How to Find a Reliable Commercial Building Contractor

How to Find a Reliable Commercial Building Contractor

You have arrived at the decision you want to build or renovate your commercial property but deciding on the right commercial contractor to get the job done is a huge responsibility. Why? Not all commercial builders are the same regarding building experience and skills to complete your project.

Office buildings or retail space have fewer considerations to requirements like a hospital, sports complex, or other regulated industries like factories. Still, no matter your building project scope, there are five essential tips you can follow in choosing the right building contractor for your next commercial project.

1. Evaluate Their Portfolio & Check References

Researching a commercial contractor’s capabilities is critical to know if they can handle your project. You can do this by viewing the online portfolio made available by the contracting firm. In addition, you want your completed project to be a similar reflection of the community, culture, and industry expertise to impress and inspire as per their past projects.

When you view the features projects on their portfolio, also try to visit the facility in person to observe it first hand to give it attention to detail. A commercial structure should not skim on craftsmanship and originality. Take your time to read case studies of the firm’s challenges and how they solved them.

Ask the commercial contractors firm for a list of references you can follow up with talking to project owners. You can ask owners if the company is easy to work with and how detail-oriented they are in providing proposals with follow-ups. You can ask if the firm remained on track with the timeline to budget and how roadblocks were handled.

There is that old saying that while a picture can say many words, it helps to visit the places in person. You can then find out their relationships with past clients and if they follow through on their promises.

2. Evaluate All Their Services

When you look at today’s commercial contractors, they present you with different services, not only building structures. Contracting firms address many facets of building processes. Thus, when you apply for a proposal from your potential commercial construction company list. Consider if they can provide you with your demands timely and within budget.

For instance, you find contractors specializing in only pre-referendum services that include estimated costs to a project and the education/inform voters like on a new school building. Still, even in this case, you need to explore the services.

Do they only provide consultation, or do they conduct the feasibility studies, take part in the forums and provide you with communication material for media assistance. Depending on your commercial construction, you may want a firm with an internal design team for your furnishings and finishes to complement your building architecture. Visit https://astra-management.ca/ to learn more.

We recommend you do not select a contractor based on the costs, but it helps to dig deeper to ensure you can compare one with another by looking at the full scope of services provided.

3. Check the Safety Record History

Commercial construction is a high-risk industry that involves work and occupant safety. Hence, the contractor you use must pay a high level of attention to safety. A high safety record reflects how much they care for their construction crew and how they complete projects on time and within budget. One thing that brings a project to a halt fast with fines and lost wages is injuries. When a commercial construction firm has an impressive safety record, you know your investments are protected and will avoid negative media attention.

4. What are Their Time and Budget Management Processes

Working with reputable commercial construction companies will know how to keep to schedule and within budget. The firm will provide reliable processes while having the experience to execute them. Your building-to-renovation project must run smoothly, as one missed detail has enormous consequences.

The modern-day contractor uses technology to manage all their moving parts, from the timeline, subcontractors, materials, contract costs, and permits to delivery and other elements. You can request track records for their on-time project completions or discuss the processes of how they address changes, roadblocks, to other issues. 

5. Get to Know Your Project Team

Once you decide on your shortlist of potential commercial contractors, you must remember to work with them closely until the project is completed. Getting to know your project team helps as your project can span over several months to years depending on the planning process scope and services needed.

While building an exceptional facility is excellent, building long-lasting relationships with your project team is better. The experience will be pleasant until the end. With the right commercial contractor, the project team will be involved from the proposal stage, budgeting, to the final results.

But when the personalities of each one align, and you feel comfortable sharing your ideas with feedback given, you know you have the right team onboard.

Even if the contractor you choose checks all the above boxes from the process, budget, timeline, design, and more, you need a transparent yet compatible and trustworthy relationship, which remains a crucial consideration.

Originally posted 2022-10-25 13:44:00.