Engaging a General Contractor for your next Tenant-Buildout

Melissa Smithson

There’s no doubt: 2020 has been a year of extreme uncertainty, but commercial real estate experts are predicting that 2021 will be “the year of local.” Surveys show that people usually don’t want to travel more than 17 minutes for essential goods or needed services. If you’re looking at a new location for your Nashville office or considering a build-out of your current space, DWC Construction’s motto is “We build great places to work.”

As with so many things in life, timing is everything. A lot of business owners might not consider hiring a general contractor for the tenant improvement process until after they sign a lease, but there are several reasons why it’s a good idea to include a design-build general contractor (DBGC) early on in the process.

We don’t just have issues with COVID to consider these days, Nashville has its own building and occupancy codes. Experience working cost-effectively and efficiently within them counts. DWC Construction has completed thousands of projects in Nashville, Knoxville, and nearby communities.

Evaluate your commercial property options

What if you signed a lease and started taking bids for tenant improvement to your office space and learned that it would cost many thousands of dollars more than you budgeted to comply with accessibility requirements? Here are a few other considerations in addition to affordable lease payments and basic location:

  • Utilities: power, water, sewer and disposal
  • Hazardous materials
  • Code compliance and permits
  • Hidden costs such as subsurface contamination
  • Compliance with ADA and local accessibility requirements

Just a brief look at Nashville’s Development department guidelines shows four different sets of approval that are required, along with special considerations in many other areas, from floodplain to redevelopment and historic buildings.

DWC Construction doesn’t just build beautiful, functional workspaces, we have extensive experience and can save you time and money by identifying potential compliance issues.

Good deal, bad deal, or no deal?

The building can look great from the outside and seem like the perfect location for your office space, but it could require a lot more work than you may have first thought to get it ready for occupancy. While some spaces just need fresh paint and carpet, others can require more extensive renovations to be ready for your new work space.

An experienced interior commercial contractor could identify costly problems that may not be immediately seen. With our experience in thousands of projects in Nashville and nearby areas, we can quickly identify whether a location is right for your business or the cost will be too high. In some cases, costs can be too high to make certain spaces fit certain business needs, or it can be flat-out impossible — a true “no deal”.

Know your true costs and plan accordingly

Design-build general contractors are glad to work with you to find the right space that fits your budget and your ideal office space. Working with them before you get too far along in the leasing process will help you plan your move, new office, or post COVID-19 re-opening.

The three most important criteria for a new lease and build-out

When you’re doing a new tenant improvement project, many factors are important, but three stand out. You’ll want to understand the building’s infrastructure and how it matches up with your needs, available parking, and “good fit” with neighboring tenants.

DWC Construction is experienced in helping with all of these issues so you can make the right decision in leasing a new office space in Nashville. We are all looking forward to restarting work, school, and many other life activities in 2021. Nashville has been growing fast, gaining over 100,000 residents in recent years and ranking in the top ten for fastest growing cities in the U.S. DWC Construction has been building great places to work for the past 73 years in Nashville. We’re glad to partner with your business to plan your new business office, whether it’s an all-new project, a move to be more “local,” or a new branch location.

 

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