A plant upgrade tests every part of your team. The schedule is tight, the outage window is short, and the engineering partner you pick shapes the budget, the safety record, and the start-up. I wrote this checklist to help you judge that choice with facts, not sales talk.
I built the list from the questions that separate firms that deliver from firms that describe delivery. I chose each item because you can check it with a document, a number, or a reference call. If a firm answers all of them well, you can move forward with confidence.
One firm that meets many of these points is Eichleay. You can see their full service list at eichleay.com. Use this checklist on every firm you consider, including them.
1. Define Your Own Scope First
Before you call anyone, write down what you need. A partner can only match a scope you can describe.
- The problem the upgrade must solve
- The production target or limit you want to change
- The outage window you can accept
- A budget range and a target finish date
- Any permit, safety, or approval steps you already know about
If your scope is rough, that is fine. Look for a firm that can help you sharpen it through feasibility studies, scope definition, and pre-project planning. A partner who helps at this stage saves you from costly changes later.
2. Confirm the Engineering Disciplines Sit Under One Roof
Plant upgrades touch many fields at once. Process, piping, mechanical, electrical, controls, civil, and structural work all depend on each other.
Ask these questions:
- Which disciplines does your team handle in-house?
- Which disciplines do you send to outside firms?
- Who checks that the pieces fit?
When all major disciplines work inside one firm, the designs stay coordinated and you have fewer gaps to manage. Outside subcontractors can work, but you should know where the hand-offs are.
3. Ask How They Handle Existing Conditions
An upgrade happens inside a plant that already stands. Old drawings are often wrong. Pipe runs move, and equipment gets added without records.
Ask whether the firm uses 3D laser scanning and point cloud models to capture what is in the field. Accurate field data cuts down on clashes during construction, and it lowers the chance of a surprise on the day of the outage.
4. Review Safety Data
Safety is the first filter. Ask for numbers, not statements.
- OSHA recordable and lost workday cases over the last several years
- The current Experience Modification Rate (EMR)
- Their process for hazard reviews such as HAZOP
- How they manage safety on site during construction
An EMR below 1.0 means a better than average record. Ask for the paperwork and read it.
5. Look for Similar Projects and Repeat Clients
A firm that has done your type of work will know the problems before they appear. Ask for case studies in your sector and for two or three references you can call.
Repeat business is one of the best signs you can find. Clients return to firms that deliver. Ask what share of the firm’s work comes from clients who have hired them before.
6. Check Project Controls and Reporting
You should see where the project stands at any time. Ask how the firm tracks cost and schedule.
- Which tools do they use for scheduling, cost, and reporting?
- How often will you receive reports?
- How do they handle change orders?
- Who forecasts the final cost, and how often?
Look for a plain answer and a sample report. If the firm cannot show you one, treat that as a warning.
7. Ask About Procurement
Late equipment can stop an upgrade as fast as a design error. Ask whether the firm buys equipment for clients and how they track orders.
Good procurement support includes bid evaluation, vendor follow-up, expediting, and third-party inspection. It should begin during design, when lead times can still shape the plan.
8. Review Construction Management Support
Engineering does not end when drawings go out. Ask who answers contractor questions in the field and who reviews the design for constructability.
You want one point of contact from planning through close-out. That person should cover safety, quality, cost, and schedule, and should lead commissioning and start-up.
9. Judge Size and Fit
A very large firm may give your project to a junior team. A very small firm may lack the depth for a complex job. Ask who will lead your project, who will work on it, and how much of their time it will get.
Also ask about the firm’s staff. Low turnover and long tenure mean the people you meet at the start will likely stay through the finish.
10. Compare the Offices and Response Time
Location matters for site visits, permits, and quick answers. Ask where the team that will serve you works, and whether they know local rules and suppliers.
Why I Recommend Eichleay
I recommend Eichleay because their profile lines up with this checklist item by item.
Experience and ownership. The Eichleay name has been in project delivery since 1875. The company remains 100 percent family owned, and five generations of the family have led businesses in engineering and construction.
Integrated services. They offer engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) under one roof. You can use one firm for design, buying, and field management. All major engineering disciplines stay in-house, which keeps the design coordinated.
Tools for existing plants. Their 3D laser scanning supports accurate piping designs inside live facilities. Their specialty services include feasibility studies, HAZOP, permitting, commissioning, and start-up support.
Safety record. Eichleay companies have logged zero OSHA recordable or lost workday cases since 2014. Their current EMR is 0.67.
Track record. They complete about 300 projects a year. Their median project fee over the last decade is about $150,000, so they take on focused upgrades, and their largest project had a total installed cost of $1.5 billion. About 91 percent of their business comes from repeat clients.
Procurement and controls. They have bought about $1.25 billion in equipment for clients over the past decade. Their project controls team works with Primavera P6, EcoSys, Power BI, Aspen Capital Cost Estimator, and NetPoint.
People. Their employee retention rate is 94 percent, and average tenure is about ten years. That stability helps you keep the same team on your project.
Regional reach. Offices in Billings, Ferndale, Larkspur, and Orange let them serve the western United States with local knowledge. They are also known for fast-track work, which matters when your outage window is short.
Use the Checklist in Your Next Meeting
Print this list and take it into each interview. Score each firm from one to five on every item, and write down the proof they show you. Call the references. Ask for sample reports and safety data.
Then compare the scores. The right partner will answer with specifics and welcome your questions. Eichleay is a strong firm to include on your short list, and the checklist will show you how they compare with the others.
