Andrew Kitley, Founder and CEO of structural engineering consultancy, Kitall, explains why value engineering is about far more than cutting costs and how it can enhance efficiency, maximise functionality and drive sustainability across the construction sector without compromising quality.
When it comes to construction, keeping costs in check is key. In the current economic climate of fluctuating prices and supply chain issues, it can be difficult to keep projects within budget and this challenge is only set to get worse.
According to the BCIS Construction Industry Forecast 2025–2030, building costs are expected to increase by 14% over the next five years, while tender prices are predicted to rise by 15% over the same period. When costs are tight, quality can be compromised – but this isn’t a risk we should be taking as an industry.
This is where value engineering comes in. Value engineering is a method of problem-solving that keeps projects on time and within budget without compromising on quality or results. This approach examines every aspect of the project, creating solutions through alternative construction methods, designs or materials to improve overall value.
But value engineering is about more than just keeping costs down. This approach can also be used to improve efficiency, functionality and sustainability outcomes for projects. It’s all about maximising value at every stage, resulting in the highest-quality end product.
The five-step process
Value engineering follows a five-step process in which a team of designers, engineers and other construction professionals work together to problem-solve and assess how the best value can be achieved.
Each project follows the stages of information gathering, function analysis, creative brainstorming, evaluation and selection and development.
This process ensures functionality is considered at every stage, in addition to cost. It also ensures the desired outcomes are agreed upon by all stakeholders, putting all parties on the same page and working towards a common goal. Beyond cost, this process is about effective teamwork and idea generation.
Enhancing efficiency
Improving efficiency needs to be a priority for the construction sector.
According to Mace’s 2025 report, ‘The Future of Major Programme Delivery’, the UK underperforms in terms of delivery speed and has one of the longest average delivery times globally, standing at nearly 12.5 years.
Value engineering helps speed up various parts of the planning and construction process. For instance, spotting flaws in building materials or methods at the evaluation and selection stage means designers can get in early and change these decisions, saving time further down the line.
Changing tack when a project is well underway can cause more problems, so it’s always best to thoroughly evaluate and analyse decisions in the earlier stages.
Maximising functionality
Value engineering can also be used to boost the performance of buildings or to overcome other obstacles – value doesn’t always have to be about monetary gains.
For example, planning permission restrictions may mean the building process can’t go ahead in some cases. Value engineering addresses any issues early on and alternative methods or solutions can be introduced to fix the problem, such as changing elements of a design.
Or perhaps an architect is seeking to optimise space in a building. Value engineering encourages collaboration between architectural design and an appropriate engineering solution to make this possible. Ultimately, the architecture leads and the engineering solution helps facilitate the design. Through close collaboration and clever solutions, real value can be created.
Tackling sustainability
It’s estimated that the built environment produces around 25% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to the various stages of the construction process, including building, operating machinery and creating materials. If we are to reach our target of achieving net zero by 2050, things need to change.
Value engineering creates the opportunity to choose more sustainable ways of working that reduce the environmental impact of the construction or function of any given building. For instance, swapping out environmentally harsh materials such as concrete for options such as mass timber. Thanks to its renewable nature, lower carbon footprint and potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mass timber is a greener, more sustainable option.
Generally speaking, sustainable solutions are more expensive. But if a building is made from mass timber, there is likely to be a premium attached to that building: people will be willing to pay more for its biophilic properties. Cost aside, there is huge value in sustainable solutions.
What’s more, the value engineering process can help design teams consider the feasibility of reusing a building rather than building from scratch. This is the most sustainable solution of all and clever engineering solutions paired with sophisticated design can produce impressive, high-quality results.
Final thoughts
Cost is important, but value engineering is about so much more than price. From enhancing efficiency and maximising functionality to tackling sustainability, value engineering transforms decision-making and projects of all shapes and sizes without compromising quality.
Working together closely gives designers and engineers the opportunity to develop an effective approach to analysis that drives projects forward within agreed budgets and timeframes.
Catching any issues early on and adding value at every stage is vital if the construction industry is to perform at its best, and value engineering has the answer.
