let the construction begin
FINALLY- after weeks of negotiating our “up-fit” cost, the construction proposal has been signed with the General Contractor. The General Contractor (GC) must be licensed for commercial construction, meaning he does not build residential homes. I will be the first to inform you, these contractors are making a KILLING! I have listed a few examples below.
Commercial Cost Breakdown for 1050 sq ft of space:
HVAC= $40k
Concrete floor=$8k
Electrical install=$60k
Insulation and drywall= $15k
Plumbing=$18k
This is just a few small examples of the cost of commercial construction to “up-fit” a small business. This does not include your flooring, light fixtures, paint, cabinets, chairs, mirrors, appliances, shelving, computer, rent, licenses, city and county fees, retail products, and so much more. If you can image remodeling your home and you request a quote from a contractor to remodel your guest half bath, whatever quote you receive for your home bathroom-multiply that by 3 and that is how much it would cost in a business (commercial).
See below images from the first weeks of construction…
Breaking down commercial construction
If you have been following me along this journey, you know that there is a design process with architects and engineers before the construction begins. The architect takes MONTHS to draw out the space according to the building codes of each county. Once the architect is finished, he passes the plans along to the engineer who then finishes the drawings with the expensive details. The engineer writes up the exact tonnage that is needed to cool and heat the space, how much electrical is needed, where the fire alarm lights have to be located, and the amount of amps needed to power 7 hair dryers and 14 curling irons all at once. The engineer then stamps the drawings and sends them to the county for review.
What is a building permit?
Once the county approves the plans (aka drawings) you are issued a building permit. This building permit allows for construction. Once the permit is in place the building drawings can not change. You can not decide to just switch the office and bathroom or install extra cabinets for storage. The construction MUST match the drawings. If you need to change the plans, there is a LARGE fee involved and a revision of plans submitted by the architect and engineer are sent to the county.
What do you need to know about codes?
Make sure that you know your county, city and licensing codes before you ever meet with a contractor. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! If you hold a State Board License, you are responsible for certain things like a “dirty laundry cabinet with a lid.” Do not expect an architect to know the rules and regulations given by State Board. Now that the architect understands that you need a “dirty laundry cabinet with a lid” on the salon floor, he/she then contacts the city and county for the codes. Most spaces have to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. This means that a wheel chair must be able to access your space and have the same experience as someone without a disability. There must be handicap railings in the bathrooms, cabinets off of the floor so that a wheelchair can fit comfortably under the sink to wash their hands. The “dirty laundry cabinet with a lid” that State Board requires is no longer a clothes hamper with a lid on it like you may have thought…it is an enclosed custom built cabinet lifted off of the ground and “hung” on the wall so that the wheel chair wheels will not get stuck underneath the cabinet when passing by.
What is a subcontractor and who keeps me up to date on the progress?
Good luck getting an update daily or weekly! Once the construction contract has been signed, you are bound to that contract and even though you are paying the contractor an absurd amount of money, you are at his mercy. In our case, we never hear from our GC-we have to call, text, email and threaten the office manager to get an update on the job site.
A subcontractor is a contractor that the GC hires to come in and do various jobs. The GC may “sub-out” the plumbing to a specific plumber that he uses or a specific electrician. These subcontractors have several other jobs that they are working on for other General Contractors. So needless to say, don’t expect them to come in and work 8 hours a day on your job site. They are never on time and work on their schedule.
What is my advice?
The best advice that I can give is to try and have a lot of patience, wine, a punching bag, gym, tissues, people you can vent to, an attorney on speed dial and knees for a whole lot of praying!