You have a great new project you want to be built out. But before doing your research for the best commercial contractor for your project, the following list of best practices will help you prepare yourself.
Working with a commercial contractor is a commitment and you should do your due diligence in choosing the one that is most appropriate for your project to ensure the smooth progress of your project throughout its span. Here are the top 5 things to consider while doing your research for a contractor who will finish your project on time and budget:
Prepare a comprehensive design plan.
Preparing a detailed design plan at preliminary stages helps in better understanding the scope of the project for both yourself, and the contractor involved. Before architectural services are engaged, it is important to consult with the contractor first who can tell you any changes that the design may need from a construction perspective. It is therefore in the best interest of the owner and the project to work with a commercial contractor who also offers design-build service as there is a dedicated design team to address both design and architectural needs.
Negotiate for Value
Negotiations help you get the best return out of returns from your investment. Many contractors would be willing to work with slashed out budgets, only to find out that they would be missing out on important factors within the bid for which they would need a change order at a later stage, and a project would end up costing more than it should have. Even though this may not be intentional, it is important to go over each line item in the bid and negotiate on derived value over cost. There can be some compromises on both parts but the objective of negotiations should be to create a working partnership, and may even eliminate the need to seek bids from multiple commercial construction firms, which can take you weeks away from your project’s completion.
Review Bids On Their Own
In case you do decide to solicit multiple bids, you will need time to analyze each bid on its own and make a fair comparison. The lowest bid may seem very attractive but there are other factors you should consider as well when deciding on a bid. For example, the grade of materials that are to be used, the company culture of your commercial contractor, how the company communicates with the project and the owner, its construction processes, what previous work they have performed on similar projects, and so forth.
Ensure Contracts are Complete with all Details
If your contracts are not clear on specific details such as deadlines, payment plans, timelines, material costs, provision of change orders, and responsibilities, it is highly likely that the project may overrun on both time and cost. These unnecessary confusions and delays can most certainly be avoided by allocating some time to prepare comprehensive contracts that lay out clear all modalities involved.
Establish and Maintain Open Communication
Communication on project deliverables should be seamless. It is imperative to know how your commercial contractor communicates throughout the project life, what tools are used to keep you updated, and so forth. Be sure to set communication methods with your building partner. Regular progress reports, and having meetings when small issues occur would be a good idea before they become unmanageable.
Do you have any future projects in the works?
Are you looking to create a new working space for your business? Let us know what you are looking for! If not serving you as your primary contractor, we would love to be the second opinion. We give you all the information you need to come to an informed decision about one of the most important investments you will ever make in your life.
Our Vice President and the head of the business development team, Hira Khan, is always available to serve your needs. Just contact her via email (hira@maxxbuilders.com ) or give her a call by dialing our office (832) 871-4166.
