Ah, the Beauty of Construction

If you're renovating, expanding, or building a business, commercial construction is necessary for the completion of your project. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the commercial construction process. 

1. Understand Why Each Step is Required

There are a lot of steps involved with constructing or changing a commercial structure, like acquiring approval from your city or jurisdiction, planning the project's design, and establishing a budget. Ask plenty of questions about the specifics and logistics behind each step.

This will help you better understand what each step of your project consists of so that you better understand its importance and the potential fees for each step. Working with a qualified commercial construction contractor ensures that you thoroughly understand why each step is integral to your project. 

2. Establish a Clear Method of Communication

Construction projects can take months or even years, and there are usually several parties involved throughout the process. Decide how you want these different parties to communicate and take steps to implement your preferred communication method. 

A cloud-based construction project management program is an excellent alternative that makes it easier for you to keep all the communication and details about your project in one location. This will help prevent miscommunication, minimize the time required to receive a reply, and enable different members of the project to conveniently communicate as necessary. 

3. Request Info About Dates and Milestones Associated with the Project's Progress

Meet with your contractor to get a general idea of anticipated approval and milestone dates for your project. While it's unlikely that everything in your project will happen firmly by an anticipated date, you'll have a general idea of when you can expect certain tasks to be completed. Plan to meet every couple of weeks with your contractor to get an update on the progression of your project.

You can then adjust your scheduling and plans accordingly. Regular meetings also help your project continue to move forward. 

4. Anticipate Delays

Most projects are delayed at some point, and it's important to anticipate these delays. A lack of availability of materials, slower-than-expected progress, poor weather, or financing delays can all slow the progression of your project. 

Understanding that delays are expected helps you plan ahead for these holdups and navigate them to reduce the impact to your project. For example, if you know that it's taking months to receive building materials, you'll want to work with your contractor to get these ordered as soon as possible.