The first step is to recognize why a commercial property needs renovation. Some common reasons are enhancing your space, tenancy and amenity upgrades, and increasing efficiency. At this step, the site owner and some times the tenant are the only parties involved. Before you start renovating, have a look at the certificate of occupancy, property violations, zoning laws, the existing state of the property, and other factors. According to Commercial Renovation Contractors in Toronto some of these factors can be a hurdle in your commercial renovations and remodelling of business space, while others might highly increase your budget, and others might interfere with What needs to be done before the completion of the project. If your thinking of turning your office into a retail space, the certificate of occupancy can state that the building can be used for official purposes. Changing the certificate of occupancy can be hard, costly, and time-consuming. If the property is not zoned, it may be impossible to change the zoning. In some cases, you may not be able to legally change the exterior of the building.

Why use Commercial Renovation Services in Toronto?

Every business owner should make sure that his employees have a safe place to work and enhances productivity. In recent research, about 90% of the workers said the design of their office directly impacts their productivity. Two-third of the respondents said that working closely with their coworkers makes them more efficient. So if the workplace is inviting it can make your profits.

Things to do During Commercial Renovation

Source: Pinterest

Finding Contractors and Designers

You should be able to identify what kind of experts you require for your project. If you are working on energy upgrades, an HVAC professional and electrician can be enough. If you want to renovate the front of your property, you might want an architect and contractor. Do the research beforehand and look for personal recommendations if possible, to ensure you have someone that id easy to work with, is economical, and delivers results on time.

If you are planning to perform multiple renovations , you might want to hire a general contractor or the project manager to oversee all of the projects and make sure that they all are on the same page. This project manager will settle any dispute between the subcontractors and will also handle material deliveries.

Plan a Budget

It can be hard to plan the budget for commercial remodeling without first getting the estimates; this is a good time to plan a budget. You probably might have some idea of what you might want to spend on the project before, but now that you have spoken to professionals, you should have a better idea of what you should expect to spend. Keep up to 30 percent for a contingency budget in addition to what was quoted by the renovation team to give yourself some edge in case unexpected issues arise during the construction process. You might need to make a preliminary budget now and revise it after discussing your plans with the designers says the Top commercial construction companies in Toronto.

Design Your Space

Source: Pinterest

You will want to work with an architect or interior designer hile you are making unseen improvements and figuring out how you want the space to look like when it's completed. You can share your potential ideas with your contractor. Even if you are doing behind-the-scenes work, you will still likely require to make new blueprints to document the changes made. This will also let you to fully understand how much work you will be doing to reach that level.

If you plan on collaborating with a designer or an architect and they do not offer a contractor, this can be a great time to get estimates from potential contractors on the total cost of the work since contractors can not provide you an accurate estimate without getting to know the full scope of your work.

Besides, it can be helpful to work with a general contractor in the design process as they offer input that can help make your plans more realistic and affordable based on the years of experience they have. Assure to finalize your budget after getting the final estimate from the contractor. This is also the time to develop a schedule with your renovation team.

Obtain Your Permits

You will likely be needing to obtain the permits for the work before you initiate your project.  If you plan on working with a contractor or a designer, they will likely take care of your permits for you; otherwise, you need to do it yourself. Different cities have different rules, and regulations will often be a department of building inspection, the planning department, and development services.

Depending on the area and the level of the renovation, you may require to submit certain surveys before getting the permits. If you are living in a sensitive environmental area, you might be needing to do an environmental impact study, for example. If you want to demolish part of the structure, you may need to do a hazardous material survey to test for mercury, lead, asbestos, and other dangerous materials used in the construction.

Doing the Remodeling

Once you have created the design, planning, and permits, you should be ready to initiate the construction process. In majority cases, you probably would not be very involved in this stage of the commercial building renovation process unless you are doing some of the work yourself. If any issues arise and the contractor needs to charge more, he will send you an addendum to the existing project.

Preparing for the Setbacks

As you know well that no project ever goes completely as you planned. You can be successful but by being prepared for the hurdles along your way. To understand the possibilities, previous research renovations identify to avoid the mistakes from the start. Don't be caught without a budget to fix the mistakes if they happen, though: experts will tell you in the start to set aside 10 – 15% of the budget for the unexpected expenses that may arise. By giving yourself extra padding in each area of your plan, from timeline to budget, to style, you will be able to address any problems quickly, easily, and painlessly.

Identify Goals for Your Office Remodel

Source: Pinterest

Have a clean finishing in mind before initiating the design process. The result you want should inform each aspect of the renovation procedure.

Use these following questions to help set goals for the office renovation.

1. Do you require more desks for the employees?
2. How can you make your office layout more efficient?
3. Would your teams enjoy the open spaces where they can collaborate?
4. Are there enough conference rooms for all the meetings?
5. Are your kitchen and bathrooms big enough for the current staff?
6. Do you have any safety problems to address, such as tripping hazards or few exits in case of an emergency?
7. Is your office accessible for people with physical disabilities?

Once you know your goals, there are a few logistical questions you should ask yourself, too:

• What are you willing to spend? Do you have room for any accidents that may happen?
• Will you be needing to close the office during renovations?
• Do you need outside help, like a consulting firm, for the remodel?
• Will your remodel include the new office furniture?
• When do the renovations require to be complete?

Evaluate Your Building

Once you have the team, do not begin the renovation until you have had a professional building inspection to check for any asbestos, lead, mold and other hazardous components that may be hiding within the walls of your business space. This might cost you an extra in terms of time and money but is worth the effort to evade any costly mistakes and help with resale in the later run.

Other areas to evaluate are:

• Condition of the current plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems.
• Condition of the load-bearing walls and support beams.
• Historical components of the building that are very important to preserve.
• Condition of emergency warning systems.
• Accuracy of the previous building evaluations.

Communicate Plan to Employees

Commercial renovation plans should be talked about with your employees as soon as possible. Even if you do not plan on closing the office during the renovation process, Inform them when inspections and construction will be happening and how it can affect their work.

What to Communicate With the Employees During the Office Remodel

• Reason/reasons and benefits of the renovation.
• When the teams will start to work in the office.
• Any plans if you want to relocate staff to a temporary office.
• The finish date for the remodel.
• Who to reach with any concerns and queries.

Begin the Commercial Renovation Process

Source: Pinterest

You have planned, hired, inspected, and got approved. It is now time to start the office renovation. Remember to keep communicating with your internal project manager, the design team, and your construction team. If your office has to be closed during the course of the renovation, schedule days to check the progress. Have the messages ready to send to employees in case there are any potential delays.

Factors that Affect Commercial Renovation Costs in Toronto

Commercial renovations involve many costs. The typical type of remodeling, the scope of the project, and the contractor doing the work all have affected the cost. Common expenses appearing during a general remodel include:

• The Equipment
• The Furnishings
• The Labor
• The Mechanical components.

However, these are not the only cost that affects a standard commercial renovation project. Other drivers are:

Schedule

Finding the job on time is the most important, the longer the time, the more expensive the remodel maybe, especially if the contractor you hired is working around the clock. As a commercial property owner, you might need to find a quick turn around. , especially if the business must stop working while the remodel is taking place. However, It is critical to consider that this could boost up the cost.

Location

Locations that far away need the contractor, workers, and other people involved in the project to drive long hours to reach work and deliver materials. The more remote or hard to reach a location is, the more cost of the renovation will be.

Complexity

The more complex the job is, the more it will cost. A simple remodel to enhance the appearance of a commercial place is likely to cost much less than a job that involves the replacement of plumbing, electrical, and so on.

Factors that Effect Commercial Renovation Cost in Oakville

Materials you Want to Use

If you want your house to look sleek you must be willing to spend on the materials.  Different materials come with different costs and that should provide you with a clear direction. Cost of materials differ from city to city.

The Type of Property

What type of property are you working on? It is a condo? Or is it an office space? What does it have that needs to be handled first as a priority. This is where your ideas should start from. Do you have all what you need to make it happen? Does it have some fitting already? If so, much more touches does it require?

Factors that Effect Commercial Renovation Cost in Mississauga

Size of the Space

Source: Pinterest

Typically you can expect that the bigger the project, the more expensive it will be. More materials are required, and more labor will be needed to cover the full cost of the project. However, economies of scale do play an important role in most build out projects. It means that the bigger the space will keep your costs low on a per square foot basis. These fixed costs, along with discounts you order supplies in bulk, usually mean big projects will have a low price per square foot compared to their smaller counterparts.

Quality of the Finishes

The quality of the finishes you use also plays an important role in determining the cost of the project. Do you want high quality wood or laminate would do the job? The answers to these questions will greatly help you determine how much you will likely be needing to spend on high quality, high priced items.

The renovation will not only give you and your staff enough physical space but also create a better work ethic. Going for a space that does not work for your culture – or the growing number of employees and evolving it into a more modern and collaborative environment can boost morale and your bottom line. Commercial renovation contractors in Toronto pre-site evaluation will disclose some of the potential obstacles in completing the renovation plan; however, some conditions might not be discovered until walls are broken, or a more thorough inspection of the electrical or plumbing is done. This is why it is important to have some money set aside for contingency plans and renovations.

For more study: 5 Best Office Renovation Tips and Ideas