Construction Management Services and Expertise

HICAPS' Construction Management Team provides management services to meet each customer’s project expectations while mitigating risk during the planning, design, construction and owner occupation phases of a project and/or program.

By fully understanding customer goals and objectives, our professional construction management firm can identify the necessary technical expertise, optimal delivery system, and develop and execute a customized plan to ensure a successful project solution.

HICAPS Program and Project Management Services include:

• Feasibility Studies
• Solicitation of Designers and Contractors
• MWBE Program Development
• Development and Evaluation of Designer and Contractor Bid and Qualification Packages
• Design Review and Planning
• Resource & Logistics Planning
• Cost & Budget forecasting
• Risk Mitigation Support
• Contract Documentation Review
• Critical Path Scheduling (CPM)
• Project Team Coordination
• Program & Administration Procedures
• Report & Progress Assessments
• Submittals Management
• Procurement Tracking System/Schedule
• 3rd Party Vendor & Subcontractor Coordination
• Standards & Quality Control Inspections
• Claims Avoidance & Analysis
• Project Delivery & Closeout

HICAPS' general contracting philosophy is one of flexibility—customers can determine their level of involvement, and we will develop an appropriate building process.  

HICAPS holds an unlimited general contracting license in North Carolina, South Carolina, Commonwealth of Virginia, Florida and Tennessee.

Our Construction Management Team is experienced in many delivery systems to include but not limited to construction management "at risk", design build, design bid build and negotiated contracting.

Our combined knowledge and expertise gives us the ability to provide our customers with complete design build services.

HICAPS can contract directly with subcontractors and oversee all facets of the project including construction design and subcontract management. We strive to set an example for the contractors we work with by showing them how to do it right the first time.

The following are HICAPS' goals for every general contracting project:

• Complete Customer Satisfaction
• Quality Standards - zero defects the first time
• Safety Policy Enforcement - zero accidents
• Regulatory Compliance - meet and/or exceed codes and requirements
• Project On Time & In Budget

HICAPS has proven construction managers and superintendents on staff who perform on-site owner representation services. In this role, HICAPS becomes an extension to the owner’s staff and provides construction expertise in order for an owner to feel comfortable during the design and building process. HICAPS' sole responsibility is to ensure the owner’s rights are protected and that they are receiving a project that is fair in price, constructed soundly, per design and specifications, and delivered on time.

HICAPS' scope of service during this role:

• Keep the owner currently and accurately informed on all construction matters
• Attend and represent owner during contractor meetings
• Closely monitor the progress of the construction and compliance with the contract. Recommend courses of action to the owner to correct deficiencies
• Establish and coordinate meetings with contractors, project team, and owners
• Identify and expeditiously resolve contentious issues before the issues become claims. Provide documentation to support the resolution of any claims
• Provide quality assurance of the contractor’s quality control processes
• Monitor and expedite obtaining the necessary inspections and permits to obtain occupancy of the facility

HICAPS specializes in providing Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling and project controls. Our CPM scheduling and project controls consultants are experienced in developing, analyzing, updating and monitoring project schedules and other project reporting procedures specific to each customer’s needs.

HICAPS utilizes standard industry scheduling methods and software to develop, monitor and report the progression of construction projects such that our customers are informed quickly and accurately of project events, potential problems, and corrective actions.

Industry Project Controls and Scheduling Software:

• Primavera
• SureTrak
• Microsoft Project

Construction Project Scheduling Services:

• Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling
• Program Management Schedules
• Preliminary Project Schedules
• Planned and As-Built Analysis Schedules
• Resource and Cost Loaded Schedules
• Construction Project Acceleration
• Schedule Delay Analysis and Quantification
• Earned Value Management (EVM)

Contract administration includes negotiating the terms and conditions of contracts and ensuring compliance with those terms and conditions, as well as documenting and agreeing on any changes that may arise during its implementation or execution.

At HICAPS, we are experts in systematically and efficiently managing contracts as well as their execution and analysis for the purpose of maximizing financial and operational performance and minimizing risk.

HICAPS Contract Administration Services include:

• Assist and evaluate in the contracting process
• Closely monitor the progress of construction and compliance with the contract
• Recommend course of action to correct deficiencies
• Keep owner currently and accurately informed

The HICAPS Construction Management Team has extensive experience in construction and engineering cost estimating.

Our construction cost estimators provide our customers with detailed quantity takeoffs and pricing from a construction project’s conception phase to closeout. To inform this process, we maintain extensive databases of historical and current local and national construction and engineering cost figures including, labor, and material and equipment costs. We are equipped to prepare estimates and/or verify proposed construction costs at various stages throughout the construction process.

Construction Cost Estimating Services:

• Conceptual Project Budgets
• Construction Bid Estimates
• Contract Cost Review
• Value Engineering Cost Estimates
• Life Cycle Costing
• Change Order Evaluation
• Claims Pricing and Evaluations

Our HICAPS Construction Management Team has extensive construction, scheduling, cost estimating, and engineering experience to make an assessment of the outstanding issues, and assist in developing a strategy to resolve claims and disputes.

In addition, our practitioners may serve as expert witnesses, and have vast experience with the claims process and a realistic, holistic approach to assessing issues.

Our involvement in the claims process can be broken down into the following steps:

• Identify the issues
• Evaluate the claim against industry practice
• Review the claim against the contract specifications
• Evaluate the claim within recognized standards of performance
• Advise the client as to the strength and weakness of the claim

We Represent:

• Owners
• Contractors
• Designers
• Subcontractors
• Suppliers

HICAPS Claims Analysis & Expert Witnesses Services includes:

• Initial Claim Evaluation
• Claim entitlement
• Time impact analysis
• Cost impact analysis
• Claim Strategy
• Document discovery
• Written claim analysis
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Mediation/arbitration support
• Depositions
• Litigation support
• Expert testimony
• Construction claims resolution

Categories of claim projects that HICAPS has extensive prior experience include:

• Highway
• Medical
• Educational Facilities
• Universities
• Multi-family Residential

HICAPS offers construction loan monitoring and inspection services to construction lenders and equity participants who provide funds to finance construction projects.

Our construction loan monitoring and inspection services are typically provided in two distinct phases: a preconstruction review and construction inspections, which are usually on-site and scheduled at regular intervals.

Preconstruction Review:

• Review, examine and critique design documents
• Review project compliance with local zoning requirements, building codes, health codes, etc.
• Prepare independent construction budget and cash flow requirements
• Review environmental audit and title
• Review all contracts and agreements with design professionals, general contractor, subcontractors, and major material vendors
• Review insurance and surety bond requirements and forms
• Compile site due diligence reports analyzing availability of public utilities, transportation issues, geo-technical issues, and local and governmental or political issues
• Review tenant work letter
• Review and/or prepare owner’s punchlist and close-out requirements
• Funds control and disbursement services

Construction Inspections:

• Review all design addendums and revisions
• Review all change orders
• Conduct regular construction inspections on-site and provide detailed written report on progress to owner with specific recommendations
• Plot actual construction progress versus schedule
• Review monthly applications for payment
• Tabulate subcontractor buyout versus line item budget values, provide overall contract status to lender
• Document progress with project videos and photographs
• Review all soils test, concrete tests and material tests for compliance to specification

Because of our wealth of experience with scheduling and project management, HICAPS offers training programs that help our clients realize the power and control they can incorporate into their business operations.

Specifically, HICAPS can structure courses focusing on:

• Planning and scheduling for project management support
• Moisture intrusion prevention
• Project record keeping
• Claims avoidance
• Project management

One of the most critical components of project management instruction is including an extensive continuing education program that allows your employees of varying skill levels the opportunity to refresh knowledge they may have forgotten, become exposed to the latest techniques and technology currently used in the market, and learn about where the future of project management will lead.

Our instruction is available in a variety of formats:

• Seminar structured classes for groups
• One on One instruction for a more personalized approach
• On the job training, which can incorporate the current challenges of your project and allow your organization to utilize our skill sets to improve your project performance

Because of our wealth of experience with scheduling and project management, HICAPS offers training programs that help our clients realize the power and control they can incorporate into their business operations.

Specifically, HICAPS can structure courses focusing on:

• Planning and scheduling for project management support
• Moisture intrusion prevention
• Project record keeping
• Claims avoidance
• Project management

One of the most critical components of project management instruction is including an extensive continuing education program that allows your employees of varying skill levels the opportunity to refresh knowledge they may have forgotten, as well as become exposed to the latest techniques and technology currently used in the market, and learn about where the future of project management will lead.

Our instruction is available in a variety of formats:

• Seminar structured classes for groups
• One on One instruction for a more personalized approach
• On the job training, which can incorporate the current challenges of your project and allow your organization to utilize our skill sets to improve your project performance