Shaping Earth. Building Futures.
Civil Estimating,
Preconstruction
& Site Consulting.
Accurate budgets, buildable plans, and field-tested insight for developers, general contractors, and owners across NY, NJ & PA.
Worked With
What We Do
Priced, planned, and built the right way.
We help projects get priced, planned, and built the right way — before problems show up in the field.
01 — PRECONSTRUCTION
Civil Estimating
Detailed takeoffs, bid support, and realistic budgets based on real-world production rates — numbers you can defend.
02 — PLANNING
Preconstruction Planning
Scope development, sequencing, and risk identification before they become change orders.
03 — OPTIMIZATION
Value Engineering
Practical solutions that reduce cost without sacrificing performance, scope, or schedule.
04 — OVERSIGHT
Owner's Representation
Independent oversight to protect budget, schedule, and constructability — from the owner's side of the table.
05 — SUPPORT
Contractor Support
Second opinions, bid reviews, and troubleshooting for active projects that need experienced eyes.
06 — FIELD
Selective Site Work
Phase 1 work, grading, drainage, erosion control, and specialty scopes — executed where the details matter most.
Why Cadwell Civil Authority
The edge that separates us.
01
Integrity
We don't chase jobs with low numbers. Every estimate reflects what the work actually costs.
02
Experience
Built from years in the field — not just spreadsheets. We know what goes wrong because we've lived it.
03
Independence
We work for your outcome — not a contractor's margin or a designer's assumptions.
Where Projects Go Wrong
Most projects don't fail in the field — they fail in preconstruction.
Bad assumptions. Missed scope. Unrealistic budgets. That's where delays, change orders, and blown schedules start.
Where We Come In
We close the gap between the plan and the dirt.
Numbers you can defend. Plans that actually work in the field. Experienced eyes on scope, risk, and cost — before problems become claims.
How We Work
A process built for clarity.
STEP 01
Review
We analyze plans, specs, and site conditions — end to end.
STEP 02
Break It Down
We build accurate quantities, pricing, and identify risk before it multiplies.
STEP 03
Advise
Clear recommendations — not fluff. What to cut, what to hold, what to watch.
STEP 04
Support
We stay involved through preconstruction and beyond if needed.
Founder & Principal
Michael P. Cadwell
10+ Years in Heavy Civil Estimating & Project Management
Michael has worked across federal, municipal, and private sector projects throughout the Northeast — alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, and municipal agencies — managing and estimating complex sitework and infrastructure projects.
Cadwell Civil Authority was built to solve a common problem: the disconnect between how projects are designed and how they actually get built.
Who We Work With
Owner-class clients across the Northeast.
- Developers
- General Contractors
- Municipal Agencies
- Federal Projects
- Private Landowners
Service Area
New York · New Jersey · Pennsylvania
Based in Port Jervis, NY. Available for site visits and on-site preconstruction throughout the tri-state region.
By The Numbers
A track record you can verify.
10+
Years Heavy Civil Experience
100+
Projects Budgeted
15%
Avg VE Savings
3
States Served
Numbers reflect work across federal, municipal, and private sector projects throughout the Northeast — alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, municipal agencies, and private developers.
"
Mike delivered the single most honest preconstruction estimate we've ever received — and then he stood behind every line of it when it was time to build. That kind of accountability is rare.
— A DEVELOPMENT PARTNER
Let's Get Moving
Put experienced eyes
on your project.
Whether you're still sketching a scope or already in preconstruction, earlier is better. Reach out and put a veteran-built estimating team in your corner.
MCADWELL@CADWELLCIVILAUTHORITY.COM →