Building renovations can be costly and they can be cumbersome. But there are several ways you can make renovating your commercial building a lot easier on both the pocketbook and the disruption to your work schedule.

As with most things in life, a commercial renovation project will run much smoother if you put in the right amount of planning and don’t just make up things as you go.

The planning for any commercial project should begin several weeks, if not months, in advance of contractors actually showing up on the property and getting to work.

The more planning you can put into your project now, the less stress you’re going to have to deal with later on down the road. So put in the time at the beginning to save much more in lost business and revenue on the other side of the project.

Okay, so let’s focus on a few things you can do to property plan and execute your commercial renovation project.

Here we go…

Create a Budget

Any good renovation project needs to start with a well thought-out and planned budget, one that covers how much you want to spend and how exactly you’re going to spend it.

Once you’ve chosen the contractor for your project, schedule a meeting and hammer out your goals and strategies, as well as the timeframe you want to stick to during the project.

If you don’t have a budget in place, you’re almost certainly going to spend more than you intended to spend. And you might be surprised at how quickly things add up.

Before you know it, you’ve got several thousand dollars in additional expenses, which could have been avoided if you had just taken the time to prepare a budget before the job ever started.

Make a Schedule

Just as a budget helps you prepare for the financial aspects of the job, a well thought-out schedule will assist you in laying out the time elements.

Know when things are going to get done, how they’re going to get done and how long it’s going to take you to get back to business. Perhaps you can still work during the renovations, perhaps not.

All of this needs to be determined via a schedule that’s created and agreed to by both you and your contracting company.

Hire The Best Contractors

Speaking of contractors, you want to be sure you’ve vetted several of them in your town or city and hired the company you feel is best suited for the job.

Not all contracting companies are created equal, so be certain the one you’ve hired is licensed, is insured and is reputable. Ask for references and check them out before agreeing to work with them.

A good contractor can really be the difference between a shoddily done project and one that you can be proud of for years to come.

Don’t Forget the Permits

Before getting to work on any project, be sure you’ve researched what permits you’re going to need and that they’re in effect before any renovations have started.

Check with your local town or city hall, pay your fees and be sure everything is legal before work begins.

Failure to do so is definitely going to cause you a lot of unnecessary headaches down the road.