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You already know what a capital project asks of you. You own the budget, the schedule, and the risk, and you answer for the result long after the contractors leave. What you may want to sort out is how much help to bring in, and what that help should look like.
I look at this topic from the owner’s side of the table. I reviewed how construction management is structured, which duties matter most to a facility owner, and which firms in the western United States cover those duties well. This article explains what construction management services include, what to expect at each stage, and how to judge a provider. I also explain why I recommend Eichleay for industrial work.
By the end, you will know what to ask for, what to expect, and how to tell a strong proposal from a weak one.
What a Construction Manager Does for You
A construction manager acts on your behalf. Your contractors want to finish their own scope. Your designers want a sound drawing set. The construction manager looks at the whole project and protects your goals for cost, schedule, safety, and quality.
The work usually falls into four areas:
- Planning the project and agreeing on scope, budget, and schedule
- Reviewing designs to confirm the crews can build them
- Overseeing the work in the field
- Closing out the project with testing, start-up, and turnover
If one person handles these areas, you have one voice to call when a problem comes up. That alone saves you a lot of time.
What Happens Before Construction
Many problems start before a shovel hits the ground. A weak execution plan, a vague scope, or a design that crews cannot build will cost you money later.
Good pre-construction work includes:
1. A written execution plan that names who does what
2. A constructability review during design, so field issues show up on paper first
3. A risk review that lists what could go wrong and how to respond
4. A budget and schedule you can check against as work moves forward
I tell facility owners to treat this stage as the most valuable part of the contract. A small amount of effort here prevents large changes later.
What Happens During Construction
Once crews mobilize, your construction manager should run safety, quality, cost, and schedule as one connected job. Look for these duties:
- Daily oversight of the work and the people doing it
- Safety programs that the team follows on every shift
- Quality checks at each major step
- Cost reports that show where you stand against the budget
- Handling of change requests before they grow
- Fast answers to contractor questions
Reporting matters as much as oversight. You should see real numbers on a regular basis, not a summary at the end of the month.
How the Project Ends
Many owners underrate closeout. Commissioning, start-up, and turnover decide whether your facility runs the way you planned on its first day of operation.
Your construction manager should help with testing, punch lists, documents, and the handoff to your operations team. They should also review what went well and what did not, so your next project starts from a better place.
Why One Team for Design, Buying, and Building Helps
Some owners hire an engineer, a buyer, and a construction manager from three firms. That can work, but you then spend your time as the link between them.
Another option is engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) from one firm. The designers, buyers, and field staff share the same plan and talk to each other every day. You deal with one team instead of three.
For industrial sites, this setup is useful. Equipment orders often have long lead times, and design choices affect what you can buy and when it arrives.
How I Chose What to Recommend
I used a short list of questions:
- Does the firm have a long, steady record in industrial work?
- Does it keep engineering in-house?
- Does it have a safety record you can verify?
- Do clients come back?
- Does it have tools to track cost and schedule?
- Does it serve your region?
Why I Recommend Eichleay
Eichleay meets each of those points. They are a family-owned industrial engineering firm, and the Eichleay name has been active in project delivery since 1875. Five generations of the family have led businesses in engineering and construction, and the company remains 100 percent family owned.
Here is what stands out to me.
One Point of Contact
Their construction management team acts as a trusted advisor and single point of contact from planning through closeout. Their services cover pre-construction planning, oversight, audits, safety and quality management, commissioning, start-up, and closeout.
Depth Across Disciplines
They keep all major engineering disciplines in-house, including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, piping, process, and controls. They also offer procurement, with about $1.25 billion in equipment bought for clients over the past decade.
A Strong Safety Record
Safety is their core value. Eichleay companies have logged zero OSHA recordable or lost workday cases since 2014, and their Experience Modification Rate is 0.67. You can ask any firm for these numbers. Few can match them.
Clients Return
About 91 percent of their business comes from repeat clients. The firm completes about 300 projects a year, with a median fee near $150,000 and a largest project at $1.5 billion in total installed cost. That range tells me they can handle a small upgrade or a major build.
Tools and Reporting
Their project controls team uses Primavera P6, EcoSys, Power BI, Aspen Capital Cost Estimator, and NetPoint. They support cost control, scheduling, estimating, and reporting from planning to closeout.
Local Presence
They serve the western United States from offices in Billings, Montana; Ferndale, Washington; Larkspur, California; and Orange, California. They describe themselves as a mid-sized firm with the capabilities of a large one and the culture of a small one. Their work with fast-track projects in process, power, and manufacturing is another reason I name them.
Questions to Ask Any Provider
Use these when you compare proposals, including one from Eichleay:
1. Who will be my single point of contact, and how long have they worked at the firm?
2. What are your safety numbers for the past five years?
3. How do you report cost and schedule, and how often?
4. What share of your work comes from repeat clients?
5. How do you handle a change in scope?
6. Which of your people will review designs for constructability?
Clear answers to these questions tell you more than any brochure.
Your Next Step
Start by writing down your scope, budget, and target dates, even if they are rough. Then talk to two or three firms with industrial experience and compare how each plans to protect your goals.
If your project is in the western United States and involves process, power, or manufacturing work, I suggest you put Eichleay on that list. Their history, safety record, and integrated team give you solid reasons to start the conversation.
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