Free Estimate

3 Key Questions to Ask Before Starting a Commercial Renovation Project

4,245 Comments / Construction Planning / By
Commercial renovations are very different beasts than their residential counterparts. A commercial renovation project must adhere to a similar organisational structure that helps the business or organisation at hand to maintain a certain level of operation – shutting down for a month or so isn’t usually an option. Further, there’s huge demand for a concrete schedule so that employees can continue to work in a fashion that doesn’t affect productivity or creativity in the office; then there’s selecting the perfect contractor for the job.

Before you begin a commercial renovation project, it’s important to weigh a number of options to make sure you’ve planned for a few variables. In this post we’ve included some key questions you’ll need to ask yourself before starting a workplace update.

What’s Your Budget?

Prioritising your project by having a budgetary figure in your mind is a good way to begin thinking about what’s possible. A pre-planned budget and financial expectations are good things to have to keep the company’s expenses in line and on track. However, a good budget should never be set in stone – obstacles and roadblocks come up, so it’s important to plan for a few spontaneous changes and alterations throughout the build – and changes can happen.

Give your company some creative leeway to make decisions on-the-fly can help you to boost the contemporary flair of your renovation. Changes to architecture, structural aspects of the space, and design aesthetics can change when walls come down, or when new materials begin to pique your interest. Budgeting for additional costs is a good way to account for your spending, and if no changes occur you’ll be in even better shape when you review your budget post-reno.

Lastly, a pre-planned budget is an excellent tool for your contractor to have access to so they have an accurate idea as to the magnitude of your renovation. When you set a budget cap, you also limit the potential for unnecessary spending to get out of hand.

Which Contractor?

Selecting the right contractor is arguably the largest decision you’ll need to make when undertaking a commercial renovation. The perfect contractor should understand your vision and goals – and have the resume to back up their claims. Doing your homework and researching your contractor will set an upbeat tone that will help to carry a positive energy through the build.

Consult other businesses and companies that have dealt with your contractor before, and assess the build quality of their previous work. Ensure that the design style your contractor provides is in-line with your organisation’s goals and vision; your contractor should be an extension of your businesses ideologies.

Lastly, there’s no harm in contacting a few contractors before you make a final decision. Most professional contractors will offer a complimentary quote or estimate, so open yourself to receiving as much information as possible to help inform your choice.

Create a Schedule?

Minimizing downtime is a huge aspect of undertaking a commercial renovation. When you begin an update to your work-space, you should have a good idea of when construction will wrap up and when your office can return to business as usual.

Your chosen contractor should be able to give you an accurate schedule that will allow them to complete the renovation in an appropriate amount of time. Depending on the extent of your design, this could easily range from a week or two, to over six months. In your schedule, prepare your staff for these changes by employing the use of a temporary space, or utilising remote work capabilities, giving your employees the opportunity to work off-site for a duration of the build. A good schedule will help you to stay on-top of spending as well, as you’ll be able to expect withdrawals and purchases as the renovation progresses.

Renovating your commercial space should be a welcome and exciting prospect, and if you stop and ask yourself these pivotal three questions prior to undertaking any size of commercial renovation, you’ll set your company up for success. Asking questions helps to alleviate the ‘what-if’s’ and can help you to return your office to normal in a timely fashion.

4,245 thoughts on “3 Key Questions to Ask Before Starting a Commercial Renovation Project”

  1. Jeff Carbine

    I loved it when you said that commercial renovations are very different beasts than their residential counterparts. Our business is growing, and our office is now too small for a more extensive operation. We are planning to remodel the old office to become new. Thanks for this post. I now have an idea of how and where to find commercial remodeling services in town.

    Reply
  2. Eve Mitchell

    My husband is planning to renovate his office building next year. It’s good to know that you should always have a clear budget in mind. I’ll make sure he has a budget for it!

    Reply

  255. Pingback: 1earthenware