You started a business, and now you’re looking for a way to update your work environment. Whether you’ve been an entrepreneur for a few weeks or a few decades, you’ll want to check out our guide on what to know about commercial remodeling—not only the basics of remodeling but the specific requirements you need to meet before demolishing or fixing any areas. Before diving into the process, familiarize yourself with this list.
Review the Building’s Occupancy Certificate
Check your occupancy certificate to ensure your space can accommodate your staff and visitors. Whether it’s an office expansion or an additional patio space for a restaurant, many commercial buildings have an occupancy certificate with the converting requirements for the commercial property. Additionally, many cities offer some outlines to help with figuring the costs of remodeling.
Before you start designing a floorplan, contact an expeditor. They have a strong knowledge of local building codes and a better understanding of how to convert a space to meet the occupancy certificate requirements easily.
Analyze the Current Property Violations
Many properties have violations, and you need to avoid them. Specifically, structures that sit immobile contain infrastructure problems that no longer meet the building codes. For example, after a long period of time, a smoke detector won’t work if there is a fire in a restaurant’s kitchen—don’t shrug off any broken equipment. Thankfully, there are many cost-effective ways to get around these violations. That’s why many new business owners will outline improvements to make to the interior and exterior of the building before moving forward with the commercial remodeling process.
Assess the Building’s Envelope
The envelope of a building is material found in between the walls of the building. In other words, it’s everything that separates the inside from the outside. The envelope consists of walls, doors, windows, and roofs. However, what’s crucial about the envelope is it presents opportunities for businesses to create accessibility checkpoints, which is one of the most common commercial remodeling mistakes. Adding on accessibility points will allow more members of the community to visit your establishment. Avoid this and other mistakes by closely evaluating the floorplan and making changes that will allow you to accommodate all individuals.
Once you obtain a place for your business, the next step is to ensure it’s set up for success. As such, it’s important to understand what you need to know about commercial remodeling. If you want your building to be functional, these tips are helpful to keep in mind when considering the proper remodeling process for your commercial facility. For additional guidance, you may want to find an architect or engineer who can help you avoid renovation mistakes.