The help of a general contractor

You might be thrilled to be able to build a new store from the ground up. However, if this is your first commercial construction project, it's vital that you approach it properly so that your store can be built without problems. What should you consider?

Checking Permits

Your town or city's municipal zoning and planning office is the place you need to call whenever you're doing a new construction project. That's because you're likely to need several permits for the store you're planning to build. If you don't seek the permits required, you could ultimately be causing trouble for yourself and the project. For instance, you might not be able to complete construction. Likewise, you could be fined. To avoid this, determine with your contractor what permits you'll need.

Respect Zoning Rules

You are probably aware of the rules of the business zone where your new store will stand. The zoning ordinance sets out guidelines that dictate the height of your store, and it could also describe what you're allowed to do in the way of balconies, street setback, fencing, and other issues. Double-check the ordinance before allowing construction to start, but if there's something you'd like to do that isn't permitted, hope isn't lost. You can apply for what's known as a variance. This means your town or city will decide whether to give you one-time permission to act outside of the existing zoning rules.

Stick With Decisions

You have probably worked with several people on the plan and design for your new store. However, as the project goes on, you might decide that you want different things. For instance, you might want to use a ductless pump instead of a complicated heating and cooling system. Likewise, you may change your mind about fixtures or other aspects of the interior. 

If this is the case, it's important that you stick as close to your initial decisions as possible. If not, you could be causing tons of delays and may require more money for the completion of the overall project. Give yourself more time to plan out the store so that you'll be making as few changes as possible once construction starts.

Communicate With Contractor Often

It's important to check in with your general contractor often. It's easy to think they've got everything controlled, but failure to communicate can mean you're unaware of delays and other issues that could affect the completion date of your project. Set a time each week to go over all aspects of the commercial construction so you are confident about when your store will be finished. 

Contact a commercial construction service for more information.