CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION

Trotter and Associates, Inc. provides construction engineering services for all aspects of public improvements from roadway to wastewater treatment facility construction. We also provide inspection services to certify that public improvements completed by private developers are in accordance with the municipalities ordinances. Our construction phase services include:


  • Construction Management
  • Construction Inspection
  • Resident Engineering
  • Construction Layout


TAI’s approach to construction phase services is different from most of our competitors. Our design phase team is our construction phase team. As a result, our design team can anticipate construction issues in the design phase as well as understand the issues that do arise. We prefer to assign one of the design team members as the resident engineer (RE) on the project. Therefore, our resident engineer has the background and knowledge of the design intent to assist in making any adjustments required.


Furthermore, the project manager and project engineer remain the same throughout the project and attend the weekly construction meetings. Through superior design and consistency in our construction phase team, we have successfully kept our change order rate below 1.5% compared to the industry average of 7%.


During construction, communication is one of the most important elements required for a successful project. TAI’s staff makes it a point to be in touch with our clients throughout the construction process, either in conversation or written form depending on the project’s and client’s needs. Through continuous communication with our clients we are able to resolve issues quickly. If there are any clarifications to the contract documents, the client needs to know what those clarifications are and how they will ultimately be resolved.


To keep all the stakeholders informed during the construction process, our staff typically assembles a monthly construction management report that includes:


  • Construction Progress Summary
  • Contractor’s Pay Request Summaries
  • Resident Engineers Daily Reports
  • Shop Drawing Log
  • Executed Change Orders
  • Request for Change Orders
  • Progress photographs


Trotter and Associates, Inc. is not only recognized for our design capabilities, but is also known throughout the industry for our impartial interpretation of the contract documents. This approach increases the number of contractors willing to bid on our projects.


The contractors know that our firm is thorough and that our plans are crystal clear without the ambiguity or “implied” work shown by other firms. As a result, contractors do not place a factor of safety on their bids. Additionally, instead of receiving only a few bids, TAI projects consistently receive more the seven bids. As a result, the Owner is ensured that he received a competitive price for his project. The competitive price in the bidding process and lower change order rate translates to a much higher value to the Owner for the product.



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RELATED PROJECTS

By Mark Dupree • October 14, 2026
The Village of Sussex’s 2025 WPCF Improvements Project reached final completion in September, delivering upgrades to the facility’s influent screening, tertiary filtration, and aeration systems. Together, these improvements strengthen the facility’s reliability and efficiency for years to come. The project’s success reflects the collaboration among the Village of Sussex, Trotter and Associates as project engineer, contractors Sabel Mechanical and Pieper Electric, and the project’s equipment partners. Shortly after completion, the Village hosted the Southeast Region of the Wisconsin Wastewater Operators’ Association (WWOA) at the facility as part of its Ops-to-Ops program, which connects wastewater operators with neighboring facilities for tours, continuing education, and networking. Visiting operators walked through the upgraded systems, discussed project considerations and outcomes, and shared insights with peers. Trotter and Associates thanks the WWOA Southeast Region for its support and the Village of Sussex for opening its doors to fellow professionals. Projects like this one, and the knowledge sharing that follows, show the value of strong partnerships among owners, engineers, contractors, and operators.
By Mark Dupree • May 31, 2026
Fox Metro Water Reclamation District is nearing completion of a valve replacement project for the pumps serving the 54" Primary Clarifier Effluent (PCE) and 42" Return Activated Sludge (RAS) force mains. The hydraulically operated plug valves, originally installed in the 1970s, are being replaced with conventional plug/check valve arrangements, along with surge and air-release valves where required. To date, Dahme Mechanical Industries has completed valve installations on all three RAS pumps and three of the four PCE pumps, with the final pump expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Before the mechanical work, a floor shoring system was installed to reinforce a portion of the elevated slab and properly support the new valves. TAI's involvement in this project has spanned from the early planning stages, including structural condition verification, pump system curve analysis, and surge analysis, through the preparation of bidding documents, and now into active construction support. 
By Mark Dupree • May 1, 2026
The City of St. Charles is nearing completion of phase one of the Well No. 8 Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Rehabilitation Project, which includes upgrades to piping, valves, and treatment systems—specifically ion exchange and HMO filtration processes that support radium removal and hardness control. These improvements build on the City’s already high-performing water system and help maintain consistent water quality. Phase two will begin this fall and will include installation and commissioning of the Well No. 14 pump, replacement of the pump at Well No. 8, and electrical and other minor facility upgrades to WTP No. 8. Once complete, these enhancements will increase the available water supply, improve operational flexibility, and strengthen long-term system reliability for the community. 
By Mark Dupree • March 27, 2026
The Village of Addison is implementing a major project to separate combined sewers in the Home Addition area, which is the largest remaining combined sewer tributary in the community. The project includes separating the area's existing combined sewer system, which currently manages both wastewater and stormwater runoff, into separate sanitary and storm sewer systems. About three miles of new storm sewer, ranging from twelve to sixty inches in diameter, will be installed and directed to Salt Creek through an existing 84-inch relief storm sewer. To connect to the existing 20-foot-deep relief sewer, two custom-made junction chambers (10-foot by 12-foot and 8-foot by 10-foot) have been installed. Another key part of the project is building a stormwater detention facility at Cherokee Park, which is the lowest point of the drainage basin and the area most vulnerable to flooding. Since June of 2025, the contractor has completed approximately two and a half miles of storm sewer installation. The remaining sewer work and excavation of the detention pond are expected to be finished in the coming months. Along with storm sewer upgrades, lead water services found during construction are being replaced. So far, 65 lead water services have been taken out of the Village's water system. Once finished, the Village’s sanitary sewer system will experience significantly lower flows during wet weather. This decrease in flows will help prevent basement backups, street flooding, and combined sewer overflow discharges previously suffered by the Village. The project will also lessen the volume of stormwater runoff treated at the AJL Wastewater Treatment Plant. It remains on schedule and is expected to be completed by summer 2026. 
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