Every project commercial construction project Norwest works on begins with a “Know Your Building” evaluation. Many contractors will do a walkthrough assessment of a building and then provide a bid with several caveats. Norwest does things differently. We begin a project by inspecting and assessing every square inch of the building and giving our customer all of the information up front. If a building needs earthquake mitigation or the wiring isn’t up to code, our clients find out before setting a budget – and often before signing a lease. In this way, our customers can a) negotiate their leases or purchase contracts effectively, b) know what to expect during construction and c) don’t get surprise change orders or go over budget due to unforeseen problems during construction.
What “Know Your Building” Means for Budgeting
Setting a budget for your construction project can be difficult if you have nothing upon which to base your information. Unfortunately, it’s common for a general contractor to provide a bid that only factors in the lowest possible cost so they can get the project. Once the contractor gets the project, it’s an accepted practice for that person or company to tack on change orders during construction – as they run into issues. This is not only cost prohibitive but time-consuming as well.
At Norwest, we think construction can and should be done differently. Instead of lowballing a customer to get them to sign a contract, we do a full, in-depth inspection of the building structurally and as it pertains to your needs. From there we establish a baseline budget that clearly defines and estimates the basic construction components necessary to meet your requirements along with any required non-construction expenses.
With this in-depth look at your building you will know a) if you should go ahead and obtain that space, b) how much construction will actually cost, and c) what your options are.
What “Know Your Building” Means When Considering a Commercial Property
You may be looking at more than one commercial property and compare them based on rent, location, and landlord concessions. While your project has very specific technical needs, the missing link is knowing if a particular building meets those needs or how close it is to doing so. Identifying the level of hidden costs, if any, is the extra element “Know Your Building” measures
Every building will have construction obstacles unique to that particular space and these can increase costs incrementally depending on 1) a project’s complexity, 2) the number of obstacles, and 3) seller or landlord concessions. Those same unique construction obstacles mean bidding identical plans using the same contractor in two different buildings is guaranteed to result in different prices.
In short, the Norwest Contractors “Know Your Building” assessment saves our customers time, money, resources, and frustration and allows them to focus on budget and design.
Contact us today to find out more about our “Know Your Building” process.
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