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Private developers are eyeing mass timber not just for its beauty and carbon story, but for the schedule and marketing advantages it offers. But here’s the brutal truth: your project lives or dies by how well your general contractor understands (and advocates for) those advantages.
If your GC treats mass timber like a nice idea they’ll entertain only if everything else lines up perfectly, your project will never pencil. On the flip side, if your builder can capture speed and cost advantages starting at schematic design, suddenly you’re not asking if you can afford mass timber—you’re asking if you can afford not to do it.
We spoke with Ankit Sanghvi , Director of Preconstruction at PCL Construction , to break down the five biggest red flags to watch for in your GC’s approach to mass timber—and what a winning playbook really looks like.
When your GC is aligned, experienced, and engaged early, mass timber becomes a true value lever:
But get it wrong, and the pain points start stacking:
So here’s the question every owner should ask before moving forward:
"Do we have the right GC on board for this project?"
Use this guide to watch for red flags—and follow up with the ten questions at the end to make sure your team is truly ready.
When we sat down with Ankit Sanghvi, Director of Preconstruction at PCL, one thing stood out: he’s not just pushing for more mass timber projects for PCL. He’s pushing for more mass timber, period.
Ankit made it clear — if we want mass timber to be the future, it can’t stay a “premium” option only brought up for LEED projects. It has to compete on cost, speed, and quality across the board. The more GCs who know how to deliver it well, the faster that happens — and the bigger the impact on the built environment.
From Ankit’s perspective, this is bigger than any one job. Construction is a huge contributor to carbon emissions, and mass timber gives us one of the best chances to start changing that story. Every time a timber project pencils out and gets built, it moves the industry — and the planet — in the right direction.
Success with mass timber depends on more than good design — it takes GC partners who know how to execute it right. Here’s how to spot the red flags early, and the questions to ask before small gaps become big risks.
What You’re Hearing:
“We ran the numbers, and it’s a 10–15% premium over concrete.”
The Fix: If your GC isn’t calculating schedule compression and corresponding general conditions savings, you’re not getting the full picture. Ankit Sanghvi puts it bluntly: “If your GC is showing a premium beyond 5%, they’re not analyzing it right.”
The key is confidence in speed. PCL bakes in faster timelines up front—not as a hopeful maybe, but as a pricing baseline. With faster installation, reduced crane time, and less labor overlap, that timber "premium" often washes out entirely.
What You’re Hearing:
“We reached out to a supplier for a budget. Let’s see what they come back with.”
The Fix: Engaging a single supplier too early leads to sole-sourcing and design constraints that kill cost competitiveness.
PCL recommends a two-step procurement strategy:
This keeps competition alive and design flexible—exactly what you want if you're serious about making timber pencil.
What You’re Hearing:
“We’ll figure out MEP routing and penetrations later.”
The Fix: Mass timber demands up-front planning. Full stop. Waiting until the field phase to coordinate BIM, MEP, and moisture control isn’t just sloppy—it’s a budget and schedule killer.
According to Ankit, early coordination means:
PCL’s timber projects succeed because this over-planning is baked into Pre-Con. And it’s not just about efficiency—it’s about delivering a pristine product, from day one through post-occupancy.
What You’re Hearing:
“Our team hasn’t built with mass timber, but we’re excited to learn.”
The Fix: Enthusiasm isn’t enough. If your GC’s project team hasn’t successfully delivered timber before, they're going to bake risk premiums into their pricing—and make conservative decisions that cost you time and money.
Ankit’s advice? You need at least one seasoned timber advocate on your AEC team, preferably more. Without someone pushing for timber in the room, it will always be the first thing VE’d out.
With over 65 mass timber projects under their belt, PCL knows how to coach the team, collaborate with suppliers, and bring trade partners on board with confidence.
What You’re Hearing:
“We need to cut costs. Let's look at replacing the CLT with steel or concrete decking.”
The Fix: True mass timber GCs see value engineering as a way to protect timber, not remove it. That means:
PCL doesn't pad their margin on timber—they aim to beat the market across the board. The result? A builder who can afford to keep timber in the project and keep your budget whole.
Before you move another inch into design development, ask your GC these 10 questions:
If your GC can’t answer most of these with clarity and specifics, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Want a second opinion? Email Ankit Sanghvi (asanghvi@pcl.com) with the subject line: Mass Timber GC Reality Check. He’ll tell you exactly where your team stands—and how to get the right players in the room.
Lead mass timber projects with confidence — and leave delays, redesigns, and budget blowups behind.
✅ Solve early-stage design, sourcing, insurance, permitting, code & cost hurdles before they derail your project.
✅ Find technical answers on design, detailing, procurement, embodied carbon ROI, hybrid systems & more.
✅ Build relationships with developers, GCs, architects, and engineers shaping mass timber’s future.
Get your ticket— and get the insights, skills, and network to deliver mass timber projects successfully.
