The Preconstruction Podcast

Gareth McGlynn speaks with Nathan Schaff, Estimating Manager at Cornerstone General Contractors, at Advancing Preconstruction 2026 in Phoenix. A self-performing GC based in Alaska, Cornerstone gives Nathan a hands-on perspective on preconstruction that is grounded in real field conditions.

Key Topics Covered:

• Nathan & Cornerstone: Working across healthcare, hospitality, and federal military projects, with a focus on vertical commercial construction.

• New Estimators & Value Engineering: The shortage of talent entering the field, their understanding of value engineering, and professional development through ASPE and AACE.

• Lean Construction: Its growing impact on the estimating process and the role of AI takeoff tools as a lean principle in action.

• Data Science in Preconstruction: How Cornerstone is incorporating data science into its workflow, including labor productivity tracking and predicting quantity growth risk as a function of design maturity.

• Value Management in Practice: Cornerstone's formal pilot on a $90M project: 13 propositions totaling $9M, with $7M accepted.

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You can connect with Nathan via his LinkedIn or reach him through his blog.