SERVICES

Pre-Construction

The Pre-Construction Phase should serve the purpose of identifying all possible project issues and developing means to deal with them. In effect, it should be a rehearsal so once construction starts, it is accomplished flawlessly, without any unforeseen conditions and without surprises.

This phase allows the Project Team Members of the various firms to come together under the common goals and needs of the project. The project momentum develops much earlier in the process, and also provides a forum for the identification and pre-ordering or pre-bidding of “long-lead time” equipment and special services.  Proper planning provides for perfect performance.

The Team works together at the inception of the project to help establish sufficient conceptual information to prepare budget estimates and schedules. These tools are updated as frequently as necessary as project information develops. The budgets serve to allow the Project Team and Client to make informed decisions throughout the process. The goal is to ensure that cost and schedule are, at all times, predictable elements of the process. This “real time” analysis and feedback process also serves to allow the team to examine various alternates and again, to make informed decisions.

What can be an important part of the Pre-Construction process is Value Engineering. Value Engineering represents an on-going review of systems, means, methods, products and finishes to evaluate cost and benefits. Our building experience can suggest alternate solutions working closely with the design teams’ intent.

Value Engineering does NOT have to reduce value!

Typical Services included in the Pre-Construction Services Stage:

  • Coordination with all Project Team members.
  • Attendance at all relevant project meetings.
  • Design and specification review and analysis.
  • Preliminary budgets with updates.
  • Preliminary schedules, including tracking and milestones for pre-construction and construction activities.
  • Exploratory demolition as appropriate.
  • Mock-ups as appropriate.
  • Value Engineering.
  • Identification of long-lead items and proposed action options.
  • Development and Team approval of subcontractor and vendor listings for bidding purposes.
  • Develop bid documents and bid forms that complement those to the architect and other consultants.
  • Administer the bid process.
  • Evaluate bids, meet with low bid subcontractors, as required, prepare final construction pricing for client’s approval.
  • After client’s approval, award subcontracts and commence work.
  • Coordinate local building department (AHJ) acceptance.

Construction Project Management

The Project Manager in a construction process can represent Ownership to fulfill all of your construction related requirements. He will strive to assure you can complete your project as expected and get to work or keep you working. We can represent the owner of a project who wants to ensure that his needs are met. We have experience working with a multitude of design professionals and sub-consultants from the best Architects or LEED accredited, M/E/P, Structural, Fire, sound, waterproofing, etc. consultants we can coordinate, investigate, design and construct with them all. We can get your job done, quickly and professionally! We can provide a turn-key solution to any building or infrastructure construction need. Our Project Manager operates as one hand of a two handed responsibility. Operating "hand-in-hand" with the Superintendent, the Project Manager takes the lead on all documentation, delivery issues, reporting, financial analysis, cost control, and schedule updates. The Project Manager acts as a primary liaison for project administration and as the primary source for project information flow. As a key responsibility, the Project Manager is always striving to be ahead of the project curve, anticipating issues, and following up on items to ensure the project’s consistency, predictability and conformity to goals and needs.

Typical Project Manager Responsibilities:

  • Quality control.
  • Timely and concise communication with all Project Team members.
  • Working with Superintendent, prepare and regularly update project schedules on a regular basis.
  • Prepare, update, and distribute all project reports.
  • Chair all meetings, prepare and distribute meeting minutes.
  • Track and expedite products and fabrication.
  • Manage all project correspondence.
  • Prepare and distribute all financial projections and reports.
  • Expedite and confirm material and product deliveries
  • Coordinate and prepare paperwork on all project changes, update weekly reports.
  • Coordinate monthly draws and payments to subs and vendors.
  • Track, expedite, and report on submittals, transmittals, samples, and shop drawings.
  • Coordinate receipt of project closeout data; compile and submit warrantees, guarantees, as-builts, equipment operating manuals, attic stock, and other required products.

Construction Superintendent

The position of Superintendent complements that of the Project Manager. Whereas the Project Manager is responsible for the administration, information, and paper flow of the project, the Superintendent is responsible for the actual production. Stationed on-site the Superintendent controls, monitors, and is responsible for adherence to schedule, quality, and job safety. The Superintendent and Project Manager maintain a high level of communication.

Typical Supervision Responsibilities:

  • Quality control.
  • Project safety.
  • The clients smooth and continued operation.
  • Working with Project Manager, carefully revive, prepare, and regularly update project Schedules.
  • Prepare weekly expanded "rolling schedule" updates for field staff.
  • Chair regular subcontractor, vendor, and trade safety meetings.
  • Monitor and control adherence to contract documents.
  • Monitor and control adherence to safe job practices.
  • Ensure timely completion.
  • Responsible for timely punch-list completion and project close out.

Project Tools & Services

We utilize a variety of resources to ensure that we provide the very best product possible. From the latest, cutting-edge technology to basic pick and shovel, sweat energy—we use it. Our staff members are equipped with networked computers with the most advanced software, email, and voice mail. In addition, all our staff has cellular phones. No one is more than a few minutes away at any time. The only constant that we have is our acknowledgement that each project has its own set of needs and demands and that our systems must be flexible enough to meet those demands. Accordingly, we have purposely established our reporting systems, forms, and tools to provide for maximum flexibility. We will adapt our tools to meet your needs, rather than the other way around.

Electrical & Mechanical Construction Services

ML Hall is an Electrical Contractor as well as a builder and can provide any type of electrical, cable, data, industrial electrical, digital control system, electronic, audio/visual, or motor-control system you might require. ML Hall can provide mechanical and electrical engineering design services or coordinate closely with your existing consultants.

ML Hall utilizes all or some of the following reporting tools and systems to enhance project communication and information flow:

  • Submittal, sample, and shop drawing processing and logs updated weekly.
  • Timberline Estimating and Construction Management Software.
  • Master project schedules on Microsoft Project
  • Weekly “look-ahead schedule” updates.
  • Computerized tracking of Requests for Information and RFI logs.
  • Permit expediting.
  • Subcontractor and vendor agreements that reference and complement the owner / contractor agreement.
  • Change Order Requests and Change Order Request Logs
  • Daily Field reports.
  • Weekly owner meeting and meeting minutes.
  • Weekly subcontractor meetings and meeting minutes.
  • Safety procedures, periodic safety meetings, and meeting minutes.
  • Weekly in-house progress meetings.
  • Monthly financial reports.
  • Project cash flow reports and updates.
  • Monthly client invoicing.
  • Disbursement of client funds to proper subcontractors and vendors.
  • Ensuring the receipt of partial and final lien releases from subs and vendors as appropriate.
  • Ensure that all subs and vendors have the appropriate liability and worker’s compensation insurance.
  • Quality control reports.
  • Coordinate building department inspections.
  • Expedite material and equipment deliveries.
  • Expedite fabrication and delivery of products.
  • Inventory controls.
  • Real time cost reporting.
  • Internal auditing.
  • Project close-out as-built drawings and documentation.
  • Project close-out punch-list administration, supervision, and expediting.
  • Project close-out warrantees and guarantees.
  • Project close-out attic stock
  • Project close-out operating manuals

Project Accounting

Every project is assigned a Project Accountant who is responsible for coordinating and interfacing with the Projects Project Manager and Superintendent, as well as handling all aspects of the project’s accounting needs. By combining accounts payable and receivable, payroll, general ledger, and administrative functions, such as insurance, into one role, we provide cohesiveness in our approach: a single source of responsibility and an individual who has a vested interest in the project outcome.

  1. Planning Phase
    1. Establish billing and payment procedures designed for the specific project
    2. Develop preliminary cash flow schedule
    3. Review financial qualifications of proposed subcontractors
  2. Construction Phase
    1. The primary focuses during the construction phase are cost and risk control. The project accountant will:
    2. Prepare frequent internal audits
    3. Evaluate subcontractor liability and workman’s compensation insurance
    4. Review and update Cash flow schedules
    5. Ensure receipt of proper lien releases and other interim documents
    6. Comply with any special project reporting requirements
    7. Standard accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and general ledger processing
  3. Project Close-Out
    1. Prepare final billings
    2. Close out subcontractor and vendor accounts
    3. Acquire and submit appropriate final releases
    4. Prepare any project specific reports and documentation

Project Staffing

Our most important asset and product are our people and their finely honed skills. While each project has its own demands that may cause us to adapt the roles accordingly, in one form or another, the following key roles and responsibilities are offered to you.

Roles & Responsibilities

PRINCIPAL

A Principal of the Firm is involved with the project from inception to completion. The Principal acts as a unifying force, ensuring that the client’s needs are being met in everything we do. This guarantees a standard philosophy of quality control.

PROJECT ESTIMATOR

ML Hall's Estimator is responsible for preparing detailed budgets, making sure that those budgets are formatted to respond to the clients needs, preparing and presenting various “what if” scenarios. They will provide value engineering, presenting alternate means that will accrue either to reduced cost, reduced schedule or both. The Estimator will prepare all bid documents, manage the bid process, and present final contractual values. The Project Estimator has a keen knowledge of construction cost, a detailed orientation to the project and excellent communication skills. Your estimator could be the project manager as well.

PROJECT MANAGER

Our Project Manager handles the project administration. Coordinating with the Estimator, Superintendent, and others, the Project Manager ensures an accurate and timely flow of all project paperwork, such as schedules, submittals,  project reports and financial projections. The Project Manager will conduct all project meetings, keep and distribute minutes, and monitor and track deliveries to ensure timeliness. Cost projections and control are maintained and monitored by the Project Manager with the assistance of the Superintendent. The Project Manager is your direct link to all of your projects construction activities.

PROJECT ACCOUNTANT

Each project is assigned a Project Accountant to act as the central source for financial information processing from the inception of the project to its close out. The Project Accountant ensures payment flow from Owner to Subcontractors and Vendors, maintains financial reports, prepares monthly financial analysis where applicable, ensures receipt of proper liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, and obtains proper lien releases as part of the projects close-out.

PROJECT ENGINEER

A Project Engineer may be assigned to assist the Project Manager or Superintendent to facilitate any task in the performance of the project.  Depending on the level of complexity of a project the Project Engineer, Assistant PM, or "Super" might assist with any project task from design to close-out.

SUPERINTENDENT

The Superintendent has the basic responsibility to ensure timeliness of completion, quality of workmanship, and job safety. Located on-site, the Superintendent coordinates the Subcontractors and Vendor’s workflow within the overall schedule. By conducting weekly meetings and preparing schedule extracts, the Super monitors and adjusts progress and anticipates problems before they happen. Quality is a core responsibility for the Superintendent, as he strives for the goal of a "No Punch-List Job". Every day, the Superintendent scrutinizes the job site to ensure quality, dimensional control, and adherence to specifications. Budget, cost controls, and projections are performed in conjunction with the Project Manager. Safety, being of utmost importance, is monitored closely by the Superintendent by holding regular safety meetings and upholding strict protection standards.

GENERAL FOREMEN, ELECTRICIANS, and TRADESPEOPLE

Our tradespeople, foremen, and mechanics are the best in the industry and constantly honing their skills. The heart of our meeting your goals can be seen in the dedication of our professional technicians.  

SCHEDULING, SAFETY, AND QUALITY CONTROL

Scheduling will be performed as collaboration between our Project Manager and Superintendent, with input from key subcontractors and vendors where appropriate.

ML Hall Contracting is extremely safety conscious and believes and enforces that a safe construction site is everyone’s responsibility. We are keenly aware of the heightened concerns created by a project where we are working throughout occupied buildings, or in secure facilities. While safety is everyone’s responsibility, we fully understand the need for individuals to be responsible for implementation and monitoring of Safety. ML Halls Superintendent has primary responsibly for safety and is empowered to ensure a safe project site. Our laborers and any tradesperson working on our sites will also be responsible for monitoring and implementing the ongoing physical safety elements of the site, such as barricades, paths of travel, and overhead protection. All individual trade persons working on our sites attend project specific ‘tail-gate” safety meetings.

Quality Control and a customer that can use the finished product for its intended purpose, completely satisfied and ready for business is our constant goal.