5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Commercial Construction Company
So, you’re preparing to embark on a construction journey but may still have some questions. We know that when it comes to investing in commercial construction projects, there are many things to consider to ensure the project is successful, on time and on budget.
We pulled together a list of things you should consider when choosing a commercial construction company to help you bring your vision to fruition.
5 Key Qualities of a Reputable Commercial Construction Company
Comprehensive Range of Construction Services: A full range of end-to-end services that can support you from design and planning site to delivering a fully constructed building. The more services you can get from one construction company the better. That way you can depend on a single point of contact, and the same team, for any and all issues that may arise. This will also help you work more efficiently and ultimately save you time and money by keeping everything on track.
Solid Track Record Supported by References: For a project of any size, you need to safeguard your investment, so it only makes sense to check references. The company can present themselves in the best light, but satisfied clients will tell the real story. Any trustworthy contractor should provide you a list of cients they’ve worked with to deliver successful projects. Don’t stop there, be sure to ask them about some of their most challenging projects and how they solved for those challenges.
Some important things to know include: Was the project completed on time? Was the job completed within budget? Would they recommend this contractor?
The Right Skill and the Right Experience: Delivering commercial properties is more complex than residential ones, so be sure to confirm they have experience and are qualified to develop a commercial property and have examples and specs of projects delivered. Ideally if they have one similar to what you’re seeking, that’s even better. If may even be able to pull valuable knowledge on how to drive efficiencies and cost savings on your project.
Having a team with varied backgrounds and expertise in the different stages of construction will be invaluable to maintaining project continuity and helping to drive efficiency. The more people you bring experts and consultants from outside the team, the harder it will be to manage communication and alignment.
Collaborative and Customer Focused: When you take on a commercial construction project, you will be spending a lot of time with your contractor and his team. So, it’s vital that you choose a contractor that is communicative, collaborative and one that you feel good about working with until the project is completed. The best contractors are skilled at making clients feel comfortable and confident they can complete the job on time and on budget.
They should also be willing to stay in constant communication, take your calls whenever you need them to and find answers to your questions in a timely manner. Before you start, be sure to define and agree upon your work styles and how you will approach the project together.
Project Plans and Costs are Clear: As you probably already know, onstruction projects are expensive, and you may not even be considering everything that should be on your list. To ensure your budget can support the project to completion, be sure your contractor details every cost, along with total cost for completion and be clear on when change orders will be needed.
Check in on the budget periodically. You should keep up every step of the spending and delivery process when it comes to your budget. If any changes need to be made to cost agreement or deadlines, ensure they get your approval before moving forward, and note all changes and approval so there’s no question in the end. And keep in mind that construction jobs rarely finish on time, so give yourself a grace period and flexibility in your budget to allot for unforeseen costs and delays.
The bottom line is, you need a contractor who is dependable, and brings a solid portfolio of successful relevant projects, has a good reputation with clients, and one who will be there for you and communicate with you every step of the way.
Whether you choose us or someone else, we wish you success on your next construction project.
To learn more about how we can support your next construction project, visit our Services Page or Contact Us to discuss your project.