Choosing a builder to help you bring your commercial project to life can be a difficult decision. For one thing, you’re spoiled for choice. For another, you obviously want to work with someone who you know is going to follow through on their promises and deliver the result you’re after.
After all, you’ll be investing quite a bit of money on the process of constructing your vision. So, why not invest in the most efficient process with a one stop shop builder and eliminate the unknowns?
There are some obvious things to consider when choosing a commercial builder. You want someone with a good reputation, who comes recommended, whose portfolio clearly shows the quality of their work and who have exceptional communication from the outset. This builder checklist might be helpful if you’re looking for a great starting point on the questions to ask potential builders to help you find the right fit. Beyond just choosing a great builder though, there are some clear additional benefits from working with a commercial builder who does everything for you—all under the one roof.
1. You only work with one company
Choosing a builder who does everything for you—from design and feasibility, project management to construction—means you don’t need to deal with multiple contractors. Not only does this streamline your communication, it also means you work with a cohesive team who have worked together for years and are all on board with your project direction. So, no more bouncing between an architect and a builder and getting resistance or different answers from each!
2. It saves you money, time and effort
Reducing your contractor pool has a flow on effect financially, too. Even if you work with a project manager who sources all your contractors for you, you’ll usually end up paying some kind of ‘finder’s fee’ where they get a little bonus for connecting you with them. When you choose a builder who has a full contracting team in-house, there’s no reason to take a little extra off the top and it’s in their best interest to offer you the most competitive prices. Beyond this though, you save massive amounts of time and effort too—which of course come with their own financial wins as you’re freed up to focus on other work.
3. All your questions answered
When you have all the experts under the one roof, you have access to your entire team all at once. So any questions that pop up along the way—about any aspect of your project at all—can often get answered on the spot. It’s a simple thing but it can make all the difference to how easy a project feels from start to finish.
4. You don’t have to deal with the council or town planners
One of the most time-consuming parts of any commercial or industrial project is jumping through the council hoops. Choosing a commercial builder who takes care of everything in-house means all you really need to do is communicate with your builder about what you’re planning and then sign on the dotted line once all the approvals have been drafted.
5. You get an upfront quote with no surprises
When every aspect of your construction is taken care of by the one builder, it allows for a more complete quote from the outset. This is because each aspect of your build is considered from the get-go and all contractors can provide an accurate costing as everyone is working together. At Clarke’s, we take particular care to ensure there are no hidden surprises. While it’s pretty standard across the industry to hide variations and additional fees along the way, we avoid this entirely by providing a comprehensive upfront quote. Of course, in the event that the initial scope of work is changed there may be additional costs involved, but we don’t hide them. Instead we explain everything to you and ensure we have your approval before proceeding any further.
