Pre-Construction & Estimating
Budget estimating and planning support before ground is broken, so scope and cost are aligned early.
What is pre-construction & estimating?
Pre-construction is where we turn drawings and a program into a realistic budget and schedule, before procurement or subcontractor work begins.
This stage catches scope gaps, long lead-time risks, and budget misalignment early, when they're cheapest to fix.
What Northlane handles
- Quantity takeoffs and cost estimating
- Budget development and value-engineering review
- Constructability review of drawings and specs
- Preliminary schedule development
- Risk identification (lead times, permitting, site conditions)
Our process
- Step 1
Program review
We review the owner's program, drawings, and budget target.
- Step 2
Takeoff & estimate
We quantify the scope and build a detailed cost estimate.
- Step 3
Value engineering
We flag options to align scope with budget before design is finalized.
- Step 4
Schedule planning
We build a preliminary schedule accounting for procurement and permitting lead times.
Frequently asked questions
When should pre-construction estimating start?
As early as possible, ideally while the design is still in schematic or design-development stage, so budget and scope can be aligned before costs are locked in.
What's included in a pre-construction estimate?
A quantity takeoff, detailed cost estimate, constructability notes, and a preliminary schedule that accounts for procurement and permitting lead times.
Can you estimate from incomplete drawings?
Yes, we can build a conceptual or budget-level estimate from early design documents and refine it as drawings develop.
Does pre-construction cost extra on top of the project?
Pre-construction scope and pricing are discussed up front on the quote form so there are no surprises before work begins.
Ready to talk about pre-construction & estimating?
Tell us your scope and timeline — we'll follow up the same day.