What is the building construction process from start to finish?
To say there is a lot involved in a commercial building project is an understatement. If you’re about to start a construction project for your business, the elaborate list of tasks on a large-scale project can feel overwhelming. There is a lot to manage, from creating and keeping a budget to hiring and managing contractors to work on the project.
Commercial renovation contractors Edmonton can help manage these complicated commercial construction projects. As a business owner, understanding the process and what to expect can help reduce stress and allow for the project to run smoothly.
Here are the steps to building a commercial building:
Choose the right location for your commercial building
The planning stage is perhaps the most critical in the commercial building process. In this stage, you’ll determine the scope of the project and every detail of the build.
The first step is deciding on the location for your new commercial building. More goes into choosing the right location than you might have considered. Think about the best area to have your building. Do you need to be in a high traffic area to attract customers? What is the proximity of your building to the city? To other buildings or significant roadways?
Once you have a general location, there is still more to consider. Consider nearby infrastructure you’ll need like water and sewer lines, electricity, and natural gas. Your contractor will check with your city on the zoning for the location you’ve chosen. You’ll also have to get the land surveyed. Check for contaminated soil, elevations, easements, and anything else it might need before the building begins.
Determine your construction budget
Working with a professional commercial builder like Invicta Construction can help you come up with an accurate budget. The budget should include labour, materials, permits, foundation work, equipment, finishing, and other features or construction required for the project.
Before you can create a design for your building, you’ll have to do some of the ground-work. That includes making a plan for utility connections, permits, site access, and creating documents that will set a schedule for the project. Having a clear budget in mind will help you move forward with the design phase. Before you start, read 8 tips for commercial builds.
Creating the design
Architects and engineers will produce a full set of drawings for your project. These drawings will include final specs. At the same time, you can expect to see detailed information highlighting cots and timelines for each construction phase. You can either hire an architect to create the design or count on Invicta Construction to have them drawn up for your project.
There are quite a few professionals that will have to be involved in this. Structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers will create design plans for the structure, heating and cooling systems, plumbing systems, and electrical systems. A civil engineer will take care of plans for connecting to utilities and infrastructure, proper drainage, and even yard or parking lot design.
Pre-construction: Getting ready to start building!
With the plans and drawings in hand, a few more things need to happen before construction starts.
Permits
First, your contractor must obtain all necessary permits from your local jurisdiction. Obtaining permits is something Invicta can take care of for you. We’ll submit the plans to the appropriate department and comply with them until a building permit is issued.
Insurance
Then, we must make sure that everyone working on the project has the proper insurance. Insurance coverage protects you and the contractor if an accident causes damage or injury on the worksite. We will make sure everyone on site has liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.
Create the team
After we get bids from different vendors, we start to build our construction team. That team will include the project and site managers at Invicta, and everyone else involved. We will manage and schedule trades like framing contractors, drywall contractors, painters, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and so on.
Order and secure the materials
Now we secure all the materials we’ll need for the construction project. Not everything will come in at once, but we make sure that all the materials will be available during the appropriate construction phase. At this stage, we will also make sure any equipment required for the project will be there when we need it to be.
The construction phase
Now it’s time to build! Carefully managed by your project manager, the construction phase has many parts to it. It includes site preparation, foundation, framing, siding, roofing, and installation of all mechanical systems. It also includes interior and exterior finishing, and finally, landscaping.
You will be kept in the loop for the entire phase of construction. We use CoConstruct to coordinate projects, manage trades, control budgets, and communicate with you. As a client, you can log into an online portal and get updates on your construction project in real-time.
Post-construction: wrapping things up
After your commercial building project is complete, it’s time to walk through it for an inspection. You’ll walk through the building with your contractor and create a list of anything that needs more attention. It could be things like changing a countertop or replacing a damaged light fixture. Once all the build meets all requirements, you’ll get a certificate of completion.
Build with Invicta Construction
The key to a smooth and successful commercial building project is communication. The team you hire must have good communication and collaboration with each other. There are many moving parts during a commercial build, and everyone needs to be on the same page. You also need to ensure your construction contractor is communicating clearly with you. Clear communication will help you quickly troubleshoot issues when they arise and ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the project’s various stages.
Invicta Construction has over 40 years of combined experience in Edmonton commercial construction. We are passionate about our job and take pride in the work we do. Our core services include new commercial buildings, landlord and tenant improvements, light industrial and commercial renovations.
Let’s get that project started! Contact us for a free estimate.
