When the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates 11 times last year in a bid to control rampant economic inflation, many Top 400 Contractors said they felt those policy changes in the form of project delays, rescopes or outright cancellations. Now, with construction costs at a prolonged high, firms say preconstruction has helped some would-be paused projects stay viable. But in a construction market where demand for resources far outpaces supply, firms say preconstruction has its limits against inflation.