5 Common Questions About Commercial Renovations

Whether you are planning to renovate a retail store, office building or any other type of commercial establishment, you are probably wondering which questions you should ask general contractors (GC). How much will it cost? How long will it take? Those are good questions, but there are other important questions to ask too. So before you dig in, be sure to get the answers to the following 5 common questions about commercial renovations:

How much will the project cost?

The most popular question project owners have about their commercial renovations is the cost of the project.  There are a lot of variables that can influence costs such as the complexity of renovations, unexpected issues with the premises and any changes that are made to the renovations during the construction process. Also, whether an owner chooses a design-build, or a fixed-cost contract will also impact the estimate. Therefore, building owners should work with general contractors who have experience in providing accurate cost estimates for a variety of commercial renovation projects.

Will we need to vacate the premises?

Project owners often ask whether they will need to vacate the premises during renovations. In some cases, especially in large commercial environments, it may be possible for the general contractor to schedule the construction in phases enabling the business to stay open during renovations. When this occurs, the area of the building under renovations will be partitioned off from the rest of the building and will be inaccessible to employees or visitors. In other cases, it may be necessary to vacate for a renovation project that encompasses the entire building or work area at the same time, when there are safety concerns, and loud construction noises, for example.

Will I need to hire an architect?

This is another very common question. The short answer is it is up to the project owner. If a project owner wants a turn-key renovation and chooses a design-build general contractor, then the project owner will not have to hire an architect. The GC will handle the entire renovation project from project design to completion. On the other hand, a business owner may want the flexibility of hiring their own architect or may have a preferred architect from a previous construction project. Finding a good general contractor that offers several delivery methods will help business owners select the construction delivery method for their renovation project that best meets their needs and budget.

How much time will it take to complete the project?

Commercial project owners always want to know how long the renovations will take to complete. When the general contractor provides the cost estimating for the renovations project owners are given an estimated completion date. There are many factors that can affect the completion date such as weather, delivery of construction materials and availability of construction workers, to name a few. Its important to keep in mind that it is not always possible to predict the exact completion date of a complex commercial renovation, but a good GC will budget for the amount of time they believe is necessary to complete the project to the owner’s satisfaction.

Who keeps us updated about the status of the renovation?

Keeping business owners updated about the status of their commercial renovation avoids unnecessary surprises. The general contractor is responsible for managing the entire renovations project including all sub-contractor entities working in the different phases of the construction process.  And good communications is the key to any successful construction project. Commercial project owners should ensure the general contractor provides them with a single-point of contact who can answer any questions that may arise during the renovations project.