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Morris Construction Services was created in 1994 to offer the advantages of in-house construction management to the clients of John Morris Architects. It has succeeded beyond our expectations in providing prompt, seamless project delivery within the owners' budgets. Continuous Cost Control - When owners choose this approach, they enjoy the advantages of team project delivery and continuous cost control from project start. This approach makes it possible for the owner to make well-informed decisions all along the path to construction, thus minimizing the opportunity for unpleasant cost surprises when the final prices come in. Unlike conventional design-bid-build, wherein the architect's estimates are only verified by the marketplace when final bids come in, we assemble a team of potential trade contractors for the project to provide cost and design feedback throughout the design process. In this manner, we not only uncover cost problems before we're totally committed to them, but gain the benefit of dialogue with others who might suggest more cost-effective alternatives. top  Competitive Bidding of Trades - Once the construction documents are completed, each trade is competitively bid unless owner and architect have agreed to except any selected trade contractor. MCS charges for preconstruction estimating and value engineering services, as well as for all project management services during construction, based on a percentage of total construction. All field services, including project supervision, are separately provided by MCS as part of the project's General Requirements (Division 1), just as with any other construction agreement. top Open Process - At MCS, construction management is not just open book, but "open process." This means that while we organize and orchestrate project cost-out and value engineering, we welcome the owner's involvement as part of the team. While most owners prefer only periodic updates, we're pleased to offer greater participation when there are special concerns. top CM or CM with GMP - Owners have the choice of either straight construction management (CM), in which the construction manager, as agent for the owner, solicits bids, negotiates and contracts with the myriad trade contractors and suppliers with no maximum price guarantee, or CM with guaranteed maximum price (GMP), in which MCS establishes a construction contingency at the point pre-construction costing allows it to be determined. Any savings from this contingency is then shared (60% to owner, 40% to CM) at the end of the project. Once such a GMP is set, any expansions of scope or owner-initiated changes fall outside the contingency. top  Single Point Responsibility - Perhaps the one aspect of our CM services that makes our clients happiest is Single Point Responsibility: Simply put, there's one place to go to with any concerns. Owners delight in not having to get in the middle of construction issues of any sort and being able to hold a single professional group accountable for getting their project properly designed and built. As with conventional design-bid-build, MCS warrantees every project for a full year. All suppliers and trade contractors have the same obligation to perform what they do under a general contractor and the owner has all the same recourses for any defective work. top Morris Construction Services has completed approximately $20 million in construction value since its beginning and now executes $3 to $4 million a year in new projects. We invite you to talk to those with whom we have worked, owners and trade contractors alike, and hope we may be of service. Morris Construction Services, Inc. 49 Mechanic Street, P.O. Box 250 Camden, Maine 04843 (207) 236-8321 |
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