First off, let us talk about what a commercial renovation is. A commercial renovation will be when a business renovates its building instead of building a new one. This can be for many reasons. Maybe it is cheaper to remodel, the location is perfect, it is a historical building, or maybe there is not any better real estate available for your business to move to. Or perhaps you are a business moving into a new building and need to remodel it to make it fit your business. Whatever the reason, this is the point at which you are deciding if the company requires a renovation.
What are the benefits of a commercial renovation?
A commercial renovation can give the business many benefits. One benefit that you will see is the increase in business. Commercial renovations are generally long and widely known endeavors. Once completed, it is common for people to want to see the change, which results in more customers, which means more revenue.
It is not all about making money, though. Sometimes it is about saving money. Suppose your building is older. It is more than likely not very energy efficient. A commercial renovation will allow you to seal it up, add better insulation and energy-efficient fixtures, and create a healthier environment.
What are the steps towards completing a commercial renovation?
Just like anything, there will be steps that you must take to ensure that you get the process done correctly and as smoothly as possible.
The first thing you will need to do is check the certificate of occupancy. This document describes what type of business can be operated out of your building. It can even go as far as to dictate whether you can use the space behind your building as a storage space. This is arguably the most critical step because it will set the stage for everything else you intend to do. Most cities have some kind of website where you can download your certificate of occupancy.
Next, you will need to check for any current violations. If you have owned your building for a significant amount of time, or if the previous owner you purchased the building from had held it for a considerable amount of time, you may have current violations. This will include fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and malfunctions. Finding them now and acquiring the proper permits will prevent the chance of having costly stop-work orders happen later on.
Make sure that the building will be able to handle what you are planning and accommodate your growth for possibly years to come. It is costly to renovate a building, and it can be tough to sell a commercial building. You will want to ensure that your business will be able to thrive in this location without becoming too constricted before it makes sense to move financially. You will also need to consider the utilities of the building, as they will need to be able to support the extra load that you are going to put on them.
You will need to check the exterior of the building. The disability act of 1990 requires that you have adequate disability access to your business. Is this something you have, or will you have to add it to your list? There are also all of the other components involved in the exterior of your building. Your roof, windows, surface, and doors, to name a few parts of things that you will need to have looked over.
You will also have to make sure that your facilities are in order. For example, it is required for businesses to give their employees reasonable access to restrooms. Depending on the building, this could be a large project to cover.
Final thoughts
A commercial renovation is generally a massive project and should be considered rationally before undertaking it. You will want to inspect your building from top to bottom to make sure that you know what you are getting into. You will want to go over the different aspects with your contractor, engineer, and architect. Make sure you keep track of questions you would like answered, and make sure that you understand the process as you proceed through it. And in the end, you will be left with a beautiful, freshly remodeled building in which your company will be able to grow.
