The ConTech Crew 361: The Rise of Pre-Construction with Chris Walker, Chief Estimator at Lunacon

🏗️ Learn more at http://thecontechcrew.comIn today's episode, we sit down with Chris Walker, chief estimator at Lunacon.As a Jamaican-born first-generation construction estimator, it never crossed Chris's mind that he'd make his mark in pre-construction.Over the years, he has seen changes in the pre-construction process, making it as important as the building phase itself.And today, Chris is here to debunk a few misconceptions about pre-construction and how he was able to leverage his soft skills to achieve rapid success in this space.He also talks about the importance of collaboration in pre-construction, the role of technology, how to mitigate risks, and his advice to people of color looking to break into the construction industry.Make sure to check it out!Key Takeaways:Intro (00:00)How Chris got into the construction industry (06:11)Collaborative delivery models are the way (09:02)Why is the pre-construction phase important more so than ever? (12:09)What makes someone a good estimator over time? (13:58)What does collaboration look like after the pandemic? (19:00)How the construction industry embraces diversity (21:39)The role of technology in collaboration and construction workflow (27:28)How Lunacon differentiates itself from its competitors (31:32)How to mitigate risk, especially with unknown contractors (35:39)Advice for new minority business owners looking to break into the construction world (38:41)Final advice to people who want to transition to construction-related roles (50:03)Weekly news roundup (1:03:48)Additional Resources:Listen to the show at http://thecontechcrew.comFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecontechcrew–Check Chris out on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisoawalker/Check out Lunacon’s works : https://lunaconcorp.com/–See this week’s news articles! 🗞️⬇️ ➡️ 2023 State of Design & Make - Autodeskhttps://www.autodesk.com/insights/research/state-of-design-and-make➡️ Oracle Industry Lab – Reality Mapping Experimenthttps://www.oracle.com/oce/dc/assets/CONT38A2DFF92B0F45508AA1F951B9ACA65F/native/reality-mapping-experiment-at-oracleindustrylab-wp.pdf?elqTrackId=8890984c691a40b6b77629d39b181803&elqaid=136059&elqat=2➡️ US DOT Awards $95M in IIJA Tech-Related Grantshttps://www.enr.com/articles/56131-us-dot-awards-95m-in-iija-tech-related-grants➡️ The IIJA sets aside $100M for contech. When will it arrive?https://www.constructiondive.com/news/iija-infrastructure-act-100m-contech-funding-construction/624007/➡️ Gilbane creates new tech-oriented role