Our Process
How a Horn Construction project runs
From the first site walk through final inspection and warranty. What happens at each stage, what you receive, and what we need from you.
Overview
Six stages, one contractor
Most commercial construction problems come from gaps between parties. The designer hands off to the builder, the builder hands off to the subcontractors, and the owner ends up mediating between people who each blame the other.
Horn holds the contract across all six stages below. The person who prices the project walks the site, and the person who walks the site is on the job during construction.
Timelines vary by county and by building type. Plan review is usually the least predictable stage, so it gets built into the schedule from the start rather than treated as a delay.
Erection stage on an active Middle Tennessee project.
The Sequence
Six stages from first call to handover
1
Site Walk
We visit the property and identify the conditions that drive cost.
2
Budget
A written number with the assumptions stated.
3
Design
Drawings developed against the approved budget.
4
Permitting
Plan review, corrections, and permit issue with the county.
5
Construction
Site work through interior finish, with weekly progress updates.
6
Close Out
Final inspections, punch list, warranties, and handover.
In Detail
What happens at each stage
1. Site walk
We meet at the property. The purpose is to identify what the site will allow and what it will cost before anyone spends money on design.
What we look at: grading and how much dirt has to move, access for delivery and crane setup, where power, water, sewer, and gas come from and how far away they are, stormwater and detention requirements, soil conditions where they are known, setbacks and zoning constraints, and whether an existing structure can be used.
Site conditions routinely account for a large share of a project budget. A flat lot with utilities at the property line and a sloped lot with a 400 foot utility run produce very different numbers for the same building.
- What you provide: the address, the intended use, and any survey or geotechnical report you already have
- What you receive: a verbal assessment on the day and a written summary of cost drivers
- No charge
2. Budget
We produce a written budget for the project as described, with the assumptions listed. Assumptions matter more than the number. A budget that excludes site work, or assumes an unfinished interior, is not comparable to one that includes them.
The budget separates site work, foundation, structure, envelope, interior finish, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and general conditions. You can see where the money sits and where the tradeoffs are.
If the number does not work, this is the stage to change scope. Reducing square footage, simplifying the finish level, or phasing the interior are all straightforward here and expensive later.
- What you provide: your target budget and which elements are fixed
- What you receive: a written budget by category with assumptions and exclusions stated
3. Design
On design build projects we assemble the design team and manage them. On projects where you already hold an architect or engineer, we work to their drawings and coordinate through you.
Design proceeds against the approved budget. Drawings get priced as they develop rather than at the end, which is what prevents the redesign cycle that follows a set of drawings coming in thirty percent over.
For pre-engineered structures, the building manufacturer produces sealed engineering for the frame. That package has a lead time, and ordering it is usually the point at which the schedule becomes real.
- What you provide: decisions, on schedule. Design stalls faster from slow approvals than from anything else
- What you receive: drawings suitable for permit, and a construction schedule
4. Permitting
We submit for plan review and manage the process through to permit issue. Every county in Middle Tennessee runs this differently. Submission requirements, review times, and correction cycles vary, and so does what triggers a stormwater or traffic review.
Plan review is the least predictable stage of a commercial project. A clean submission still takes weeks. A submission that draws corrections takes longer, and corrections are common on any project with a complicated site.
We also pull the trade permits and schedule inspections through construction.
- What you provide: property documentation and owner signatures where the county requires them
- What you receive: permit issue, and notice of any condition the county attaches to it
5. Construction
Subcontractors and long lead materials are bought out before mobilizing. That means the schedule issued at contract is the one being worked to, rather than one that depends on finding a concrete crew in six weeks.
Typical sequence: site work and grading, underground utilities, foundation and slab, structure, envelope and roofing, rough-in for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, interior framing and finish, then exterior paving and landscaping.
You receive a progress update each week. Site meetings happen at whatever interval suits the project, and more often during critical stages.
- What you provide: timely decisions on any selection or change
- What you receive: weekly progress updates, inspection results, and written change orders before work proceeds
6. Close out
Final inspections, then the punch list. We walk the building with you and record every item, correct them, and walk it again.
Handover includes the certificate of occupancy, manufacturer warranties on the building system and installed equipment, operating documentation for mechanical systems, and our own warranty on the work.
Problems in the first year happen. Call us and we deal with them.
- What you receive: certificate of occupancy, warranty documentation, and a completed punch list
Schedule
What actually moves a schedule
Four items account for most delays on commercial projects in this region.
- Plan review and correction cycles, which vary by county and are largely outside a contractor's control
- Building system lead time, which for a pre-engineered frame runs from order to delivery and cannot be compressed
- Owner decisions, particularly on finishes and equipment, which stall trades already on site
- Weather during site work and foundation, which is the only stage where it materially matters
Everything after the slab is largely within our control. Everything before it depends on the county, the manufacturer, and how quickly decisions get made.
Common Questions
Questions about the process
Do you charge for the initial site walk and budget?
No. The site walk and the initial written budget are provided at no cost. Detailed design work is a paid stage, and we tell you before that point is reached.
How long does plan review take in Middle Tennessee?
It varies by county and by project complexity. A clean submission on a straightforward commercial building typically takes several weeks. Projects that trigger stormwater review, traffic study, or fire marshal review take longer, and correction cycles add time on top of that.
We build this into the schedule from the start and tell you what to expect for your specific county.
Can I use my own architect?
Yes. On projects where you already hold a design contract, we build to those drawings and coordinate through you. On design build projects we assemble and manage the design team under our contract.
How are change orders handled?
Any change to scope is priced and issued in writing before the work proceeds. You approve it before we build it. Verbal changes are not a good practice for either party and we do not work that way.
How often will I hear from you during construction?
Weekly progress updates as standard, and site meetings at whatever interval suits the project. During critical stages such as foundation and structure, more often.
What warranty comes with the building?
Manufacturer warranties apply to the building system, roofing, and installed equipment, and those terms vary by product. Horn warrants its own workmanship. Full documentation is handed over at close out.
Stage One
Start with a site walk
Send the address and the intended use. We will walk the property and tell you what it will cost.