Thursday, May 9, 2019

5 Things You Must Know About The Commercial Building Renovation Process


Renovating a commercial property can be an exciting, but daunting, time for your business. It's a significant investment, and there's a great deal to consider. When it comes to commercial renovations, some modifications and builds may need additional planning approvals.  However, by arming yourself with knowledge, you can set your project up for success from the very start.



Below are five things you must know before you start your commercial renovations.

Know How Disruptive Your Commercial Renovation Is?
The decision of whether or not to stay open or to close is one of the top concerns of most business owners undergoing a commercial renovation. If your office renovation will disrupt your employees' ability to perform daily duties, closing may be your only option. Flooring upgrades are an example of a type of renovation that is too disruptive for businesses to continue without closing down. For small-scale commercial renovations, you can renovate area by area to avoid disrupting employees.

Adhere To Current Building Codes
Commercial properties must offer a safe environment for all people. Before, during and after construction, it is imperative that all building codes are strictly adhered to. Necessary precautions must be taken to ensure the building complies with standards relating to structure, electrical safety, resistance to sound, fire safety, hot water safety and water efficiency, ventilation, sanitation etc.

Check The Certificate of Occupancy (CO)
In a commercial renovation, the CO will tell you whether the property meets applicable building codes.  In addition, the CO describes the approved use(s) of the building consistent with the local 
zoning ordinances. And if the property is not zoned for what you'd like to do, changing the permitted use of the building can be a difficult, expensive and time-consuming process. So, you might want to work with an expediter. An expediter knows local policies and should be able to speed up the process. Bear in mind that you will need an inspector to sign off on every building violation that you fix.

Obtain Your Permits
Before starting a commercial renovation, you will likely need to obtain permits for the work.Depending on your location and the extent of your renovation, permitting can take a day or months. You may also need to submit certain surveys before obtaining permits. If you're working with a commercial contractor, they will likely take care of the permits.

Performing Necessary Inspections
If you had to make a change to the certificate of occupancy to change the use of the building, the coding official would inspect the renovations before issuing you a new certificate of occupancy. The law requires most commercial renovation projects to hire a commercial contractor to oversee the work and ensure it proceeds correctly.   Your commercial contractor ensures that all work passes inspection.  In general, the commercial renovation contractor makes sure the project runs smoothly.

Planning for an office renovation in GTA? Contact one of the leading commercial contractors in GTA to help you with all aspects of your commercial renovation.

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