Cornerstone Build Group

Cornerstone Build Group was born from a loss that did not have to happen.

James Whitfield spent twenty years running projects for some of the largest general contractors in the region. He was good at it — fast, efficient, respected. But in year eighteen, he watched a $14M medical office project go $2.3M over budget and four months past deadline. The cause was not bad workmanship. It was a foundation issue that a proper geotechnical study would have caught in pre-construction. The client trusted the process. The process failed them.

James could not stop thinking about it. The concrete was perfect. The steel was perfect. The planning was thin. And thin planning is what costs people their trust, their margins, and sometimes their buildings.

He left the firm and started Cornerstone with one principle: we will invest more in pre-construction than any firm in the region. We will spend the time, the money, and the expertise to eliminate surprises before they become change orders. By the time we break ground, the client will know everything — the cost, the timeline, the risks, and the decisions that have already been made.

We are not the cheapest firm. We are the firm that finishes on budget. The difference is in the planning. And the planning is everything.

What We Offer

The Cornerstone Build Process™ — commercial construction built on pre-construction clarity.

• Pre-Construction Planning — Geotechnical studies, value engineering, constructability reviews, and a guaranteed maximum price before we break ground. This is where we are different.
• Commercial Construction — Medical offices, retail centers, office build-outs, institutional projects. Ground-up or tenant improvement.
• Design-BBuild — Architecture, engineering, and construction under one contract. One team, one timeline, one point of accountability.
• Construction Management — We manage your project as your advocate — not as your contractor. You keep the savings; we keep the trust.
• Renovation & Adaptive Reuse — Existing buildings made new. We see what others miss in structures that have stories.

Includes:

• Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) — we commit to a number and we hold it
• Weekly progress reports with photos, budget, and timeline
• A dedicated project superintendent on-site every day
• OAC (Owner-Architect-Contractor) meetings every two weeks
• A one-year warranty on all work — and we actually answer the phone

Who We Serve

The Commercial Developer — You have investors, a pro forma, and a timeline that does not move. You need a contractor who commits to a number and holds it.

The Institutional Client — You are building a clinic, a school, a community center. You have stakeholders, boards, and public accountability. You need a process that is transparent.

The Custom Home Builder — You are building a home that someone will live in for thirty years. You need craftsmanship, not just compliance.

The Tenant Improvement Client — You have a lease, a build-out allowance, and a move-in date. You need it done right, on time, and within the allowance.

What We Stand On

1. Pre-Construction is the Project — The work that prevents problems is more valuable than the work that fixes them.

2. Guaranteed Maximum Price — We commit to a number. If we go over, we eat it. That is how trust works.

3. Transparency in Everything — Weekly reports, open books, honest answers. You always know where your project stands.

4. On-Site Every Day — A dedicated superintendent on your project, every day, from groundbreaking to punch list.

5. We Answer the Phone — After the build, during the warranty, and five years later. We do not disappear.

Investment

The Cornerstone Build Process™

• Pre-Construction Phase: 3–5% of construction cost (credited toward construction if we build)
• Construction Phase: GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) — committed before groundbreaking
• Construction Management: 2–4% of construction cost (you keep the savings)

Typical Project Range: $500K – $20M

What is Included in Pre-Construction:

• Geotechnical study and site analysis
• Value engineering and constructability review
• Detailed cost estimate with line items
• Guaranteed Maximum Price commitment
• Project schedule with milestones

We are not the cheapest firm. We are the firm that finishes on budget. The difference is in the planning.