Preconstruction Services in Portland, Oregon
“Exceeded our expectations.” Animal Care Center Veterinary Clinic, Salem, clinic renovation
“Professional, competitively priced, with excellent communication.” MK Phelps, primary care clinic build-out
Preconstruction is everything that happens before the first wall comes down: the walkthrough, the budget, the schedule, the permit path and the list of things that can go wrong. Modern Northwest does it for commercial owners, tenants and developers across Oregon and Southwest Washington, either as the first phase of a job we build or as construction manager at risk (CMAR), where we join your architect early and then guarantee a maximum price. Good preconstruction is why a project opens on the date in the lease instead of three months later.
Recent Preconstruction and CMAR Work
- Mercantile Village, Lake Oswego: landlord work run CMAR, December 2025 to March 2026, getting the shell ready ahead of the 3,790 square foot Thirsty Caterpillar bookstore and cafe, which we then built out and finished in May 2026.
- Tri County Industrial, Building 17, Tualatin: site and landscaping work for erosion control and water management, run CMAR, November to December 2025.
- Every project we price, from the 1,900 square foot Axletree suites in Milwaukie to the 10,000 square foot ground-up EyeHealth Northwest clinic in Aloha, starts with the same walkthrough and budget step.
What Our Preconstruction Includes
Site and Lease Walkthrough
Before you sign a lease or buy land, we walk it with you: where the plumbing and sewer run, how much electrical capacity is there, what condition the HVAC and roof are in, and what the landlord is actually delivering. This is the step that decides whether the tenant improvement allowance covers the job.
Budget and Cost Estimate
A real number built trade by trade, not a per-square-foot guess. We collect pricing from the trades for each scope and show you where the money goes, so you can decide what to keep. See our tenant improvement cost guide for the published ranges.
Schedule
Design, permit review, long-lead orders and construction laid out backward from your open date, so you know whether the date in your lease is realistic before you commit to it.
Permit and Code Review
We check the use, occupancy and accessibility questions early. In Portland that means Portland Permitting & Development, including the change of occupancy review when a space changes use. Outside Portland, your city or county building department.
Constructability and Value Engineering
Builders review the drawings for things that look fine on paper and cost a fortune in the field, and suggest cheaper ways to get the same result. Better to change a line on a drawing than a wall in the field.
Long-Lead Items
Storefront glass, HVAC units, electrical gear and specialty equipment can take months. We flag them in preconstruction and order early, so the schedule does not stall waiting on one item.
CMAR, Design-Build or Bid?
Construction manager at risk (CMAR) keeps your own architect. We join during design, price as the drawings develop, then commit to a guaranteed maximum price before construction. You get builder input early and price certainty, while you still control the design. We ran the Mercantile Village landlord work and the Tri County Industrial site work this way.
Design-build puts design and construction under one contract with us. It is usually the fastest route. See our [design-build page](/design-build/) for when it fits.
Design-bid-build means the drawings are finished first, then contractors bid. It gives the most price competition and takes the longest, and preconstruction help comes late, after the design is set.
Which one is right depends on whether you already have an architect, how fixed your open date is, and how much you want to control the design. We will tell you honestly at the first walkthrough.
Mercantile Village and Thirsty Caterpillar, Lake Oswego
We ran the landlord work CMAR to get the space ready, then built the 3,790 square foot bookstore and cafe, finished in May 2026. Project manager Allen Murray ran it.
See the ProjectWho Does the Preconstruction Work
Project Managers
Run the budget and schedule. Allen Murray has 36 years in construction, from small tenant improvements to $150 million developments. Justin Stangel handles bidding and contract negotiation and works in Bluebeam and Procore.
Project Engineer
Arthur Klyuchits writes the subcontracts, runs RFIs and submittals, keeps the schedule and collects the estimates for each trade, so the budget is built from real trade pricing.
Development
Sergey Marandyuk, VP of Development, holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture degrees from Portland State and started as an assistant estimator, so design questions get answered by someone who has priced them.
Superintendents
Field leads like Tony Rieger and Jeff Stafford review the plan for how it will actually be built and scheduled on site.
You
You get one budget, one schedule and a clear list of decisions you need to make, before money goes into construction.
Preconstruction Questions, Answered
What are preconstruction services?
The planning before construction starts: site and lease walkthrough, budget, schedule, permit and code review, constructability review, value engineering and ordering long-lead items.
When should I bring a contractor in?
Before you sign the lease or buy the site. A walkthrough at that point tells you what the space needs, roughly what it costs and whether the open date in the lease is realistic.
What is construction manager at risk (CMAR)?
You hire your own architect, the contractor joins during design to price and plan, then guarantees a maximum price before construction. We have run CMAR jobs in Lake Oswego and Tualatin.
Is preconstruction only for big projects?
No. Every tenant improvement we price starts with the same walkthrough and budget, from 1,900 square foot suites up to ground-up buildings.
Do you handle permits during preconstruction?
Yes. We review the use, occupancy and accessibility questions early and prepare the permit path with Portland Permitting & Development or your city.
Related Services
Serving the Portland metro, including Portland, OR, Beaverton, OR, and Vancouver, WA. See our full service areas in Oregon and Washington.
Planning a Project? Start With a Walkthrough
Tell us about the space or the site before you sign. We will walk it with you and give you a real budget and schedule.
Request a Free Consultation