Closeout with PlanGrid: for owners
The last few months of a project can be a stressful period for project teams as they scramble to compile closeout data and wrap up punchlists. More often than not, contractors run out of time, and will continue working on items post-occupancy—leading to poor resolution of issues.
PlanGrid can help teams complete punchlists and inspections faster and more seamlessly. These tools provide owners with the transparency to track contractors’ performance, as well as avoid surprise change orders.
Pass final inspections
It’s the Friday before move-in, and the inspector is on site. The whole team braces themselves: not passing the final inspection because of an off-the-wall, unanticipated issue is an owner’s worst nightmare. PlanGrid minimizes the risk of failing inspections by helping you identify potential issues much earlier in the project, when there’s still time to react.
If owners and contractors keep up with RFIs and revisions on PlanGrid, they can simply pass those onto inspectors before they even set foot on the job site, so they know exactly what to expect. I’ve seen final inspections completed in just ten minutes. Not only does this reduce risk and ensure transparency leading up to an inspection, but it also means you won’t be surprised with an issue when you’re down to the wire.
Track the performance of contractors with punchlists
We’ve found that people are more responsive when using PlanGrid: 70% of our survey respondents said PlanGrid has sped up response times to project issues. This is partly because punchlists on PlanGrid are so easy to create and manage: drop a stamp on your plan and assign an owner, status, and due date. Add rich context to that issue; whether it’s an annotated photo, description, or cost/schedule impact notifications.
This transparency allows owners to see how quickly different contractors are working through punchlists. Tracking productivity means owners can make a best-value decision on their next job, instead of simply going with the lowest bidder. Now you actually have the data to know who will get the job done. I was always taught “it’s not how you start a job that matters, it’s how you finish it.”
Be notified of potential issues or surprise change orders
Using PlanGrid’s punchlist, contractors can notify owners of cost or schedule impacts when creating an issue. This information is typically a surprise, as owners can often make requests outside of the scope of work without knowing they incur additional costs. Having this knowledge at your fingertips means more predictability, and more informed decisions. Using schedule and cost notifications, owners can reduce the risk of surprise change orders or schedule delays due to punchlist items.
One of my favorite success stories is from DPR, a California based GC that used PlanGrid on their biggest project to date: the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. From start to completion, 2,596 quality items were tracked and resolved in PlanGrid, resulting in zero defects at substantial completion. Their VP of Construction called it the best project he has ever seen.
This is the fourth in a series of 5 blog posts about how owners and developers use PlanGrid throughout a building’s lifecycle. Read more:
How PlanGrid is game-changing for owners and developers
How owners can use PlanGrid in design
Construction with PlanGrid: for owners
Operations with PlanGrid: for owners
About the author: Josh is a Customer Success Manager at PlanGrid, based out of Philadelphia. He joined PlanGrid after working for 6+ years in the construction industry at an ENR Top 400 General Contractor. You can reach him at josh.progar@plangrid.com or on LinkedIn.
