Where projects are
won or lost.
Pre-construction is where certainty is built.
Every major project decision — budget, programme, procurement route, risk allocation — is made or shaped before construction begins. The quality of those decisions determines whether the project delivers on its objectives or spends construction recovering from gaps left open too long.
Thorough pre-construction converts assumptions into defined costs, untested sequences into validated programmes, and unidentified risks into managed items with assigned ownership. The earlier this work is done, the more control the client retains over cost, time, and quality through delivery.
Six disciplines.
One integrated process.
Pre-construction is not a single activity — it is a set of disciplines that must run in parallel and feed each other. Conroy manages all six as an integrated programme, not a sequence of hand-offs.
Cost certainty improves with every design stage
At early design stages, cost estimates are inherently broad — not because the estimating is poor, but because the design information is limited. As design develops and trade packages are market-tested, the estimate tightens. The ranges below reflect the level of cost certainty achievable at each stage of design development.
Every estimate is prepared by estimators who understand what they're pricing. Rates are maintained against live supply chain feedback, not published indices. The result is cost advice that can be relied upon — and contracted against.
RIBA 1
RIBA 2
RIBA 3
RIBA 4
4D programming — sequence validated before ground breaks
A master programme is only as useful as the thinking that went into it. Conroy develops its programmes from construction first principles — working back from handover, through commissioning, structural completion, envelope, frame, and ground — to determine the critical path for every activity.
4D BIM links the programme to the model. Every major structural sequence, MEP installation phase, and specialist package installation is visualised in time — not just tracked on a Gantt chart. If a sequence doesn't work in the model, it won't work on site.
Long-lead items — structural steelwork, cleanroom panels, precision cooling, HV switchgear, generator sets — are identified, quantified, and embedded in the programme from the outset. Design information release is programmed against construction milestones, not design team convenience.
Risk identified early is risk managed cheaply
A risk that surfaces on site is never just a technical problem — it is a programme problem, a cost problem, and a client relationship problem. We conduct structured risk workshops before contract to surface them while they are still manageable.
- Ground conditions and substructure risk — informed by site investigation
- Design development risk — gaps in information, consultant interfaces
- Programme risk — long-lead items, specialist package interfaces
- Regulatory and statutory risk — planning conditions, statutory approvals
- Operational interface risk — live environment, phasing, tenant access
- Risk owner assigned for every item — contractor, client, or shared
- Quantified cost and programme impact for each risk
- Mitigation actions with assigned responsibility and deadline
- Risk drawdown tracked against contingency allowance
- Site investigation specification reviewed and challenged where inadequate
- Ground risk allocation clearly stated in tender documents
- Abnormal substructure costs separated and transparent
- Dewatering, contamination, and obstructions assessed pre-contract
- Site logistics plans developed during pre-construction, not on arrival
- Crane positioning, reach studies, and lift plans resolved early
- Traffic management and delivery scheduling for constrained access
- Construction methodology tied to site-specific constraints and phasing
The pre-construction process changes with the sector. The rigour doesn't.
A one-size-fits-all pre-construction process produces one-size-fits-all outcomes. Our approach is adapted to the specific demands of each sector — the risks are different, the long-lead items are different, the regulatory requirements are different.
Pre-construction is also when we build the team
The quality of a project is determined by the quality of the supply chain delivering it. Conroy uses the pre-construction period to identify, assess, and appoint the specialist subcontractors best suited to the project — not just those available at tender.
In technical sectors, supply chain selection is not a price exercise. A cleanroom fit-out contractor, a controlled atmosphere refrigeration specialist, or a GIS protection and controls subcontractor must be technically competent — and that competence is verified before appointment, not assumed after.
Supply Chain RegistrationEngage us in pre-construction — before positions are fixed
The earlier we are involved, the more value we can add and the more risk we can remove. Whether you have a site, a brief, or just a project concept — a pre-construction conversation costs nothing and rarely fails to find something useful.