Direct Access, Direct Impact:
How Owner-Direct Estimating Delivers Value in Higher Education Construction
For nearly 20 years, Palacio Collaborative has worked directly with several higher education clients—including Auburn University, Clemson University, Emory University, and Georgia Institute of Technology—providing Cost Management for projects ranging from cutting-edge research facilities and academic spaces to housing, student life, and health education environments.
Unlike the traditional subcontractor model, these projects were awarded owner-direct—an efficient partnership that gives institutions dedicated cost expertise to make confident campus-shaping decisions.
Why Choose Owner-Direct:
Speed: Estimates can be updated immediately without added layers.
Clarity: Owners see costs unfiltered, with full market context.
Confidence: Big-picture pricing, competition, and contractor outreach strategies are addressed early.
Trust: The camaraderie built through direct partnerships makes tough decisions easier.
An Unfiltered Partnership
What sets the owner-direct relationship apart is the clarity and efficiency it brings. The direct line connecting us to owners gives us a deeper understanding of their priorities. Owners have immediate access to us, and we can tailor our input to their needs.
This unfiltered partnership helps put owners in the position of anticipating cost challenges instead of reacting to them.
Owner-direct relationships result in faster estimates, sharper discussions, and proactive strategies that keep costs competitive and projects on track.
At Auburn, for example, staff don’t prepare parallel estimates, but they bring a solid understanding of costs and focus their review on market conditions, pricing influences, and overall alignment to scope. Together, we can pivot between fine tuning costs and having big-picture conversations to set realistic expectations for bids.
Complementing the Design Team
Owner-direct doesn’t bypass design teams—it strengthens them. By embedding real-time market intelligence into design conversations, cost estimators give architects the financial foundation to build their ideas upon.
Design teams bring innovation. We bring cost parameters. That integration leads to stronger outcomes.
Direct communication can help prevent the costly redesign cycles that often occur when budget issues surface late in the design process.
Results Built on Trust
Owner-direct isn’t just a contracting choice—it’s a smart strategy. With over 200 projects completed within our owner-direct partnerships, we have delivered consistent results: accuracy, transparency, and long-term trust.
Whether the project is a marquee research facility or a renovation that keeps campus life moving, this approach gives higher education clients the confidence to move forward.
Explore a few of our owner-direct projects below!
Our Approach
From the earliest conversations about vision to the final development of construction documents, our role in every phase is to support the project's evolution with clear, data-driven cost insight that helps owners and project teams make confident, informed decisions.
In master planning, we help establish early cost clarity and identify key drivers and risks. For feasibility studies, our cost estimating expertise can help you test concepts against budget and site conditions to inform your project's direction. As design advances, we can help refine scope and cost through milestone estimates and reconciliation—keeping the project aligned with intent and budget.
Master Plan/Visioning:
Goal: Framework for long-term growth
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Provide high-level cost models aligned with owner vision
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Benchmark against peer facilities and regional data
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Highlight key cost drivers (site, building type, sustainability, etc.)
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Identify risks early, before design begins
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Support prioritization based on cost vs. benefit
Feasibility Study:
Goal: Test viability and budget
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Develop UNIFORMAT-based estimates from programs/ concepts
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Run “what-if” scenarios (size, materials, systems, phasing)
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Evaluate site and infrastructure costs
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Compare options to target budget
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Validate architect/CM assumptions with independent review
Design Phase Services:
Goal: Refine scope and cost
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Deliver milestone estimates (SD, DD, CD) to track alignment
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Reconcile with architect/CM estimates to resolve variances
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Identify value opportunities without sacrificing intent
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Forecast escalation and market trends
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Flag scope creep early and quantify impacts
Ready to learn more?
Palacio's owner-direct cost estimating can strengthen projects in any sector—from higher education to K-12, government, healthcare, commercial, and beyond.
Reach out to Andrea Newman to get the conversation started today. She and our team of seasoned Cost Managers are eager to show you how our owner-direct approach can bring added value, efficiency, and confidence to your projects.