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A commercial building project is no small feat. Even as a commercial construction company, we keep checklists of tasks on hand to ensure that we’re getting everything done properly and don’t miss anything.
As the building owner or manager, having a commercial construction checklist of your own can help you stay on top of your goals and tasks.
Commercial Construction Checklist: 11 Key Steps
Getting your checklist ready before talking to a builder will make all the difference when it comes to getting the building completed quickly. Each of these items will generally be laid out in this order. But, in some cases, you might take one or more out of order for the project.
1. Find the Right Piece of Land
Any commercial building project will need a commercial lot. In some cases, you may be able to purchase a multi-use lot, but in suburban areas, you’ll likely need to purchase a lot that’s zoned for commercial construction.
When selecting the right lot for your project, be sure that there’s going to be plenty of space to support your building. The general rule is 20 feet of clearance around a building for access and parking in commercial construction. If you need a full parking lot for your business, then be sure to keep that in mind as well. Purchasing too small of a lot will force you into a money pit fast.
2. Set a Budget
You will need to know how much you’ll be able to spend and how much it is going to cost before you get started. A commercial builder can help with this and keep costs down or within your budget. But, they still will need a good idea of what the budget is so that they don’t go overboard on things like appliances or fixtures in your commercial space. A commercial building will be expensive, but when done right, you won’t regret the cost.
3. Start Designing and Dreaming
This checklist can’t be complete without a proper layout of your commercial space. Whether you want to go through the commercial builder or not for a design, start thinking about what your commercial space will look like and how it should function for you.
Not a designer? Don’t worry, just make some notes of features that you’d like to see included, and a good designer will be able to take care of everything for you.
4. Obtain Your Permit
Once commercial building construction begins, it’s not a good idea to stop and get the necessary commercial permits after every step. In order to ensure that you won’t have any issues with commercial inspections or commercial code violations, just get your permits from the start.
You’ll need to have regular inspections throughout the start, but in general, getting the permit long before starting construction will help everything move more smoothly.
5. Get Your Insurance Sorted Out
Before the building construction begins, make sure your commercial insurer is ready to go. Getting commercial insurance can be a pain, so just get it out of the way before you even start commercial construction to avoid any issues down the road. They’ll likely need to know the square footage, expected completion and make their own inspection when the project is finished.
6. Find the Right Builder to Work With
You may need a checklist like this to get started, but you’re not going anywhere without the right commercial builder. As a commercial business owner, it’s a good idea to start your commercial construction project with a commercial building that has experience in commercial building design and commercial building construction.
Builders can help you through commercial building design and commercial building construction, but more importantly, they can help you save money along the way.
7. Site Prep and Foundation Work
Commercial foundation work is generally concrete, so site prep will need to be done before the building construction can begin. This may involve digging up a lot, laying down excavation work, and building the foundation.
This process will take different amounts of time depending on how large the building is and whether or not you’ll have a basement on site.
8. Construction and Building Materials
It’s important to start thinking through the different materials that you’ll need for your project. This could be the finishing materials or just what you expect to use for the exterior construction. A commercial builder can help with this, but you should know ahead of time so that your space ends up looking like the dream you always had for it.
9. Schedule the Inspections and Pass Them
Before construction can be finished, you will need to schedule commercial inspections. If your building requires local permits and approvals like commercial code violations, it’s essential that you pass these before signing off on your commercial space and sending the builder the final payments. Your builder should help you through all of the permitting and inspection processes.
10. Finishing and Decorating
Your builder should have a good idea of what commercial finishing and decorating needs to be done at this stage. Alterations will probably need to happen as well, so just let the builder know your wishes or what changes you want to make. This process can be fast and simple or a challenge, all dependent upon good communication.
11. Landscaping and Exterior Choice
After everything with your building is finished, you’ll be able to start thinking through the landscaping process. What types of trees and shrubs do you want? Will there be rocks around the building or just grass right up to it? How will the grounds be laid out? Try to plan some of this out before getting to the end, and it will make it easier to get a good landscaper to help you finish the project.
Now that you have your commercial construction checklist ready, go ahead and get started with the process of getting everything done properly. Starting commercial construction projects is tough, but it’s even harder if you don’t know what to expect or how long everything should take.
Contact APX Construction Group Today!
Reach out to the APX Construction Group team, and we’ll help guide you through the commercial construction process. We’re happy to help and ensure that you’re taken care of from design to build and beyond.
