Looking at beautifully constructed commercial buildings and appreciating the architecture is something that we often do. However, the final outlook does not depict the amount of effort, resources and hard work that goes into building the commercial structure.
In addition to this, when people picture the construction of a commercial building, they imagine huge machines and a large workforce. Although that is not incorrect, there are several other steps involved in the process.
Since the construction of a commercial building is a very tedious and complex process, it is advised that you hire a professional general contractor company with a good reputation. As one of the leading commercial construction contractors in Edmonton, our team of professionals strives to provide you with unfaltering services.
In this blog, we have listed the six steps that are necessary to ensure the successful completion of a commercial project.
Step 1: Concept Planning
The first and foremost step of any construction project is the conception and development of an idea or requirement. This can be a very important step when it comes to bringing a building to life.
This is where you start to plan how the building needs to function and get a rough idea of how it may look. For example, if you are planning on getting a medical facility built, during the concept planning stage is where you will plan the type of operability you want, how you want the occupants to interact with the staff and other occupants of the building, and how many people will comfortably be able to function within the space.
To come up with the best possible plan, and one that will fit within your budget, it is strongly advised to meet with both the architect and the general contractor present. This way, you will be able to receive feedback from both the design and construction standpoints.
Step 2: Choosing Your Team
It is now time to choose the team you will be working with for the next several months, and in some cases, years.
Since this team will be helping to bring your vision to reality, it is imperative that you choose the best available team that fully understands your goals, desires, needs and budget constraints. The team you put together will have a massive impact on the final outcome.
If you can, opt for a design-build method instead of a design-bid-build method. This way, you will benefit from an early understanding between the designers and the contractors. In the design-bid-build method, you contact contractors after the design is ready which requires more time and effort, and a lot of the time results in surprises relating to construction costs. Sometimes these cost surprises require re-design, which can cost a substantial amount of money and delay the start of your project.
Step 3: Construction Documentation
The next step is to work with your team and create drawings and blueprints of the concept. During this step, the conceptual design will be developed into detailed construction documents that provide the contractor with all the necessary information to construct the project. These documents can consist of site plans, architectural floor plans, millwork details, engineering drawings, equipment specifications and many other types of information.
Step 4: Planning & Procurement
Although a lot of planning is done during the documentation phase, during the planning & procurement phase (also known as the pre-construction phase), the construction team comes up with an actual detailed game plan of how to construct the project.
The main focus of this step is to create a plan that is in accordance with the goals that you have established. Factors like the schedules, required workforce, safety plans, budgets, and procurement strategies are developed during the planning & procurement phase.
Step 5: Construction
This is where all the planning work is actually implemented. Once the preconstruction phase is over, the real construction work starts on the site. This is usually considered a milestone and in most cases, all the stakeholders and project partners come to celebrate the start of the construction.
The construction phase can take several weeks, months and in some cases, years to complete. It is imperative that your team maintains good communication during this phase and that regular meetings are held to keep all project stakeholders informed and on the same page.
Step 6: Substantial CompletionAs the name suggests, the last step involves defining that the work is substantially complete, meaning that it is ready for the owner to utilize the space for its intended purpose. There may still be some minor deficiencies being worked on, but these are not holding up the occupancy of the space (i.e. paint touch-ups, crack repairs, signage, etc.).
Conclusion
Although all construction projects involve these steps, it is important to know that the complexity and duration of each step may vary depending on the type of the project as well as the delivery method chosen by the project owner.
About Us
BelVan construction is a premium construction company in Alberta, Saskatchewan, & BC. We are qualified commercial general contractors based in Edmonton. We have offered various business experts general contracting, project design-build, pre-construction consulting, and construction management services since 2011.
Right from the start, our primary focus has been on providing our customers with premium yet affordable construction and renovation services in a respectful, responsible, and reliable manner. In each of our retail construction and renovation projects, our goal has been to make the clients’ needs our top priority with a commitment to providing excellent all-around service.
To get in touch with Edmonton’s leading commercial general contractors to build yourself an effective and productive commercial space, click here.
