Services · Five-Phase Engagement

The complete engagement, broken down phase by phase.

Every project moves through the same five phases. Each one has defined inputs, activities, deliverables, and a clear exit point. Behind each phase sits a documented playbook of milestones, for tenant improvements and ground-up builds alike. This page lays out exactly what's included at each step, and what isn't.

01
Phase One
When Pre-LOI through lease execution

Site Evaluation & Lease Review

The first work on every project, and the highest-leverage. A conversion shell hides fifty to a hundred and fifty thousand dollars of surprises for the tenant who doesn't look: an exhaust path that can't reach the roof, a 100-amp service where the kitchen needs 400, nowhere to put a grease interceptor. I surface those before LOI, and negotiate the construction terms while you still have leverage with the landlord.

Key Activities
  • Pre-LOI Quick-Vet A rapid go / no-go read on a candidate site, typically inside three business days, built around the checks that produce the expensive surprises: kitchen-exhaust path to roof, electrical service capacity and upgrade pathway, grease interceptor placement, water and sewer adequacy, ADA path of travel, occupancy classification.
  • Site Feasibility Review The deep version, once a site is serious. Capacity analysis, MEP review, structural shell assessment, code path verification against concept requirements, with a written cost-to-make-work range so the site decision is a numbers decision.
  • Lease & Work Letter Review Construction-side review of LOI, lease, and work letter language. Vague delivery terms, hidden cost transfers, uncommitted upgrades, TI allowance disbursement mechanics that starve your cash flow, and the end-of-term restoration clause nobody reads until it costs five figures.
  • Landlord & Property Manager Coordination Direct negotiation of construction-related terms: capacity upgrades and who pays for them, condenser placement, roof penetration rights, after-hours work, structural modifications. The tone of those conversations changes when someone on the tenant side speaks the language.
Deliverables
  • Written Site Feasibility Assessment
  • Risk register with cost-to-make-work range
  • Go / No-Go / Negotiate recommendation
  • Lease & Work Letter Review report
  • Landlord coordination documentation
Not Included
  • Environmental assessments
  • Structural engineering analysis
  • Lease financial term negotiation
  • Legal advice on the lease
02
Phase Two
When Lease execution through IFC drawings

Design Coordination

Active engagement with your architect and engineer of record through the full design cycle. A design conflict caught before schematics costs a conversation. Caught at design development, it costs weeks of rework. Caught during construction, it's a change order. I keep the catches early, the brand standards intact, and the code path clear.

Key Activities
  • Design Team Coordination Direct engagement with the Architect of Record, Engineer of Record, and specialty consultants through design development, starting with the questions that matter, like whether the MEP engineer has ever sized a commercial kitchen.
  • Drawing Reviews at SD, DD, and CD Milestones Written reviews returned to the design team at each progress submission, tracked through resolution. At CD, a full biddability pass. The coordination items caught on paper here are the RFIs that never get written during construction.
  • MEP Coordination Review Electrical capacity and panel scheduling, mechanical sizing, exhaust and makeup air, plumbing routing, code-required clearances. This is where my trade background pays for itself. Kitchen MEP design errors are the single largest source of avoidable change orders on a restaurant buildout.
  • Long-Lead Procurement Flagging Service-upgrade switchgear can run months out. Rooftop units, hood packages, walk-in refrigeration. All long-lead. Flagged at design development so procurement releases before they own your critical path.
  • Constructability & Brand Compliance Verification against actual site conditions and current franchisor brand standards, with deviations tracked to written resolution. Code path review at the AHJ application level.
Deliverables
  • Written drawing reviews at each milestone
  • Coordination log of comments and resolutions
  • Long-lead procurement flag list
  • Final IFC drawings verified for completeness
Not Included
  • Production of architectural or MEP drawings
  • Drawing stamping or sealing
  • Assumption of design liability
03
Phase Three
When IFC drawings through construction contract execution

GC Selection & Bidding

The most front-loaded phase of the engagement. Pencil-on-paper work, real time, every day. A bad GC bid costs six figures on a small project. A thoroughly scrutinized one prevents that, and produces the documented record needed to hold the GC accountable to what they bid. Bidding and permit coordination run concurrently to keep schedule moving.

Key Activities
  • GC Qualification & Outreach Identify and qualify GCs based on references, capacity, and franchise rollout experience. I prefer to work with GCs I've vetted directly. For franchisors that require an open competitive pool, I'll support that process as well.
  • Bid Package Preparation Complete bid package assembly: IFC drawings, brand standards, site-specific conditions, scope-of-work narrative, and bidder acknowledgment questionnaire. A tight package is what makes the bids comparable in the first place.
  • Bid Scrutiny & Clarification The most important work in this phase. Every returned bid is analyzed line by line. Discrepancies, vague exclusions, missing scope, and suspiciously low line items are flagged and pushed back on the GC in writing and on calls. Multiple rounds of clarification are documented and required to be attached to the GC's contract as part of the bid record.
  • Bid Protection & Accountability The goal is a complete, transparent bid the GC is held to. No bid is perfect, and legitimate site-specific issues will arise. But low-ball bids designed to be recovered through change orders get caught here, before they become contracts. The documented clarification record is what makes change order disputes winnable.
  • Permit Coordination Engagement of vetted permit expediter, AHJ communication management, plan revision coordination, permit timeline tracking through issuance.
  • GC Selection & Recommendation Written analysis presenting the recommended GC with reasoning. GC Award Letter issued to the selected bidder. You decide; I make sure it's an informed decision.
  • Construction Contract Scope Review Review of construction contract scope alignment with the awarded bid and the documented clarification record (AIA A101/A201 framework). Contract execution support.
Deliverables
  • Complete Bid Package issued to qualified bidders
  • Documented bid clarification record
  • Bid Analysis Report with line-by-line review
  • GC selection recommendation memo
  • GC Award Letter
  • Contract scope review summary
  • Issued building permit (via expediter)
Not Included
  • Permit, impact, and expediter fees
  • Legal review of the GC contract
04
Phase Four
When Construction contract execution through substantial completion

Construction Management

The longest phase of the engagement. The work shifts from pencil-on-paper to meetings, decisions, and accountability. Things come up. The discipline is staying on top of them, not chasing them after the fact. Delivered remotely with real-time video walks at critical inspection moments.

Key Activities
  • Weekly Progress Meetings Standing virtual meetings with GC, design team, and ownership. Documented minutes. Monday sets the week; the client portal keeps every day of it visible.
  • RFI & Submittal Review Owner-side response coordination, tracking through resolution. Submittal review and approval routing, including the restaurant-specific deferred submittals, hood and fire suppression among them, that stall openings when nobody owns them.
  • Rough-In & Final Inspection Coverage Real-time video walkthrough with the GC's superintendent on camera at rough-in and final inspection. I direct what gets captured. Issues get caught before they get covered.
  • Change Order Review Routine change order review including scope verification and cost reasonableness check, cross-checked against the documented bid clarification record from Phase 3 (substantial change order analysis billed separately).
  • Pay Application Review Verification that work claimed has been performed (G702/G703 framework). Recommendation to client whether to release payment.
  • Punch List Development & Tracking Punch list issued at the substantial completion walkthrough. Each item tracked through documented completion before final draw is recommended.
  • Schedule & Issue Tracking CPM milestone monitoring, critical-path and float movement, slippage escalation, live status on the client portal, issue documentation through resolution.
  • SBA / TI Loan Coordination Draw documentation support, lender Q&A coordination, TI allowance compliance. Most franchisees build on borrowed money; the paperwork discipline is what keeps the draws flowing.
Deliverables
  • Client portal access: milestones, tasks, photos, open items, 24/7
  • RFI log maintained current
  • Submittal log maintained current
  • Change order analysis on each change
  • Pay application review memos
  • Inspection coverage documentation
  • Punch list with tracked completion
  • Issue documentation and resolution records
Not Included
  • Physical on-site presence (scoped separately)
  • Substantial change order analysis (billed hourly)
  • Direct supervision of trades
  • Site safety oversight (GC responsibility)
05
Phase Five
When Substantial completion through final closeout

Closeout & Handover

Procedural but critical work. Closeout is where bad projects get hidden, and where good ones protect their owners for years two and three. Verify the project actually meets the contract, collect the documentation, and hand the project off cleanly. Done means done.

Key Activities
  • Punch List Verification Track each item through completion with documented, photographed verification, not sign-off on faith.
  • Warranty & O&M Documentation Collection Collected from GC and trade subcontractors, organized for handover, with warranty registrations verified in the operating entity's name. Three years from now, when the compressor fails, that detail decides whether it's a covered claim or your invoice.
  • Lien Waiver Coordination Unconditional final waivers from the GC and all major subcontractors, verified before final payment is recommended.
  • Final Pay Application Review Final draw recommendation memo to client, once the file supports it.
  • Engagement Closeout Summary Documented lessons learned and items for future-project reference: the input that makes unit two cheaper than unit one.
Deliverables
  • Verified punch list completion record
  • Organized warranty and O&M packet
  • Collected and verified lien waivers
  • Final draw recommendation memo
  • Engagement closeout summary
Not Included
  • Post-completion warranty enforcement
  • Complex TI allowance reconciliation

The complete engagement at a glance.

Phase Name Project Window
01 Site Evaluation & Lease Review Pre-LOI through lease execution
02 Design Coordination Lease execution through IFC
03 GC Selection & Bidding IFC through construction contract
04 Construction Management Through substantial completion
05 Closeout & Handover Through final closeout

Fixed-fee, phase-based pricing. Defined scope. No hourly billing surprises.
Standalone phase engagements considered case-by-case.

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