process
the five stages of general contracting — from briefing to handover
2026. március 26. · 9 min
For the client, general contracting runs as a single contract and a single point of contact. Behind the scenes, a five-stage process generates different decisions and different documents at each stage. This article walks through what the process means for the client — in time, in cost, and in responsibility.
1. briefing — 2-4 weeks
The process opens with one or two deeper conversations. We learn the goal, the budget, the schedule expectation, and the client's life. A site walk, plot and orientation analysis. We pull the local building authority's regulations and check utility-connection options with the council and providers.
briefing — output
- document
- letter of intent + budget range
- duration
- 2-4 weeks
- client decision
- agreed goal + accepted budget range
2. concept — 4-8 weeks
Two or three parallel concepts at sketch level — plan, mass model, openness and orientation. The client doesn't pick a variant; they find their direction through a conversation. The structural choice (SIP or traditional), the rough material palette, and the primary building-services system are decided here.
3. permitting — 6-16 weeks
From the chosen concept we develop the permit and construction document set. It includes the structural calculation, the building-services design, the energy certificate, the fire-protection plan, and the utility-connection documentation. The agency coordination (council, building authority, utilities) — the client doesn't sit across from a clerk.