5 Essential Tips to Consider Before Starting a Commercial Construction Project

Starting a commercial construction project is a major undertaking that requires careful planning, execution and attention to detail. And unless you happen to be a business owner with construction experience, you are probably wondering where you should start.  To help pave the way, here are 5 essential tips to consider before starting your commercial construction project:

Type of Construction Project

The first thing is to consider is the type of commercial construction project you are undertaking. Will you be remodeling an existing building, a new addition or new construction? In fact, many companies wrestle with the idea of remodeling vs relocation. The route you take will depend on the cost, location, space constraints and whether your existing building is functionally obsolete.

Create a Budget

It helps to create a budget before starting a commercial construction project. This doesn’t mean you need an exact estimate of all the costs involved. Your general contractor will do that for you. But you should have a general idea of the amount of funds that will be available to spend on your project. It will be one of the first questions a commercial contractor will ask when you contact them about building your project. As your vision begins to take shape, you can decide how much flexibility you have in revising your budget to reflect the actual cost of the project.

Select a Design-Build General Contractor

Selecting a design-build general contractor takes a lot of pressure off the building owner. Design-build contractors are full-service contractors who manage the entire project from architectural drawings to permits and insurance to construction and final delivery. They will help with budgeting, cost estimating, and converting your vision into an architectural document. And general contractors with value engineering expertise always look for ways to control costs without sacrificing quality. This is the most efficient and cost-effective delivery method for commercial renovations and new construction.

Project Timeline

Create a project timeline for all phases of the construction project. This will help you keep employees and stakeholders abreast of the construction progress and the estimated time of completion for each phase. If you are remodeling a store or building, employees, customers and guests will need to know whether your facility or portions of it will be inaccessible. Will you need a temporary facility? Will you need to relocate or hire additional personnel?

Contact Your Business Insurance Agent

While the general contractor will carry professional liability and workman’s compensation insurance for the construction site, you may need to update your business insurance policy to fill in any gaps in coverage. Provide your insurance agent with information regarding your commercial construction project to make sure your company has the right level of coverage for protection should the unexpected arise.