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Construction vs. Pre-Construction: How PEMBs Streamline the Process

March 17, 2025

Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (PEMBs) offer an efficient approach to commercial and industrial construction, optimizing both the construction and pre-construction phases. By utilizing prefabricated components that are designed and engineered off-site, PEMBs accelerate project timelines and reduce on-site labor. 

At Nor-Son Construction, we’ve been at the forefront of PEMB solutions for over 30 years, guiding clients through every stage of the process—from initial design and engineering to final installation. Our expertise ensures a seamless experience, whether you’re planning an addition, warehouse, manufacturing facility, or commercial structure. We work with only the best in PEMB manufacturing, like Nucor Building Systems, a leading manufacturer of steel buildings.

To fully understand how PEMBs boost efficiency, it’s important to identify the difference between the pre-construction process and the construction phase. While pre-construction focuses on site surveys, preliminary design, scheduling, and site preparation, the construction phase brings life to the project with on-site work, safety, quality control, inspections, and constructability reviews. In the following sections, we’ll explore pre-construction vs. construction processes and how PEMBs will streamline your project.

What Is Pre-Construction?

Pre-construction describes the process that leads up to work on any construction job. It is the initial planning phase for an addition or new building that lays the foundation for a successful project. During pre-construction, potential issues are identified and addressed, minimizing delays and unforeseen expenses. 

The pre-construction phase includes: 

• Initial meetings
• Surveys (for an existing building)
• Site surveys and geotechnical work such as soil borings
• City ordinance review
• Concept plans and high-level budgeting
• Assist with financing / fund sourcing
• Preliminary schedules
• Preliminary designs and estimates
• Permitting
• Bid Solicitation
• Owner contracts and subcontracts

What Is Included in the Construction Phase?

Once the pre-construction phase is complete, the construction crew gets busy preparing for and working on the construction of the building. A PEMB installation is pre-engineered, so the construction process is quicker and less labor-intensive than other “conventional” construction processes. 

The construction phase includes:

Whether you need a warehouse, manufacturing facility, airplane hangar, bus barn, community center, open air ice rink roof or another commercial structure, or addition, a PEMB will streamline the pre-construction and construction phases of your building project.  PEMBs allow for faster completion and are a proven solution to both budget and timeline demands. By optimizing both pre-construction and construction phases, PEMBs offer an efficient alternative to traditional building methods. This allows building projects to be completed on time and within budget.

We want to help you cut costs, not quality! With steel, pre-engineered buildings, design and installation happen in a controlled environment, which ensures less cost, a high level of precision, and more predictability than conventional buildings. This all equates to an easier pre-construction and construction process, resulting in less stress as you watch your new building come to life. At Nor-Son, your project is as important to us as our relationship with you; we strive for excellence in craftsmanship and successful connections with our clients.

Find out how PEMBs improve both the pre-construction and construction phases of your project by partnering with Nor-Son Construction for your next project. With our team on the job, your building will become more than a vision; it will become a reality. Contact Nor-Son Construction today to get started on a pre-engineered metal building construction project in rural or metro Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Iowa.