Office construction: On time and on budget

Key Points

Whether your project is a new medical office building or an interior alteration to an existing building, most of the issues and processes are the same. Considering these four points can help your practice avoid common problems:

Allow enough time.

Allowing adequate time also is crucial for integrating the nonconstruction elements of the job with the construction, such as the infrastructure for information technology (IT) and for telephones, and for the unknowns that seem to occur on every construction or alteration project.

When you hire an architect to assess sites and programs, you will be able to refine your project's schedule, because you will know more about the requirements of your build-out on a particular site.

When you retain a general contractor (GC) or construction manager and have construction documents, your team will develop the first detailed construction schedule-showing when different trades will be present; when HVAC, carpeting, and lighting fixtures must be ordered; and when inspections for closing up walls, closing ceilings, and turning on electricity must occur.