Is your business experiencing the growing pains of not enough room? Should your renovate or add on to your current commercial building, or should you instead rebuild? Making the decision of whether to renovate or build new can be a tough call. Reid Developments has the experience and expertise you need in commercial construction and renovation. Successful commercial construction or renovation involves making careful decisions right from the start. So, let us help you start by weighing the pros and cons of renovations versus new construction.
If you really love your existing building and you’re not planning to add a lot of square footage, a renovation can be a great choice. But does your commercial building have major plumbing issues or bad electrical wiring that would cause problems during a renovation? Are you sure that most of the work will simply be cosmetic? If not, allow enough budget for certain elements that might need upgrading.
Hidden renovation costs often arise, but if your commercial building is well-constructed, with a strong foundation, renovating is a good option, especially your building has historic features worth preserving. If you’re leaning toward a full or partial demolition and rebuild of your business at its current site– consider the extra challenge of a demolition. There may be certain municipal or neighbourhood restrictions and regulations that need to be followed– for example, special procedures that need to be followed when a building is close to the street.
If you’re looking to add a significant size (double or more) to your existing commercial building, it’s probably smarter to rebuild, either at another location or at your current site. Nowhere to go but up? There may be local height restrictions. If you need more parking but don’t have the room, consider rebuilding with underground parking.
Ultimately, the growing pains of both onsite renovation and new construction at your current site may simply be too formidable. Sometimes it’s less hassle to just start over with new construction at another location with enough extra space to allow your business to grow even further in the future.
Whether you decide to renovate, re-build on-site, or build at a new location, you need to identify three things and communicate them clearly to your contractor:
- your business needs
- your budget
- time to completion
To meet your business’ needs, it’s important to hire a builder or renovator experienced in commercial construction. It’s good to start slow to go fast. This means carefully making sure you’re on the same page with your commercial building contractor from the get-go.
Be realistic about your budget and be honest with the contractor or construction company you’ve chosen. It’s human instinct not to disclose your actual budget. No one wants to be taken advantage of or pay more than they should. That’s why it’s important to hire a reputable contractor. A reputable contractor will be honest with you about whether your construction budget is indeed realistic. And it ensures that everyone’s on the same page from the start.
A reputable contractor also knows the importance of clear communication not only you, the client, but with the subcontractors and tradespeople involved in the project– and will involve them in pre-construction meetings so that they ask you specific questions about your needs.
It’s important, too, that your commercial contractor understands and has experience with the municipal approvals necessary in Greater Vancouver and with the local permits needed.
Why Reid Developments?
We know Vancouver, we know construction, and we know renovations– commercial and residential. We’ve built our reputation on the honesty, communication, and professionalism every client should expect in a contractor. Principal Owner/Operator Mike Reid and his crew have more than 30 years of experience as licensed builders here in Greater Vancouver, using only experienced trades that have up-to-date WCB coverage and a proven track record.
Contact us for your commercial construction project: whether it’s a renovation, addition, or a new build. We can help from planning to finish. Call us at 604-612-0149, email reid.dvlp@gmail.com, or leave us a message on our contact page