Services

Services

Bidding & Estimating

Contractor

This unique service focuses on supplementing the contractor's estimating team with just enough and the right kind of help to increase their bidding output. More than just an estimating service, we support the entire bidding process allowing the contractor to choose where to best allocate resources. Here are some of the ways we can assist.

Attend pre-bid conferences, take photos, video, etc. and report back to the estimating team
Perform detailed take-off analysis and estimating
Estimate sub-groups of work
Deliver bids, attend bid openings and report results

For emerging contractors and subcontractors looking to expand their business we also offering the following services:

Standardization of bidding and estimating procedures
Reviewing project leads and assistance in developing bidding strategies
Using the bidding process itself to increase bidding opportunities

Owner

Whether you're looking for a conceptual estimate or a detailed project cost analysis, we can help. Not limited to one methodology, we can provide you with the level of detail that suits your budget and needs. From conceptual square foot cost estimates to estimates that involve detailed take-offs, item analysis and current market pricing, we'll provide you with a reliable information to support your decision making process. Often times our pricing comes from contractors, subcontractors and vendors and not just out of a book, which gives you the most current and likely estimate of your costs.

Project Management

Contractor

Why would a construction company want to outsource project management? While it may not make sense for every company, there are situations and types of companies for whom this concept makes a lot of sense. What we offer is the services of a highly experienced construction project manager on an on-call as-needed basis. Whether you are down-sizing, up-sizing or always operate with a lean management staff, the ability to have a PM on board on a part-time, temporary basis can present a host of cost saving options for the way you manage your work and satisfy your staffing needs.

Owner

See Owner’s page

CPM Scheduling

Contractor

When we build a schedule, we're not just doing data entry. Our CPM scheduling service is performed by people with real project management experience who understand the ins and outs of construction. When we start a project, we take the time to thoroughly review the contract documents to get a solid understanding of the project scope and contract requirements. Then we work with you to build a schedule that is based on realistic durations, sound logic and identifies the real issues that drive project completion. By taking this approach, we ensure that the schedule we build serves as a real tool for managing a project. Our CPM scheduling services include:

Quantity-productivity based durations
Revenue and cost loading
Resource loading and leveling
Schedule Narratives
Schedule color plots and large graphics
4D Schedule: 3D Model linked to CPM Schedule
Delay claim analysis

Owner

From the earliest stages to the very end, time is one of the key elements of a project that an Owner has to continuously manage. As a project develops, a good program level schedule will help keep the Owner's organization focused and on track when many elements of the project are yet to be defined. Then as the project progresses it is important to establish a framework for managing the contractor's schedule process so that it will yield a schedule that truly represents a workable plan and serves as an effective communication tool for managing the project. Finally, once the contractor is on board, the process must be implemented and maintained in order to yield the desired result of having a schedule that can actually be used to manage the project.

In order to accomplish all of this, it takes an integrated approach along with the knowledge and experience of someone who understands all aspects of project management. Our CPM scheduling service is performed by people with real project management experience who understand the ins and outs of the design and construction process and can provide you with a comprehensive schedule program to suit the needs of your project. Here are some of the features of our scheduling service:

Program level schedules
Schedule specification development
Contractor Schedule Analysis
Revenue, cost and resource loaded schedules
Schedule color plots and large graphics
4D Schedule: 3D Model linked to CPM Schedule
Delay claim analysis

MA Public Agency Pre-Qualification

Massachusetts agencies such as DCAM and MDOT and other public agencies require pre-qualification in order to bid on projects. The application processes put out by these organizations can be very time consuming and involve a lot of detail-oriented work. If you’re busy running a company or managing work, the amount of dedicated time needed to complete this process can be hard to come by. Let us do the grunt work for you and follow up with the agency to make sure they have everything they need to keep the process moving forward until it is complete.

Proposal and Marketing Writing

This service is basically about anything that involves writing about a company. This could include detailed proposals in a responsive format, web site content, brochures and even simple marketing letters to reach out to new customers. Often writing is not a matter of can or can’t, but whether or not you have the time to do it. Whatever the task, we can provide the support you need. Contact us and we’ll be glad to show you examples of our work.

Claims and Changes

Contractors, Subcontractors and Owners

Our approach to managing claims and changes is simple. Always operate from a sound contractual basis, be proactive, factual, well organized, fair, reasonable and “document, document, document.” Our ultimate goal is to help our clients by facilitating the resolution of issues at the project level and avoiding litigation. We offer a full range of claims and changes services for contractors, subcontractors and owners.

Pre-construction claims avoidance
Litigation support
CPM schedule analysis
Entitlement
Documentation
Correspondence
Pricing
Presentation & graphics
Negotiation
Administration

See our listing in The Blue Book Building and Construction Network

Quality Management

Contractors, Subcontractors & Owners

Quality Management in construction is a process that involves multiple entities and functions. Owners, designers, contractors, third party testing and inspection agencies, manufacturers, trade associations, industry groups, government agencies and so on are all part of the Quality Management process. The functions they perform include the establishment of standards, codes, recommended practices, guidelines, inspection and testing procedures, certification and documentation requirements, and auditing to name only a few.

On the delivery side of Quality Management there are two major subgroups of activities consisting of Quality Control and Quality Assurance. Quality control is the function of ensuring that the quality standards of a project have been met, including all fabrications, installations, materials and assemblies through the processes of testing, inspection, certification and documentation. Quality Assurance is the process of overseeing Quality Control to assure that it has been performed and documented as required.

All aspects of a Quality Management program must somehow be communicated, either directly or by reference in a set of contract documents and or by inference in codes, regulations and laws. A project owner is responsible for establishing a project budget that will ultimately determine the discretionary level of quality standards applied to a project. From there, the designer must take direction from the owner and at the same time assist the owner with developing and communicating a set of quality standards for a project. The designer also has contractual and legal responsibilities for the final product meeting both the mandatory minimum standards and the level of quality defined and paid for by the owner.

Depending on the project delivery method, a contractor will enter the picture at some time during either the design phase or at the start of the construction phase. If engaged during the design phase as in design-build or CM-at-risk, the contractor can be part of the development of the quality standards for a project. Once a project enters the construction phase, the contractor becomes responsible for the implementation of the portion of the overall Quality Management program assigned to him by contract. The contractor’s responsibilities will generally consist of a combination of Quality Control and some degree of Quality Assurance as defined in the contract.

At Barajas CM Associates we have a thorough understanding of Quality Management practices and the experience to deliver a full spectrum of services to owners, designers and contractors.

Integrated Quality Management as part of an Owner’s Project Management program
Development and implementation of Owner’s contract-specific QA/QC plan
Development and implementation of Contractor’s contract-specific QA/QC plan
Inspection and Architect’s contract administration