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Commercial renovation projects allow businesses to improve their corporate presence by making crucial changes to the building. When you choose to remodel your existing space, you can take this opportunity to revamp both the commercial image and infrastructure of your business. Renovations of all sizes depend on extensive planning and client input, and working with a reliable contractor gives your project the collaborative boost it needs. Contractors who specialize in commercial renovation have a competent portfolio that speaks for itself. They know just the right refurbishment scope for your project and can help you set the necessary benchmarks down the timeline. Creating a commercial building renovation checklist is a good place to start, as it allows you to organize the key milestones in chronological order.
Such a checklist includes all the stages from planning to post-construction and is a valuable construction summary to give you an initial idea of what lies ahead. With more businesses adapting to hybrid work models, commercial remodeling these days mostly focuses on socially distanced workplaces and even coworking possibilities where needed. This helps offices resume their work with brand new potential and allows stores to reopen after a lockdown, for example. This article takes a closer look at the different checklist elements of a commercial renovation project to help you know what construction stages you need to strike off.
Commercial building renovation
Its purpose
Renovating a commercial structure enhances the look and feel of the existing space, making offices, hospitals, schools, retail stores, shopping malls, and restaurants operate more effectively. It is an efficient way to add more space by optimizing the available layout instead of relocating to a new building. A well-executed project makes your business more aesthetically welcoming and professional, which always encourages employee productivity. Renovations can extend to single floors as well as the entire building, and they offer the perfect chance to be creative and think outside the box.
Another key purpose behind a commercial building renovation is energy efficiency. Businesses that choose to go green can use their renovation project to turn a fresh page on their sustainability plan. There are different ways a commercial renovation company can help you reach this goal, including:
- implementing green building codes
- using smart solutions and energy tracking
- switching to energy-efficient appliances
- installing energy-efficient lights, windows, and HVAC frameworks
- upgrading the roof
- installing solar panels
- using recycled materials in the renovation
Reclaimed and repurposed materials or furniture – from your old office, for example – are great options to renovate your commercial building AND protect the environment. You can discover various resources that will work for your business using your contractor’s help. It is also a smart way to cut down the amount of waste that will occupy landfills from your renovation project. If you are working on an old commercial building, chances are that it was built without any considerable attention to energy efficiency or sustainability. Also, old buildings can always benefit from a technology upgrade in the form of smart solutions, so you will achieve two main goals from the same project – energy efficiency and modern technology.
Its types
Generally, commercial renovation can be divided into two types: a capital improvement project and a tenant improvement project. Your checklist will differ based on the type of renovation you plan, as it targets different audiences.
Capital improvement refers to the permanent changes made to a commercial building. These changes may be needed to make the building fully functional over a longer lifespan. Capital improvements directly affect the property’s value and are important to build the bigger picture. You can plan various amenities like fitness centers and conference rooms to upscale the existing arrangement and let it embrace new possibilities.
Tenant improvement focuses on specific changes that the current tenant requires. Such leasehold improvements may or may not be permanent, depending on the alterations made to the property. Renovating both a blank shell space and a previously occupied space allows building owners to make the environment more rentable and move-in-friendly for new tenants.
Its duration
Renovating a commercial property may take anything between a few weeks to months, depending on the size of your project. Small-scale renovations include flooring, painting, or lighting aspects that can be completed faster. However, large-scale renovations like adding a new floor often extend to several months and are broken down into smaller milestones.
Your total budget is another insight into the estimated timeline. A small budget would mean a shorter project duration – and a concise checklist! Larger budgets are generally associated with large-scale renovations and will naturally take up more time.
Commercial renovation checklist
Keeping a well-structured checklist is a smart way to remain organized throughout the project. Various downloadable and editable templates are available online, such as the Google Docs renovation checklist from Big Rentz. The following elements can be found on different renovation checklists and provide a useful framework for clients/building owners, as they get to know what stages to check off once the project begins.
Planning
The planning stage is an important starting point on a checklist. It covers the project specifications, budgeting, and scheduling aspects, so you can add checklist items accordingly to streamline the workflow. This stage reveals various feasibility scopes for the actual renovation and helps you understand which way the construction winds blow. The planning heading may include the following checklist items:
1. Evaluate the site and vicinity
Site assessment helps you build a better perspective of the project by considering the immediate landscape. It gives you a chance to point out red flags that can affect your renovation and take the necessary precautions before the project begins. Once you choose the commercial footprint for your building, knowing how the neighborhood will be affected allows you to urbanize the space efficiently. Site evaluations also include warming up to the building codes and understanding the ways your project could potentially violate them.
2. Set a budget
The budgeting phase should tackle all the costs related to materials, equipment, labor, etc. You can receive quotes from different contractors and set a realistic budget that suits your commercial renovation. It always helps to create itemized breakdowns of the budget to analyze your renovation pie chart better – and ensure a trustworthy investment.
3. Build a team
The planning stage is when you will confirm your contractors, architects, designers, engineers, etc. After receiving promising quotes, you can narrow down your contractor pool and finalize the team you want to work with. Choosing a contractor with a vast commercial renovation portfolio allows you to pick the right expertise for your business. Commercial remodeling contractors specialize in this particular field and are responsible for handling building permits, procurement, and other crucial areas of the project. Before checking off this item from your list, make sure that you hire a licensed and insured commercial contractor who is familiar with your specific project and has an established team to come onboard.
This brings us to selecting the right commercial renovation experts who specialize in green construction if you want to go green as a business. You should team up with LEED experts to gain valuable insights into sustainability tools that actually work for your business. Contractors and designers also specialize in green building and have different certifications to prove their expertise.
So, make sure that you hire the right experts who can support a commercial-friendly AND environmentally-conscious renovation. This includes getting relevant permits and code compliance for green building – and procuring suitable eco-friendly materials. Your green commercial building renovation checklist elements will differ from other checklists because of the technical details you need to consider. It is important to understand all your options to lower your carbon footprint and encourage a profitable and healthy business.
The team you choose is going to help you set realistic schedules for the renovation project – so you need a comprehensive planning stage to tackle this area. By collaborating on your budget and schedules for going green, you can find out the key milestones, budgets for each stage, durations, and a final deadline to work towards.
4. Choose a color palette
A commercial renovation is a great time to pick new corporate colors and themes for your business. The designers can help with different ideas to promote your rebranded vision and transform the existing space meaningfully. The planning stage is also useful for adding inspirations to the mood board and brainstorming ideas to reimagine the workplace. Improved décor and layouts positively affect the spatial freedom of any building, so adding them to your checklist is a good reminder.
Preconstruction
The second checklist heading is preconstruction, and it involves various design aspects. Your chosen renovation crew will collaborate on detailed designs and plans that all conform to the relevant building codes. At this point, the insurance documents and permits need to be finalized, and an official site investigation must be planned to address the current environmental status. The preconstruction stage is all about managing the essential prerequisites without which no work can commence. You will need to consider various mechanical, electrical, plumbing, as well as cosmetic upgrades that can be executed within the stated codes. The bulleted items under preconstruction would include:
1. Conceptual and schematic designs
A conceptual design gives you the first look and feel of your renovation scope and is a more freehand approach to the project. You just want the bigger picture first, and then you can move to the more detailed and elaborate schematic design that features all the realistic changes.
Professional architects are called in at this time to create both types of designs and help you navigate within your budgeted boundaries.
2. Sign the contract
Preconstruction also requires you to finalize all the paperwork and have the contractual agreement in black and white. It is important to fully understand the contractual terms, deadlines, team roles, stakeholders, payments, insurance, and other details to avoid future violations among your chosen crews. The preconstruction checklist items will confirm that you have the relevant paperwork at hand and all the permits and contracts have been reviewed and signed. This gives your commercial renovation its green light to officially begin – and get the freight trucks moving!
3. Material procurement
The key benefit of working with commercial contractors is that they have competitive resource mining skills in the industry. This helps them get in touch with the best vendors and help you check off material procurement aspects from the renovation checklist. Timely deliveries are imperative in keeping the project milestones aligned with your schedule and budget. Proper communication and paperwork make sure that your project’s materials and equipment arrive at the site on time, eliminating costly delays and repeated orders. Assigning the correct labor to each task is equally important, as this clarifies who you will work with at each stage.
Travel bans, delayed shipment, and canceled orders due to the pandemic are other key considerations for material procurement. If your commercial building renovation team has worked out a strict budget and deadline, you simply cannot afford risks from delayed procurement – which has become a common problem in the construction industry. Late material and equipment deliveries – or worse, canceled orders by the vendor – can severely damage your renovation schedule and possibly extend the deadline. To avoid such risks, you can work with local suppliers to ensure timely deliveries and keep your project on track. Finding local alternatives with no compromise on quality or budget might be a struggle, which is why the earlier your team takes precautions, the better.
Construction
Successful preconstruction leads the way for the actual construction stages, and you can add various elements to this checklist heading. You might want to install glass doors in the main lobby, use upgraded lighting fixtures, and create open spaces for natural light to shine through. These construction milestones address ambience and décor features and are popularly used for reinventing workplace aesthetics. Construction or renovation can also focus only on the landscape aspects and help businesses adapt accordingly. A restaurant renovation is one example; it will definitely benefit from an exterior facelift and landscape improvements – in addition to proper parking and ventilation. Corporate kitchen renovations can be planned to upgrade to Energy Star appliances and even smart technologies for eco-friendly results. Lastly, a commercial building always needs renovated and improved restrooms with touchless faucets and smart lights that enable contact-free convenience during the pandemic.
Other main areas to check off under the construction category include:
1. Phased renovations
You can choose to renovate your commercial building in phases by letting the construction crew come in during work hours where possible. This ensures reduced business downtimes and maximizes the operating flow. While the ongoing renovations prevent operational downtimes, they can be disruptive to other tenants or employees. It helps to collaborate with them before the project begins and gather ideas on win-win situations.
2. Schedule property inspections
The construction or renovation stage relies heavily on frequent inspections from various authorities. This is particularly useful for confirming whether or not a completed milestone meets the building codes – and is safe to initiate the next milestone. You can schedule visits from the inspection teams at strategic points along the timeline to evaluate the infrastructure, wiring framework, and other safety aspects. Adding this element to your checklist helps you plan your project with enough room to accommodate inspections, approvals, and rejections – so your teams can know if it is safe to continue.
3. Create a punch list
Once the main renovation is complete and inspected, you can walk through the remodeled space and write down a list of things that can still be improved. These could be simple cosmetic touch-ups or even more technical upgrades that you feel are not up to a good standard. This allows your contractor to fine-tune the highlighted concerns before a final walkthrough.
Postconstruction
The final heading on your commercial building renovation checklist is the postconstruction stage. It is all about the final paperwork and inspections that authorize the building for safe and successful occupancy. The items that you will need to strike off may include:
1. Certificate of Substantial Completion
This certificate recognizes the renovation improvements made to the building and validates them for safety compliance – giving you the approval for using the space as discussed in the contract.
The certificate also finalizes the payments for the respective teams and confirms that all the changes meet your requirements.
2. Final inspection
This is the finishing line of the project track, and it is also the last checklist element you will strike off. If all the revisions are executed as required, the renovation can be officially closed, and you can move in as the building’s proud new occupant.
Commercial remodeling can help businesses operate better in the following ways:
- Offices – business downsizing can create a lot of unused space. Office renovations introduce productive solutions to optimize the extra space with new potential, which also eliminates the need to relocate to a smaller building. This includes creating open collaborative workspaces and utilizing the extra floor for amenities like an office gym/break room/additional storage.
- Restaurants – kitchen and dining renovations can improve foot traffic, energy efficiency, décor, and safety considerations. They allow restaurants to update to touchless fixtures and faucets and use energy-efficient lighting throughout the building.
- Retail stores – retail renovations greatly improve the foot traffic, aisle layout, floor planning, dressing room redesign, and parking spaces. They can also include installing a disinfection tunnel at the entrance.
- Schools and institutes – there can be a need for extra space to accommodate new students and classrooms. Likewise, institutes might want to revamp the available space if most of the students are attending their courses online.
Commercial remodeling can help businesses operate better in the following ways:
- Offices – business downsizing can create a lot of unused space. Office renovations introduce productive solutions to optimize the extra space with new potential, which also eliminates the need to relocate to a smaller building. This includes creating open collaborative workspaces and utilizing the extra floor for amenities like an office gym/break room/additional storage.
- Restaurants – kitchen and dining renovations can improve foot traffic, energy efficiency, décor, and safety considerations. They allow restaurants to update to touchless fixtures and faucets and use energy-efficient lighting throughout the building.
- Retail stores – retail renovations greatly improve the foot traffic, aisle layout, floor planning, dressing room redesign, and parking spaces. They can also include installing a disinfection tunnel at the entrance.
- Schools and institutes – there can be a need for extra space to accommodate new students and classrooms. Likewise, institutes might want to revamp the available space if most of the students are attending their courses online.
Make your commercial brick-and-mortar stand out
Despite the latest shift to virtual Zoom premises, commercial building renovations are still popular for the rising trend in coworking opportunities. You can choose to operate during the renovation or close down for some time, depending on your commercial feasibility. There are several ways to remodel your space with some of the business still up and running, so it always helps to have detailed consultations with your contractor beforehand. In all cases, a well-planned renovation can easily create dynamic work environments that inspire collaborative freedom for your employees. Those who actually turn up in the office will perform better with creative diversity filling some of the void left by the pandemic.