Considering building a new space for your business? Commercial building is an exciting and sometimes scary time for a business, but choosing the right building partner can make all the difference. This guide explores Pro-Line's entire commercial building process, from beginning to end, directly from our sales team.
When Pro-Line receives a commercial lead, the business owner usually has a specific set of priorities for their new space. Our sales team schedules time to sit down with the prospect’s team to discuss these items. Typically, it's six to eight key points the owner sees as most important.
These points could include more space, better use of space, improved accessibility—the list goes on. We know that no project is the same, so the set of must-haves for each project is different. This makes our process and approach to each project unique based on the needs identified.
A major phase of the process is selecting the right land. The location of your new commercial building is as important as its design. During our initial meeting, we'll explore where you stand in the location process.
Many clients come to us having already worked with a civil engineer to conceptually lay out the building. Whether you're at this stage or just starting out, Pro-Line adapts to your needs and helps lay out the project's full scope.
Once we understand you're goals, it’s time to dig deeper. We begin by looking at all facets of your business. Beginning with the reception area, we then move through office spaces, conference rooms, break rooms, and restrooms.
This in-depth discussion helps determine the percentage of space required for office use versus other purposes, like a warehouse or shop, as well as how much separation you need between the sections of your building.
This phase can be difficult to visualize, which is why we share examples of past projects that align with your goals. This can spark new ideas and ensures your vision takes shape.
The first meeting focuses on gathering information. Our sales team then creates a floorplan using a professional drawing program. This provides a clear visual representation of your space and is typically delivered within five business days.
Once the floorplan is put together, we schedule another meeting with you to walk through the layout. We use this meeting to make sure the floorplan matches up with what you’re envisioning. During this meeting, we discuss details like office finishes, warehouse insulation, heating and cooling systems, and more.
Talking through these details gives our sales team an idea of what you’re wanting in each space within your building.
Once the floorplan is finalized, our sales team begins submitting bids to our trusted subcontractors. This includes plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, flooring, paint, and drywall. This process provides a complete scope of what we need to do in your space.
Once we get bids, we are ready to put a formal proposal together. The proposal is formulated based on all of the information you've given our sales team in the first two meetings and what works in your design-build process.
Based on the information we have, we determine if the project fits your budget. If not, we work with you to explore cost-saving options or phasing the project. This allows you to weigh the options and make an informed decision. An example of this would be prioritizing key phases first and extending the timeline to meet financial requirements.
Our role here is to simply listen and guide. Whether you prioritize functionality or design, Pro-Line tailors our recommendations to suit your needs.
Every commercial project has to have a full set of civil-engineered site plans detailing everything from elevation of the property, storm and water sewers, anything that needs to come to the building, where it’s located on the street you’re building on, and much more. Pro-Line collaborates with civil engineers to create a site map that meets city requirements.
The city typically reviews the first draft within five to ten days and returns comments. We work with the civil engineer again to address these comments and resubmit the plan. Once it's approved, we move on to planning and zoning.
This step involves obtaining approval from the planning and zoning committee. Once we get approval at this meeting, the plan goes to the city council for final sign-off. After this, we apply for a building permit.
Typically, you can't apply to get a building permit without having completed the steps with the city, planning and zoning, and the city council. This process typically takes 60-90 days to complete.
Permitting is something many of our clients aren’t familiar with, and it can be a scary part of the building process. It's our job to facilitate this phase for our building projects so you don't have to! Some of our clients do like to be involved and go to these meetings; others prefer to have us handle it without them. Either way, we're fully equipped to ensure everything runs smoothly.
On the surface, the commercial building process seems overwhelming. With the right partner, though, it becomes manageable and efficient. At Pro-Line, we pride ourselves on guiding business like yours through every phase of the process, from initial planning and design to navigating permits and approvals.
Your vision deserves a team that listens, plans, and builds with precision and care. whether you're starting with a blank slate or refining an existing idea, we're here to help make sure your project exceeds expectations.
Contact Pro-Line today to begin your commercial building journey. We're ready to help bring your vision to life.