Construction management in Houston
Ascend plans, bids, awards and manages every trade on commercial and residential projects $10 million and under, on a cost-of-the-work basis with open-book reporting.
Big-firm controls, sized for projects under $10 million.
The largest construction management firms seldom take on projects at this size. Ascend brings the same process to owners who still need real oversight: complete scopes, competitive bids, written award recommendations and weekly schedule control.
- Consult and scope. Goals, budget, timeline and a clearly defined scope.
- Preconstruction. Estimating, design coordination, permit strategy and trade scopes.
- Bid and award. Competitive bids leveled in a bid tab, with awards recommended in writing.
- Build and manage. Trade management, change-order control and weekly look-aheads.
- Closeout. Inspections, punch list, warranties and a clean handover.
Every scope bid. Every dollar visible.
- We never award on the lowest base bid. Awards go to the lowest adjusted total with complete scope.
- We do not self-perform trade work. Our only interest is the right trade partner at the right price.
- Open-book cost of the work. You see the bids, the contracts and the pay applications.
- Ready for your lender. Budgets, schedules and draw packages built to the standard lenders expect.
Same architect. $2 million under budget.
Process is what moves the number. On this healthcare project, re-scoping and competitive bidding brought the buyout $2 million below the original budget.
Healthcare & education projects$2 million under the original budget
A healthcare project carried a $5.5 million budget while the owner's architect served as both architect and construction manager. Ascend came in as construction manager, value-engineered the design, competitively bid every scope, and bought the work out at $3.5 million with qualified subcontractors.
Frequently asked questions
How does a construction manager get paid?
Ascend works on a cost-of-the-work basis with a construction management fee agreed before work starts. You see the bids, contracts and pay applications.
Do you self-perform any trade work?
No. Every scope is competitively bid to qualified trade partners, so we have no stake in which contractor wins.
Can I keep my architect?
Yes. We work alongside your architect to make sure what is designed matches what you need and what the budget can carry.
What does 'lowest adjusted total' mean?
We level every bid to the same complete scope before comparing. The cheapest base bid often leaves out work that later returns as change orders.
What areas do you serve?
Houston and the rest of Texas, plus Michigan.