6 Stages of Construction

Undertaking a construction project is a hefty task, requiring a significant amount of planning and coordination. It can also be quite a lengthy process, but each stage is crucial in ensuring the project’s success. We break down each stage to help you plan your next construction project. 

Concept and Design

The first stage of any construction project is creating the concept and fleshing out the design for your project. This is where the main vision for the project will be defined, and the initial drafts for design will be completed. Whether you’re building a house, building or amusement park, conceptualising the project is the first crucial step in your construction project. 

The design of the project will include both internal and external aspects, and will set the tone for the project, and also create benchmarks and goals from which your team will work off. Construction design can be an extremely complex task, and may be something that you need to outsource to a professional design or architectural firm.

Planning

Planning is where all of the ideas and hopes for the project are put into feasible, achievable tasks. From budgets to personnel, the planning process defines the scope of your project and sets parameters from which you can work from. Planning is crucial for identifying any areas that need support or outsourcing, and enables all of the preparation work to be completed before construction begins. 

Pre-construction 

Once all of the planning has been completed, actions can start to be taken. However, it’s not quite the time to commence construction yet. Before construction can start, the pre-construction process must take place. This means obtaining all the necessary permits and completing the right paperwork so that your project will be viable and lawfully carried out. 

This process also includes the preparation of your construction site. Whether you need to clear the land or archive certain aspects of it, this is a vital step to ensure that your project will be able to commence without delay. 

Procurement 

Before the physical construction process can start, you must gather all of the necessary resources, equipment and personnel that you need in order to start the construction itself. Depending on the size of your project, this can take some time, with particular materials or equipment taking a while to arrive. Many construction companies have their own procurement departments, but other smaller ones will have to carry this out on an ad hoc basis when they take on new projects. 

Construction 

Once all the correct planning and preparation has been completed, construction can finally start. Using the schedules and plans you spent so much time figuring out, the project should be able to be carried out with minimal delays and surprises. 

When construction starts, it’s important to give everyone their schedules, coordinate with all of the different teams in the project, and encourage open communication between those teams. This is the best way to help deal with any surprises or setbacks, which can be inevitable in even the best-planned project. 

Post-construction 

After construction has been completed, it’s beneficial to evaluate the whole project and identify where things went wrong, if they did. You can also reflect on successes and feedback to your teams on how the project went. This provides a great learning opportunity to carry into the next project.