The labor shortage and talent gap have been top of mind for the construction industry, and for good reason: with skilled professionals leaving the workforce faster than they can be replaced, companies are facing challenges in maintaining productivity and preserving institutional knowledge.
This issue is especially pronounced in the preconstruction phase, where success depends on specialized expertise that takes years to develop. As veteran preconstruction professionals leave the industry, they're taking decades of hard-earned knowledge with them. And because that expertise can't be developed overnight, firms can't simply hire their way out of the problem.
So, the challenge isn’t just about hiring new talent but capturing and scaling the knowledge that already exists.
One of the things that makes a preconstruction professional successful is hands-on, real-world experience. Think about it: a seasoned estimator can spot missing scope before it turns into a change order. An experienced preconstruction manager knows which design details are likely to create constructability issues or where budgets tend to drift.
Those instincts don't come from a textbook. They come from years of working through projects, learning from mistakes, and seeing how project decisions are made.
Unfortunately, today's workforce is losing that experience faster than it can be replaced. The median age of construction workers is 42, and the industry expects a significant wave of retirements over the next several years. What’s more, demand for skilled workers continues to outpace supply. The construction industry is expected to need roughly 439,000 additional workers beyond normal hiring needs to meet demand.
Preconstruction faces the same challenges, but with an added layer of difficulty because expertise takes a lot of time to build. Companies can hire junior talent, but they can't fast-track the judgment that comes from spending years estimating projects, coordinating with design teams, and managing risk. That's the experience gap many firms are grappling with today.
Preconstruction sets the direction for the entire project. When experienced professionals are in short supply, projects are much more difficult to execute. These challenges can come in the form of:
The result is more uncertainty, more rework, and more pressure on the people who hold the most institutional knowledge.
Beyond finding and keeping skilled people, you also need to preserve and document what they know.
But too often, critical knowledge lives in the heads of experienced estimators and preconstruction managers rather than in documented processes or shared systems.
They remember which subcontractors consistently over- or underbid, what risks surfaced on similar projects, and which assumptions proved costly in the past.
The problem is that this knowledge isn't always captured in a way the rest of the team can use. Best practices may vary from one estimator to another, and important decisions can depend on who happens to be assigned to a project.
So, when experienced employees retire or move on, they take that institutional knowledge with them. New hires can eventually build those same instincts, but it won’t happen right away. Until then, teams risk repeating past mistakes instead of building on what they've already learned.
Hiring and training are important to solving the challenges outlined above, but they aren't enough on their own.
New team members need time and project experience before they can make the same judgment calls as seasoned professionals. At the same time, many preconstruction teams still rely on spreadsheets, email threads, and individual workflows that make it difficult to share knowledge consistently across the organization. As a result, critical information stays siloed, and teams continue to depend on a small number of experts.
Technology can't replace years of experience, but it can make that experience easier to preserve and share. Here’s how.
Capture knowledge from past projects
Every completed project contains valuable insights, from estimating assumptions to budget variances and lessons learned. Technology gives you a place to capture and organize that information so if someone transitions out of the organization, all that info doesn’t walk out the door with them.
Make historical data easy to use
Past estimates, bid results, and project outcomes become much more valuable when teams can quickly find and reference them. Instead of starting from scratch, estimators can use historical data to validate assumptions, benchmark costs, and make more informed decisions.
Standardize the way teams work
When everyone follows the same workflows and checklists, preconstruction becomes less dependent on individual habits or preferences. Teams can eliminate inconsistencies and make it simpler for new folks to get up and running.
Create a shared source of truth
Rather than having data scattered across spreadsheets, emails, or personal drives, the right tech can give you a centralized platform on which to access all that information. And with everyone working from the same data, collaboration improves, and important details are less likely to fall through the cracks.
Turn expertise into an organizational asset
The goal isn't to replace experienced professionals. It's to make sure their knowledge benefits the entire team. When historical insights and proven workflows become part of everyday processes, organizations can scale expertise instead of relying on a handful of individuals.
We've covered the risks of losing institutional knowledge and how technology can help reduce them. The next step is putting processes in place to make knowledge sharing part of your team's everyday workflow. Consider these best practices to get started.
Document the reasoning behind decisions
Numbers only tell part of the story. Be sure to document the assumptions, cost drivers, risks, and decision-making process behind each estimate. That context helps future teams understand not just what decisions were made, but why they were made.
Build centralized cost libraries and templates
Instead of having estimators create everything from scratch, develop shared cost libraries, assemblies, and estimating templates that everyone can access. This creates consistency across projects and gives newer team members a solid starting point.
Standardize how project data is organized
Standardize whenever you can. Be sure to use consistent naming conventions, classifications, and coding structures across projects. Doing so makes it easier to compare estimates, identify trends, and find relevant information when planning similar work in the future.
Turn completed projects into learning resources
Every completed project is an opportunity to improve the next one. Capture final estimates, actual costs, lessons learned, and project outcomes in a structured format so future teams can build on past experience.
Encourage experts to share what they know
Your most experienced estimators and preconstruction managers have developed processes that work, but those approaches shouldn't live only in their heads. Encourage them to document checklists, estimation methods, review processes, and common pitfalls. When that knowledge becomes part of your team's standard way of working, everyone benefits, including the next generation of preconstruction professionals.
Beyond helping teams capture institutional knowledge, the right technology and best practices can also set up future generations for success.
Connected systems give newer team members more than just access to completed estimates. They help explain the thinking behind them. Instead of seeing only the final numbers, junior estimators can understand the assumptions, cost drivers, and decisions that shaped the estimate.
Structured data, consistent documentation, and visual workflows make it easier to connect the dots and learn from previous projects. When you have repeatable processes and work from the same source of truth, existing teams and new hires alike spend less time searching for answers and devote more energy towards building practical skills.
Over time, all of these practices build confidence and help organizations develop capable preconstruction professionals without relying solely on years of trial and error.
No conversation about technology and the future would be complete without AI. And when it comes to strengthening the preconstruction workforce, artificial intelligence has the potential to complement the expertise of experienced professionals.
As organizations capture more project information in connected systems, AI-powered tools can help teams analyze large volumes of data, uncover patterns, summarize information, and surface relevant insights from historical projects. This can make it easier to learn from past work and access information that might otherwise be difficult to find or interpret.
For newer estimators, AI can provide additional context and support as they develop their skills. For experienced professionals, it can help reduce time spent gathering information and performing repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value analysis and decision-making.
That said, AI works best as an assistant, not a replacement. Final decisions still require human judgment, industry experience, and an understanding of the unique circumstances behind every project.
The most successful preconstruction teams recognize that experience is one of their most valuable assets, so they treat it that way. Instead of relying on a few go-to experts, they build systems that make knowledge accessible across the organization. They invest in connected, structured data, along with standardized workflows.
Another thing they do differently? They make knowledge sharing part of the job, not something that happens only when there's extra time. They view onboarding and professional development as long-term investments, giving new team members the tools and context they need to contribute sooner.
Forward-thinking precon leaders recognize that investing in these efforts builds more resilient teams who are better prepared for growth, turnover, and whatever comes next.
Having a stronger preconstruction team doesn't happen overnight, but small, intentional changes can make a big difference. Start with these practical steps.
The preconstruction talent gap isn't a challenge that will solve itself. The firms that come out ahead won't be the ones waiting for more experienced professionals to enter the workforce. They'll be the ones capturing the knowledge they already have, using technology to turn past projects into future insights, and giving every estimator access to the information they need to make better decisions.
Start building those capabilities today, and you'll create a more resilient, scalable preconstruction team for years to come
Autodesk Forma for Preconstruction gives you the tools you need to preserve institutional knowledge, connect historical project data, and make more informed decisions from bid to estimate. Learn more.
