WHY WORK WITH A GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR A CONSTRUCTION

General contractors are people who carry out construction projects. Their responsibilities may include supplying labor, materials, equipment, and other services while handling day-to-day supervision of a construction site. Project owners may choose to hire general contractors because they take the burden off of them. In fact, once general contractors are appointed they take complete control of the project, making sure
everything finishes on time and that the construction project plan is executed properly.

Benefits: One of the most obvious advantages of hiring general contractors is  not having to with manage the construction project directly. This kind of project management is a full-time job in itself so why not let an experienced general contractor take care of everything? General contractors are highly beneficial since they have established supplier relationships and a proven familiarity with obtaining the correct permits and scheduling the necessary inspections. This wealth of knowledge ensures that the building design will be completed on time and in the most efficient manner possible.


Platinum Builders Inc., a California based general contractor and construction management company , has the resources and skills to handle projects flawlessly. The company is comprised of an in-house team of skilled craftsmen and design-build architects who make sure the project is finished according to the client’s expectations. To get in touch with Platinum Builders Inc., visit 742 Charcot Ave San Jose, CA 95131 or
log onto http://www.platinumbuildersinc.com/.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN-BUILD?

Environmentally sustainable building design and construction is the idea of designing and constructing buildings and services while keeping the principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability in mind. The purpose of sustainable design is to completely eradicate negative environmental impact through skilled, sensitive designing. Materialization of sustainable design necessitates no non-renewable resources and influences the environment minutely.

While the application may vary, some of the common principles of sustainable design and construction are as follows:

• Low-impact materials: choose recycled, non-toxic, sustainably produced materials that need little energy to process
• Quality and Durability: better-functioning and longer-lasting products decrease the impacts of producing replacements.
• Energy efficiency: use products and manufacturing processes that require less energy
• Strong eco-design: strong engineering design and architectural design principles are applied to the design and construction
Even though new technologies are continually being developed to complement current practices in producing greener structures, the common aim is that green buildings are constructed and designed to lessen the overall impact of the human health, built environment and the natural environment. Companies that are interested in sustainable development use various building design techniques and principles. Platinum Builders, a California based company, is devoted sustaining the environment while devising construction project plans that comply with the demands of the customers. The team of experts develops environmental management plans that are project-specific to decreasethe project’s environmental impact. For more information, log onto http://www.platinumbuildersinc.com/ or visit the company at 742 Charcot Ave San Jose, CA 95131.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR BETTER EXECUTION OF CONSTRUCTION

Project management is the discipline of organizing, planning, managing and securing resources to achieve particular goals. A project is normally a brief endeavor with a definite start and end date to meet construction project plans and objectives. The main challenge of project management is to achieveall of the project objectives while respecting the preconceived constraints such as, time, scope, and budget. The more ambitious and secondary challenge is to integrate the inputs and optimize the allocation to meet pre-set objectives. Usually, project management is comprised of several elements and regardless of the terminology or methodology used, the same basic processesare applied. These normally include:

• Initiation
• Development and construction planning
• Execution and production
• Controlling and monitoring
• Closing

A construction project management company is an entity which is responsible for execution, planning, and closing of any construction project. A project manager is responsible for achievingthe project objectives. Key responsibilities include determining the project requirements, creating attainable project objectives, and managing time, cost, and scope.

Platinum Builders, a construction management and project management provider is well equipped with the latest technological tools to boost project communications. The team members accurately report cost controls all through the construction process. The managers have the skill, resources and experience to effectively manage the most challenging projects and consistentlydeliver them on budget and on time. The team of professionals first understands the clients’ building design requirements and thenensures the clients’ expectations are met. To learn more about the company log onto http://www.bayareacontractors.biz/ or visit 742 Charcot Ave San Jose, CA 95131.

WHAT IS PROJECT SCHEDULING DURING BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION?

Scheduling is the task to get the subcontractors on a project at the right time and in the right sequence. In project management, a schedule comprises of a series of terminal elements with planned start and end dates. These elements are often estimated in terms of budget, resource requirements, and duration. The main aim of a schedule is to complete building design and construction on time and without any confusion.

A project schedule is typically comprised of:

Sequence of Tasks

It would be impossible to manage a project if the sequence of events were unknown or ambiguous. Hence, knowing the right progression, i.e. which sub contractor will be required when, is important to getting a project completed on time.

Duration of Tasks

The duration of every task depends on certain factors, the project’s size, manpower used, and the complication of the building design. A schedule is important not only to set the length of the current tasks, and related tasks but also to adjust everything in case there is change.

Critical Path

The critical path is a series of tasks that decide the duration of the construction project. If a task on this critical path is postponed by one day, the project is delayed by one day. A schedule displaystheitems that are on the critical path and how they are affecting the other tasks.

Platinum Builders, Inc is a general contractor that offers construction services for all kinds of commercial projects. The expert team creates project schedules during preconstruction with the help of a preconstruction manager and construction project manager while working in partnership with the subcontractors, design team, and other members. The project schedules that are created are accurately maintained and
updated on a regular basis.

ADVANTAGES OF DESIGN BUILD

It is a system in which, the project owner contracts with a general contractor to both design and build the project. The owner does not individually hire an architect or engineer for design as that becomes the responsibility of the general contractor. It is the general contractor who subcontracts, through bidding or other means.

Design-build delivery has several advantages-

Price Certainty- With this method, the project owner has the best certainty of the cost of the building at the very start of the project. This is because the owner specifies what he is ready to pay for a building before soliciting proposals from the - design-build contractors for the pattern, features, and materials they are going to provide for the particular price.

No Conflicts and Disputes- Because the builder and designer are part of the same entity, and the project owner is not the guarantor of the accuracy and completeness of the work, the owner may avoid disputes that occur between the engineer and construction contractor.

Faster Project Delivery- Because the design and construction phases go hand in hand, design-build can deliver a project quicker than other approaches.

Agency Requires Less Technical Staff- With design-build; the project owner does not have to constantly review the correctness and entirety of the architect/engineer's work. Therefore, the owner could have less need for in-house technical staff to administer projects.

Platinum Builders Inc. can be a great resource when you want to create a design-build for your project. The expert staff at the company can help with evaluations, building design, site engineering and audits. The design-build support of Platinum means help with engineering, planning and project management.

Pre-construction Services keep Projects on Schedule

Pre-construction services are additional services provided by some construction management companies or builders at the front-end of a project. These services help the project owner achieve the desired building design and budget goals.

The facilities offered during the pre-construction phase will differ depending on the type of project in hand, contractors hired and the point at which they are hired. Below are a few of the services the contractor will provide during the pre-construction process.

EstimatesAt different periods of the pre-construction process, the contractor will provide the owner with preliminary cost estimates. As the project starts, estimates will be updated and the information will become more accurate.
Value Engineering
If there is any discrepancy between client budgets and initial designs, the contractor can advise on alternate construction and material methods to bring them in sync.
Scheduling
Construction scheduling works the same way as estimates. The commercial builders will develop a schedule that shows timelines of various activities that will occur during the process of construction. This schedule will be updated as the project design evolves.

Proper design and planning is an important part of any project. Platinum Builders Inc., a leading pre-construction services provider, offers facilities that are designed to provide the essential pre-project planning, scheduling and cost development, and value engineering prior to the beginning of a construction process. When these services are utilized efficiently, they can lead to a reduction in changes to the design build process, as well as keeping the project staying on budget and schedule.