The cost of resolving a clash rises sharply the later it is discovered, making pre-construction detection the point in a project where resolution remains lowest-cost.
Why Timing Determines Resolution Cost
A clash identified in a coordinated model, before any construction has occurred at that location, typically requires only a design adjustment. The same clash, discovered once construction has physically reached that point, requires demolition or rework in addition to the design correction — meaning the underlying conflict is identical, but the cost of resolving it has multiplied.
Where Teams Treat Clash Detection as a Formality
Clash detection performed late in design, or treated as a final check rather than an integral part of the coordination process, risks missing the window where resolution remains genuinely low-cost — pushing conflict discovery closer to the point where construction has already begun.
Why This Cost Curve Deserves Explicit Attention
Recognizing that clash resolution cost escalates sharply after construction begins should shift how clash detection is scheduled within a project — not as a late check, but as an early and recurring practice throughout design development.
Detecting Conflicts at the Lowest-Cost Point in the Process
After illustrating how clash resolution cost escalates from design to construction, DASH’s pre-construction Navisworks clash detection is positioned at the point in the process where resolution remains lowest-cost, rather than left until construction forces a far more expensive discovery.
Consult with DASH’s team about moving clash detection earlier in your process.