Fact: modern construction projects are becoming more complex. Owner expectations are higher, timelines are tighter, and budgets are increasingly constrained. As such, many firms now recognize that the best way to overcome issues like overruns and rework is to get ahead of them before the project breaks ground.
That's why more and more companies are investing in the preconstruction phase of the project—including design coordination, budgeting, cost estimation, etc.
When implemented well, preconstruction processes can help de-risk a project and improve profitability. Effective preconstruction practices also keep teams aligned and ensure they hit the ground running when it comes to execution.
In 2025, we can expect even more emphasis in the preconstruction phase. To capture the latest trends, we compiled insights from industry thought leaders on how preconstruction will shape the industry's future. Take a look at what they have to say.
"Looking forward to 2025, preconstruction will be one of the key critical components of digital construction. As in any project, preconstruction allows the ecosystem to take a more collaborative approach and have a holistic understanding of the project."
"Preconstruction is the foundation of every successful construction project, and in 2025, its role will be more critical than ever. As the saying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail,” and this is more evident in preconstruction as the industry faces growing pressures and increasing demands to deliver projects faster, smarter, and more sustainably. Emerging technologies, data-driven insights, lean practices, and collaborative approaches are refining how teams prepare for project execution, setting new benchmarks for efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and inclusivity. These innovations are not just enhancing project outcomes—they are reshaping the very way we think about building for the future."
"It will sound cliche of me, but I’m duty-bound to highlight the potential that AI holds for preconstruction in 2025. Of course, in the ease of automating manual tasks and rapid estimations, but more so in the ability to generate risk profiles for both projects and (sub)contractors. Whether it’s market volatility, supply chain interruption, or material/labor costs, businesses need a degree of crystal ball and intuition to decide on the projects they take on, whereas data collection, interrogation and broader trends can be fed into a model which will empower that intuition with insights.
I also think that we will start to see the first substantial move in preconstruction of a wider disruption we will see to the entire industry, and that’s a shifting of the prototypical paradigm of construction to a ‘manufacturing informed’ type approach. This will take more of a productization type approach with more predictable pricing, production and delivery, ultimately arming the preconstruction sub-segment with suppliers they can depend on for accurate pricing and ability to deliver, mitigating a lot of the risk they have to price into projects at the moment."
"Considering the future for preconstruction in 2025, I predict better collaboration, less waste, more joined-up thinking, better, more timely information flow, and analysis using different processes to yield better results."
"Ideally, for preconstruction in 2025, existing digital twins should be incorporated into pre-planning designs, and local councils/cities could utilize this information to simulate real-world conditions. They could conduct solar analysis or the impact of artificial lighting on an area. For example, a new tower building beside substantially lower buildings will cause an increase in electricity/heating usage for existing buildings due to loss of solar gains etc."
"Preconstruction is evolving from a phase riddled with inefficiency to the cornerstone of project success in 2025. Historically, the fragmented approach to preconstruction—characterized by redundant efforts in cost estimation and design coordination—has hindered progress. By 2025, industrialized construction will redefine this phase into a data-rich, process-oriented discipline.
Teams will move away from reinventing the wheel with each project to leveraging productized design catalogues and programmatic workflows. This transformation allows for scalable, sustainable innovation. Tools like digital twins and AI will augment human insights, refining simulations and uncovering efficiencies. However, the real breakthrough lies in the structured frameworks enabling these technologies.
Preconstruction will no longer simply initiate a project; it will become an iterative process where each endeavor informs the next. The outcome is more than efficiency—it’s a paradigm shift in aligning with client aspirations and driving industry-wide innovation."
"Preconstruction is experiencing a notable shift towards greater adoption of collaborative, immersive technologies. In 2025, we expect to see a significant increase in the adoption of these technologies, particularly among BIM and digitally mature firms. These firms are likely to lead the way in using immersive XR experiences to facilitate better collaboration, review, and coordination during the preconstruction phase.
These immersive technologies help create a common understanding of the space and project among all stakeholders, reducing the number of issues that arise during the actual construction phase. By providing spatial context and enabling real-time collaboration, these tools greatly improve the accuracy and efficiency of preconstruction planning."
"Preconstruction processes in 2025 will be revolutionized by advanced digital tools and data-centric decision-making. BIM will become central to preconstruction, integrating cost estimation, scheduling, and environmental impact assessments in a single digital ecosystem. The use of 5D BIM, incorporating cost and schedule data, will streamline early-stage decision-making, offering precise visualizations of financial and time implications.
AI and machine learning will drive predictive analytics for feasibility studies and risk assessments, allowing project teams to mitigate potential challenges before they occur. Parametric modeling will enable iterative design optimizations aligned with client objectives and regulatory constraints."
"As BIM continues to evolve in 2025, its integration with preconstruction processes will be a game-changer, bridging gaps between design, planning, and execution. This fusion of technology and data will create an environment where construction teams can leverage real-time insights and make more informed decisions throughout the entire project lifecycle.
By linking BIM models with construction data, teams will have a clear, accurate picture of every detail—from materials and specifications to supply chain logistics. The ability to automatically flag discrepancies in final estimates, such as missing items or conflicting data, will minimize costly mistakes and delays. The use of AI will also enable predictive analysis, identifying potential issues like material shortages or project risks ahead of time."
"Overall, we have seen pricing stabilize back to pre-pandemic escalation levels. With a new president and the discussions around tariffs, this could impact the construction industry either by seeing an increase of the prices of goods, or a slimmer profit margin to absorb these costs."
"In my view, establishing an environment where cost, quality, and construction period estimates can be presented at an early stage of preconstruction will be key in 2025. While I believe the accuracy of predictions will be rapidly enhanced going forward, first we need to establish an environment and workflow for information sharing among stakeholders. Considering Japan, where building owners have a particularly strong influence, I believe companies that can demonstrate advantages and disadvantages to owners while incorporating their wishes and presenting the projected final product will have a stronger competitive advantage at the order-taking stage."
Dominic Martens
ICON
"Preconstruction in 2025 will see a shift toward using Autodesk Construction Cloud and Workato to address inefficiencies. In regions like Australia, where 2D drawings are still heavily relied upon, automation will be key. Workato can be used to integrate tools that convert 2D drawings into high-quality 3D models, enabling more accurate quantity takeoffs and improved planning.
By automating preconstruction workflows with Workato, teams can pull 2D data into Autodesk Construction Cloud, creating dynamic 3D models that improve sequencing and project understanding. These automations will help teams move away from manual processes and towards a more data-driven approach.
Preconstruction is one of the most manual and collaborative phases in construction, but Workato offers a way to automate and enhance these processes. For example, Workato can integrate collaboration tools with Autodesk Construction Cloud to enable real-time updates on project data. Additionally, chatbots powered by Workato can provide instant access to critical preconstruction data from Autodesk Construction Cloud, allowing team members to make faster and more informed decisions directly from a chat interface."
"Preconstruction offers the biggest opportunity to de-risk a project. Managing risk during preconstruction makes or breaks a project from a fee perspective. To that end, effort to fully integrate design with preconstruction (e.g., scope definition, buyout, safety planning, etc.) will be a key driver in 2025. This will aid cost and schedule optimization early in the process and mitigate negative impacts during project execution."
"I see opportunities for companies to evaluate their preconstruction workflows in 2025 because advancements in AI and digital tools will revolutionize bid management, prequalification, quantity takeoff, and estimating processes in the construction industry. I predict AI-driven technologies will enhance accuracy in estimation and streamline bid management by automating data analysis and improving decision-making. The integration of BIM and digital twin technologies will enable more precise project planning and resource allocation, reducing risks and increasing efficiency."
"The preconstruction mindset will shift further toward greater automation and data centralization in 2025. Innovations such as model-based estimates and automated quantity takeoffs will gain more momentum and adoption as BIM packages increasingly represent design intent with greater accuracy and include more comprehensive data. This is a result of trade partners and design firms implementing BIM earlier in the project lifecycle. Extended reality (XR), 4D planning, reality capture for existing renovations, and early constructability reviews in BIM will play key roles in project success. These solutions will help address costly rework, identify long-lead items early, and streamline schedules while embracing opportunities to address challenges efficiently through prefabrication."
"In 2025, preconstruction will become a more dynamic and collaborative phase of the construction lifecycle. Integrated platforms will fully digitize preconstruction workflows, with unified tools ensuring consistency and rapid setup across projects. AI-powered estimation will revolutionize cost and resource planning, drawing on AI-enhanced datasets to reflect market and environmental variabilities.
Sustainability will take center stage, with lifecycle carbon tracking and assessments becoming standard to ensure projects meet sustainability benchmarks from inception. Additionally, preconstruction will align closely with prefabrication needs, ensuring precision in modular construction planning and execution. These advancements will collectively transform the preconstruction phase, driving efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability."
"In 2025, I anticipate that preconstruction teams will continue to leverage advanced tools to digitally model and plan projects before we put a shovel in the ground. While 3D models have traditionally been used to generate construction documents and provide client renderings, their role has evolved significantly in recent years. Teams now use 3D models not only for clash detection but also to simulate and visualize the entire construction process. This includes creating detailed 3D site logistics plans that map out project phases, equipment placement, and site resources such as job trailers, fencing, and more.
These visual tools are transforming how project teams collaborate, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned on the plan from the start. By offering a clear, shared vision of the project’s execution, they improve communication, decision-making, and project buy-in. Looking ahead to 2025, I believe the focus in preconstruction will shift even further toward optimizing and refining the building process itself. This will involve a deeper emphasis on planning, resource allocation, and process improvement to set projects up for success from the very beginning."
"Digital Transformation is going to steamroll through 2025. I predict the use of BIM, 3D modeling, and AI will be instrumental in preconstruction to help aid in more sustainability and green building practices. AI is becoming less of a scary acronym and more of the norm in most businesses as companies are realizing its potential, and the AI models have been around for a while now learning so its proven its value. BIM is nothing new, but its continued advancement every year has shown its here to stay and has only become better. Last 3D modeling, it’s a great tool for understanding complex building components and can be an affordable way to potentially solve a long-time housing crisis."
"When one discusses preconstruction, topics of offsite, modular construction and design-for-manufacturing (“DfMA”) are usually raised as key topics; now with the idea of using kit-of-parts also sometimes mentioned. None of these are new concepts but have not gained extensive traction within the industry until recently. We have seen a global increase in the use of modular construction and DfMA in large projects worldwide, as the technology enables greater efficiencies and success in these areas.
Obviously, the question always abounds as to whether these are simply the latest buzzwords to hit the industry. The reported benefits of offsite construction and DfMA are numerous, and include increased efficiency, reduced cost, reduced waste and reduced time. However, these benefits are necessarily in turn predicated on the correct processes being put in place. For example, offsite construction and DfMA require a shift in mindset from typical or traditional design and construction, as it is obviously far more difficult to introduce or implement these concepts halfway through the design process.
Automation and robotics are other areas that have increasingly garnered attention and are likely to continue to increase in popularity at the preconstruction stage, as parties seek to decrease margins and increase efficiencies."
