole punch
- 3 hole punch
- All files noted
- Binders (3", at least 6 each)
- Calculator tape
- Calendars
- Computer disks
- Envelopes (HCCI window)
- Envelops large 9x12 and 10x13
- File folders
- File labels
- Film
- Hanging file folders
- Highlighters
- Number index dividers
- Office supplies account
- Outlet/Power Bars Surge protector
- Overnight delivery service
- Paper
- Paperclips
- Pencils - Red & Standard
- Pens
- Phone message pads
- Plan shipping bags
- Push pins
- Received stamp
- Rubber bands
- Post it note pads
- Shipping labels
- Shipping tape
- Standard computer files
- Standard Forms
- Tape
- Tape dispensers
- Timesheets
- Vertical files
- Yellow lined pads
Office Furnishings
- Book shelf
- Broom/mop/vacuum
- Calculators
- Camera
- Chairs
- Clock
- Computer
- Computer Software (Word, Excel)
- Conference table
- Copier
- Desk chairs
- Desks
- Distribution Boxes for Paperwork
- Dry Erase Board & Pens
- Electric pencil sharpener
- Fax
- File cabinets
- Hanging folder racks
- Job office
- Plan table chairs
- Plan tables
- Printer
- Tables
- Staplers
- Storage containers
- Telephones
- Weather radio
- Temporary power boxes & cords
- Trash cans
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