The Problem
Most commercial projects fail their budget before construction starts. Owners get locked into permitting timelines that don't survive the building department, vendor pricing that doesn't survive lead-time reality, or scope assumptions that don't survive contact with the actual building. By the time the first wall opens, the budget is already wrong.
The Trihawk Solution
Pre-construction is where senior leadership and Texas code expertise pay off earliest. We model real costs, real timelines, and real permitting paths before you commit. Lease, financing, and design decisions all get made on honest numbers — not vendor quotes hoping the discoveries don't show up mid-build.
The Agile Edge
Our field-driven leadership has seen every common surprise in Texas commercial construction. We surface those risks during planning — not during construction. The cost of an honest pre-construction phase is a fraction of a single mid-project surprise.
This service was built for the buyers below. If you don't see yourself in the list, get in touch anyway — we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
Five phases. Senior leadership on every one. You walk away with a decision package built to be useful — not just billable.
Step 01
We walk the building (or the planned site) with you, your design team, and any existing documents. We're looking for the gaps your numbers are silently making assumptions about.
Step 02
Real numbers from real Texas vendor relationships, broken out by trade with line-item lead-time exposure flagged. Not a rule-of-thumb cost-per-square-foot — an actual budget.
Step 03
We map the permitting path for the specific municipality — Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, or other — and flag the code interpretations that historically slow projects down.
Step 04
A written list of the risks we see, with probability, cost exposure, and recommended mitigations. Yours to keep, even if you never hire us to build.
Step 05
Everything compiled into a decision package you can hand to your lender, your board, your landlord, or your design team. Built to be useful — not just billable.
The questions buyers ask us most before signing — answered honestly.
A bid answers "what will it cost to build what you've already designed?" Pre-construction consulting answers "what should you actually design, given the budget, timeline, and code reality you're operating under?" Bids assume the design is final and the questions are already answered. Pre-construction is where the questions get asked.
No. Pre-construction is sold as a stand-alone engagement. We'll deliver the cost model, permit path, and risk register whether or not you hire us for the build. About half of our consulting clients hire us for the build, and half take the package to a competitive bid. Both are fine.
For most commercial projects in the 5,000 to 30,000 sq ft range, the consulting engagement runs 2 to 4 weeks from kick-off to deliverable. Larger or more complex projects (multi-tenant, historic, or highly specialized like medical or lab) can run 4 to 8 weeks. We'll scope the timeline upfront.
Pricing is project-specific, generally in the range of 0.5% to 1.5% of estimated construction value, with a minimum engagement fee for smaller scopes. The engagement is fixed-fee and scoped in writing — no hourly billing surprises.
Yes. Comparative pre-construction analysis is one of the most valuable engagements we run. Two cost models, two permit paths, two risk registers — side by side — let owners make the location or design decision on real data instead of vibe. We do this regularly for tenants choosing between buildings and for owners choosing between repositioning and selling.
BEFORE YOU SIGN
Pre-construction costs a fraction of a single mid-project surprise. Tell us about the project — we'll scope an engagement in days.
SCHEDULE A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT →Or call us directly: (281) 723-5056