The Hidden Cost of Early Optimism: Why Project Surprises Start on Paper

In many ways, the construction planning process operates just like a car ad. Everyone loves good news, especially at the start of a project, and the goal is often to create momentum. That early, low estimate feels like a solid win—the equivalent of seeing a great low monthly payment. It creates confidence, but that confidence hasn't yet been earned.

The problem isn't that early pricing is wrong; it's that it’s incomplete. Just like a car ad that leads with the low payment and hides the fine print, these incomplete numbers, when treated as real, lead to decisions that feel good early and hurt later. Low numbers keep projects moving, but the real constraints—trade availability, constructability, permitting realities—haven't had their say yet.

When reality finally shows up during construction—in the form of delays, redesigns, or budget blowouts—it feels like a failure on-site. The truth is, the damage was already done quietly, much earlier, right when planning began with incomplete information.

The real issue isn’t cost. It’s sequence.

Our response to this cycle wasn’t to just try harder within the same system. It was to rethink the system itself.

The LCM Method is built on a simple premise: bring the full reality of the project—designers, builders, and trades—together earlier, at the same table. We make sure design and pricing evolve together. This isn't about padding the numbers; it's about being complete.

By identifying constraints sooner, we deal with them when they are cheapest to solve, not when they are most painful. The result is fewer surprises, clearer trade-offs, and a kind of confidence that is rooted in real, honest information—not just early optimism.

Honest pricing early can feel uncomfortable. Late-stage corrections and the frustrating fallout they cause feel much worse.

If you manage tenant fit-ups, repositionings, or complex commercial projects, and you’ve ever found your team stuck in this cycle of optimism-then-correction, we believe this conversation is worth having.

We regularly present this session to brokerage teams, ownership groups, and asset managers. If you’d like to explore how this thinking can apply to your portfolio or your clients, please contact us to schedule a presentation for your team.