Avoiding Common Mistakes Often Made During Commercial Construction

Prost Builders’ long history of working with business owners since 1949 means they know what mistakes to avoid in commercial construction. Since client/owners are experts in their own field of business-they aren’t familiar with commercial construction and will often begin a project before fully understanding equipment requirements, future growth plans, workflow, and space needs. When this happens, orders and redesigns are needed to address those issues which result in the price of the facility costing more. The budget can be easily underestimated when the permits, fees, utility connections, technology systems, equipment, furniture, fixtures, financing costs, and contingency funds of 10-20% for the project are forgotten. Owners may not realize the lowest general contractor bid isn’t always the best value if the company wasn’t evaluated for financial stability, references, and experience before signing the contract. The cheapest bid can even lead to excessive change orders for missing material needed for the project, contractor disputes, schedule delays, and poor workmanship that affect the owner’s bottom line. Another problem is not making decisions with the employees who will use the actual space since their feedback can be a valuable source of information. If their needs aren’t taken into consideration, it can create storage shortages, safety concerns, inefficient workflows, and customer service issues. Business owners must always design their building for future needs and successful growth, since they can run into costly upgrades in internet infrastructure, insufficient electric capacity, lack of space for future expansion, and extra parking for employees-all which will cost the owner more later. Another important factor is when the owner doesn’t fully review the contract they’re signing. Payment terms, completion deadlines, change order procedures, warranties, and delay responsibilities should be understood. When an owner decides to implement design changes after construction begins it causes material waste, schedule delays, and cost increases that are more expensive at the back end. A business owner should never forget about all the required local regulatory permits, which are needed to prevent life safety issues, occupancy delays, stop-work orders, and fines if they don’t verify that inspections are being properly managed. By focusing only on the construction cost instead of the building’s total lifecycle-a cheaper facility will most likely end up costing more because of shorter equipment life, operational inefficiencies, higher maintenance needs, and poor energy efficiency. Also, consider the problem if there’s a lack of communication between all parties (owner/client, architect, general contractor, engineer, subcontractors, suppliers, lenders, and inspectors) that can cause delayed decisions, misunderstandings, and unnoticed problems that may crop up. With documentation, progress meetings, and monitoring the building’s construction through reviewing schedules, site progress, and any budget issues will prevent unexpected surprises. Building a high-quality facility should not be rushed, so don’t accept unfinished work, or open the business with operational problems, nor skip the punch list or rush the inspection process. Grand openings and ribbon cuttings must wait to ensure the construction is fully complete and business ready. The owner shouldn’t forget to get everything documented and in writing-since verbal agreements can cause disputes when it concerns schedule changes and material substitutions. Existing business owners should also have a cash reserve set aside during construction and be financially ready for payment schedules because they still need to operate their business while the new facility is being built. Lastly, owners need to remember that they must stay up to date with modern technology that may include security and camera systems, better WIFI coverage and data cabling, and access control systems. Following all these suggestions will help the project prevent cost overruns and delays. Prost Builders is a Better Business Bureau 2025 Torch Award winner for Ethics in Business, is BBB A+ Accredited, and has 78+ years of projects in the design and construction industry, so we can help you avoid these pitfalls-since we always strive to exceed owner expectations for an outstanding project.