What to Expect During a Commercial Construction Project
Whether you’re building a new office space, renovating an old one, restoring a heritage building to accommodate a modern storefront, gym, clinic, or any other commercial project in Calgary, there are a number of ways that your contractor should guide you along the way for the best possible finished product.
Good contractors (like us! *wink*) know that if you’re a small business owner, this project means the world to you because it’s the path to making your entrepreneurial dreams come true. They know that every client deserves to be made aware of the full scope, cost and timelines of their project, and to have their contractor provide them with regular updates throughout, as well as follow up after the project is complete.
The project would obviously kick off with you reaching out to a few reputable contractors to discuss your project. If you’ve been working with a designer or architect, as them to recommend the best contractors they know! Take a look at our blog post How to Choose the Right Contractor for some tips for finding a great contracting firm.
Step 1: Making your dream into a realistic plan
Contractors will want to know your ideas for the space – what the ‘must-haves’ and the ‘nice-to-haves’ are - and will work with your designer and/or architect to determine what is possible within your budget. They will go to your space and take measurements and snap photos that they can share with tradespeople they trust for pricing and availability, they’ll reach out to material manufacturers for order timelines and costs, and determine which permits and permissions they may need to build at your jobsite. They’ll also determine whether remediation would be a necessary part of the project: if there is any mold removal, structural issues to be fixed or restoration required, for example. Safety and accessibility accommodations should be discussed, and any options for an eco-friendly build would be considered.
Want to see a real example of this process in Calgary? Read our Interview with Lindsay Zelensky, designer of the Boys & Girls Club of Calgary (now the Trellis Society), where she discusses how BGCC shared their vision for the space and she worked with Ryan Murphy Construction to make it happen.
The Circle Room at the Boys & Girls Club of Calgary, designed by Lindsay Zelensky in cooperation with Indigenous Elders to create a space for reflection and togetherness.
Step 2: Breaking ground (or just generally breaking things!)
Whether you’re building a brand-new building or renovating an old one, this is the fun part! Preparing for the build includes, if you’re building from scratch: digging and developing the foundation, then framing the above-ground structure and putting up the walls and floors. If you’re renovating or restoring a previously loved space, the builder will tear out an unusable materials and/or do any remediation necessary. From there, at both new builds and renos, work begins to add in the elements needed for your space.
Throughout the process, your contractor should be regularly keeping you up to date on the progress they’ve made and any hurdles they’ve come across. Changes to the timeline or budget should be immediately communicated to you, and explanations or solutions to these issues should be immediately offered. This stage of the building process tends to uncover more challenges than any other stage though, because once the walls, floors and ceilings are opened, issues that couldn’t have been predicted begin to show themselves. Good contractors will have solutions for these events and provide open communication about what this means for your project timeline and budget.
Step 3: Bringing the vision to life
Next, you’ll see things start to take shape. The flooring goes in, electrical, HVAC and plumbing get finalized, windows are installed, and partitions, shelving, and lighting are all completed. Exteriors are also spruced up and potentially some hardscaping of your outdoor spaces would be finished. Your gorgeous paint colours or wall coverings are applied to the walls, and any custom decorative touches would be done. You’ll look around and see that the dream you’ve planned for, saved for, and collaborated on with so many trusted professionals, including all the dedicated tradespeople, designers, architects, and your contractor, has finally come to life – high-five!!
RMC gave the Calgary Telus Convention Centre an exciting refresh.
Step 4: The walk-through and finishing touches
When all the skilled labour is completed and the scope of the contractor’s work is done, they will schedule a final walk-through with you to review everything and identify any outstanding work to do. With so many moving parts and detailed work done, there are bound to be a few ‘deficiencies’, or work that needs to be fixed or completed. The walk-through should identify these missing pieces and your contractor will tell you the plan for having them addressed.
Step 5: Epilogue – after the project is complete
Just because the project has wrapped up and you’re happily working in your new retail space, office, or shop, it doesn’t mean that your relationship with your contractor is over! There may be a warranty in place that they can help you sort out in case something breaks, or they can recommend a qualified tradesperson if you have an odd construction job you want done. And, by this point, hopefully you count your contractor among your friends!
Ryan Murphy Construction is proud to focus on building relationships with our clients that allow for open, meaningful discussions about your goals and ideas for the project of your dreams. Take a look at our portfolio of work to see some the amazing spaces we’ve created using the process outlined above, and then get in touch with us to start planning yours!
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Since 2009 we’ve worked closely with hundreds of clients to make their dreams come true — and we’d love to work with you, too! Please get in touch to get the conversation started today.