Procurement and Long-Lead Coordination in Irving, TX

As of early 2026, electrical switchgear and distribution panels in the DFW market are quoting lead times of 28 to 52 weeks depending on the manufacturer, the product type, and the specific electrical configuration. Medium-voltage switchgear and transformers for large commercial facilities are on the longer end of that range. These lead times have not returned to pre-2020 levels and are unlikely to do so in the near term. We initiate electrical gear procurement for every Irving project during preconstruction rather than during the construction buyout phase.

Yes. Curtainwall fabrication lead times for custom systems used in Las Colinas Class A office construction typically run 20 to 36 weeks from approved shop drawings. Since shop drawing preparation and engineering review add 6 to 10 weeks to that timeline, the purchase order must be placed 28 to 48 weeks before the scheduled curtainwall installation. For a project with a 14-month construction schedule, that means curtainwall procurement must begin before the structural steel erection is complete — often before the structural frame is out of the ground.

Yes, with the owner's written authorization. When critical long-lead items have lead times that will extend beyond the construction schedule if purchase orders are delayed until contract execution, we present the owner with an early purchase order authorization request that documents the item, the vendor, the price, and the schedule consequence of waiting. Owners who authorize early purchase orders accept the financial risk that the contract might not proceed, but they also protect the construction schedule from a delay that would cost more than the purchase order cancellation fee.

Oncor's commercial electrical service delivery timeline for large projects in the Las Colinas and Irving service territory runs 8 to 16 weeks from service application approval to energization. If permanent power delivery is needed for HVAC commissioning, elevator testing, fire alarm acceptance, or building systems testing — which it always is — and the Oncor service application is not initiated until late in construction, the Oncor delivery can extend the project completion date by weeks. We initiate the Oncor service application during the structural frame phase and track Oncor delivery as a critical path milestone.

The DFW spring construction season — March through June — brings a surge in commercial construction activity across the metroplex as projects that broke ground in the fall begin their structural and MEP scopes simultaneously. Subcontractor capacity for concrete, structural steel, roofing, and curtainwall work is constrained during this period, and contractors who have not executed subcontract agreements before the spring surge face fewer options, higher pricing, and longer availability windows. We execute subcontract agreements for critical trades during the winter preceding the spring construction start to secure capacity and pricing before the market tightens.

General Contractors of Irving manages procurement and long-lead coordination for construction projects throughout Irving, Las Colinas, Grand Prairie, Coppell, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, and the surrounding DFW market. Our procurement management work is most concentrated in the Las Colinas corporate office and industrial corridor, where curtainwall, electrical gear, and mechanical equipment lead times have the most significant schedule impact.