Oftentimes, by the time that laboratory animal facility personnel learn about a facility construction project, the project has been underway for quiet some time without their knowledge but most importantly without their input. Construction projects consist of many phases involving numerous professional disciplines, which can make the process cumbersome and unclear. This presentation is targeted to anyone involved with an animal facility, from upper management, such as directors, researchers to supervisors and lab animal technicians. The role of physical plant personnel providing preventive maintenance to building systems will also be discussed as these are frequently overlooked and not considered. We will review each main phase of a construction project and explore our roles and participation throughout all of these phases. After all, the functionality of the spaces and how the program operates mainly lies on its users and those involved with the daily operation and care of the animals and facilities. This is known as the human factor, which we correlate to animal health, positive research outcomes and to a successful animal research program.