5 Tips for Planning a Successful Commercial Construction Project

Getting any commercial construction project off the ground requires careful planning and attention to detail from start to finish. Whether you are a building owner working with a design-build contractor on your new company headquarters from the ground-up or are renovating an existing commercial building, these 5 tips will help you plan a successful construction project.

Plan Your Budget

Before beginning any commercial construction project, it is important to plan your budget wisely to ensure you have the capital and/or financing available to complete the build. Your budget should include all of the associated costs and fees for the land, design and construction of your commercial building. It is also a best practice to include a 5% to 10% contingency in your construction budget.  Your commercial contractor can give you a construction estimate to help in your budget planning process.

Understand Contractor Delivery Methods

Commercial contractors offer several delivery methods for completing a commercial project including design-build, hard bid, cost plus and renovations and remodeling, to name a few. These delivery methods establish the degree of risk and responsibilities between you and the commercial contractor for the costs of the entire construction project. So, it’s important to understand them as it can affect the final cost of your project.

Select Your Commercial Building Contractor

One of the most important tips for a successful construction project is selecting the right commercial contractor for your construction project. When selecting a contractor, it is important to ensure they have the experience, resources and skills to successfully complete your project. They should also have established working relationships with architects and subcontractors that have quality skills and workmanship and who won’t cut corners to meet a budget or deadline. The contractor should also offer building owners the delivery method that is best suited for their budget.

Establish A Realistic Completion Date

Many building owners inevitably want their commercial construction project to be completed as soon as possible. But practically speaking it takes time to build a quality commercial building. There are many moving parts including contractors, heavy equipment, local ordinances and building inspectors. And then there is weather and environmental conditions that can also have an impact on construction deadlines. Your general commercial contractor can be a great asset for helping to establish and manage realistic delivery dates for your construction project.

Communicate Frequently with Your Commercial Contractor

Effective communication is a key to success of any commercial construction project. And as the building owner you may need to make decisions if any unforeseen circumstances should arise during the construction process. Communicate frequently with your commercial contractor and all stakeholders to avoid any unexpected surprises. You can also streamline communications with a single-point-of-contact when your commercial contractor is also acting as the general contractor for the project.