Commercial construction is a $230 billion annual industry, and if you can get a piece of that huge pie, you will be doing well for yourself. That’s why starting a general contracting company is so appealing. You can make a great living while also creating and building long-lasting structures. Every time you drive by a former project, you can think about how you made it.
If you want to get into commercial construction, then you should understand the type of work you will be doing. Of course, you won’t always do the same things, but there are very common projects where you are likely to spend most of your time working on one. Here are 5 of the most common projects you will encounter with your commercial construction business.
Restaurants
The restaurant business has never been tougher. More and more people are getting food delivered from even high-end establishments, which means that to survive, a brick and mortar restaurant must deliver on every aspect of a great restaurant experience. While great food and service are important, the atmosphere is crucial to creating the mood that will enhance those other aspects.
As a commercial construction contractor, you will be building and renovating restaurants with specific needs and wants to create the right atmosphere. It could be they want certain components to fit a theme, such as pillars that look like they are from ancient Greece. Or, they might want dark walls and the right lighting to create an intimate ambiance. It also could be that they have live music and want perfect acoustics. It’s up to you to make sure that their needs are met.
Building a restaurant also means making sure that any building codes or health regulations are met. Safety is a huge issue for restaurants, and there can be nothing in the designs or the final product that can pose a risk for customers. For franchises, you may also have to emulate what the parent company wants for their restaurants. Every restaurant and property is different, so you must stay on your toes.
Medical Facilities
Medical facilities come with a unique set of challenges for contractors. For one, they must be set up with patient convenience. That means wide hallways, for example, that can fit gurneys passing by each other. It also means having an elevator to help patients in wheelchairs as well. In addition, many regulations and requirements are connected to medical facility builds, and several types of components need to be included.
For example, you will need to work with the client to decide how best to position everything in the building. Is there a medical waste area that needs to be convenient for everyone? Should the x-ray department be as close as possible to the emergency department? These choices will greatly impact how well a facility can care for its patients. If you get it wrong, then it is nearly impossible to fix after the fact, so you will need to get it right.
Office Buildings
It might seem like everyone is working from home these days, but there is still a need for office buildings. There are many sizes of office buildings, but single-floor ones that hold a business or two to huge skyscrapers that house corporate headquarters and whoever has the means to lease space. While a lot of office building work can be straightforward, there may be times when a client has special needs they want you to fill. The type of business that will be housed there may dictate whether you need to include special components or customize room or floor sizes.
You will also have to keep logistics in mind when planning and building an office building. For example, will there be parking inside or outside? How much access will there be? If you need parking, then you may need to work with a commercial paving company in Concord, CA. Remember, any subcontractors you hire will also reflect on you, so choose one that will deliver great workmanship.
Retail Buildings and Stores
Retail tends to be smaller than office buildings and medical facilities, but they still pose interesting challenges. They may be located independently or as part of a mall or strip mall. You will need to consider certain components, such as storage space and a dock for shipping and receiving. Will the client need room for a forklift? You always have to balance the need for space with the total footprint that you have to work with. It is always important to have enough space to sell products as well.
Another important aspect of building a retail store is that it needs to be efficient for customer flow. That might mean being able to push carts down aisles or in between racks, for example. In addition, everything must look attractive and bring in foot and vehicle traffic. Finally, if a retail store is part of a chain of branches, you will also need to meet corporate specifications while fitting in with the mall’s or strip mall’s specs.
Hotels and Motels
After being cooped up for a couple of years, people are traveling again. They need places to stay, and hotels and motels can provide that to them. When building either, you will have to consider things like the size of each room, loading and unloading, ballrooms, and even soundproofing. There is a lot to consider, and even amongst chains, there is still variability based on the individual properties and municipalities.
These are just five of the most common building types you might work on as a commercial construction contractor. Of course, you need to be familiar with all local building codes and requirements so that no detail is missed during the planning and construction process. However, there is always room for creativity and putting your own mark on things.
