When seeking to employ commercial remodeling services to re-design an office, price and timing are just two of the considerations.
- Relevance of Experience
- Experience in office renovation (as a distinction from broad construction).
- Portfolio written list of similar work (specifically within your type of business or building).
- Space-placed experience (if your office will not have to be closed in order to be remodeled).
TIP: Ask case studies or before-and-after photographs of past projects.
- Licenses, Certifications & Insurance
- Commercial construction company license in your area.
- Commercial renovation contractor licenses.
- Code familiarity and permits in your area.
- Liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and surety bonding.
Tip: Obtain copies of all the relevant certificates and maintain them up to date.
- Clear Communication & Transparency
- Single point of contact or project manager assigned.
- Transparency in open bidding and estimating process.
- Ability to communicate clearly for schedules, disruptions, and contingencies.
Tip: Meet with a contractor who is a good listener and also a clear, concise talker who communicates in simple language.
- Good Reputation & Referrals
- Good online reviews and referrals from customers.
- Skip old referrals.
- Good Better Business Bureau or local trade association rating.
Tip: Meet with at least 2–3 previous customers and ask them about their experience.
- Quality of Craftsmanship
- Quality of detail, finish, and materials used.
- Familiarity with ergonomics, acoustics, and new office design trends.
- Familiarity with green building standards and energy-efficient systems.
Tip: Ask to review completed project or open job site if possible.
- Integrated Project Planning
- Poorly defined project schedule, milestone, and deliverables.
- Difficulty with coordinating design-build or architect/designer.
- Without adequately detailed project scope document and contingency plan.
Tip: Observe their Gantt chart or scheduling program and notice how they manage timelines.
- Safety Standards
- Good worksite safety practices (particularly if the employees work more than a half-day on the worksite).
- OSHA training and compliance for all.
- Clean, neat work spaces to avoid disruption and injury.
Tip: Request their incident rate and what they do for worksite safety.
- Budget Control
- Ability to manage within your budget and present cost-reduction options.
- Open up change order policies (on any additional cost on the project).
- No surprise charges or under-the-table additions to estimate.
Tip: Any bid that sounds too good to be true, it probably is—value, not price.
- Post-Renovation Support
- Material and workmanship warranty.
- Punch list process (final walk-through and repair work).
- Availability in the future for upgrade or maintenance.
Tip: Get all this in writing, including warranty agreements.
- Technology Integration
- Familiarity with smart office systems, AV installations, and network infrastructure.
- Familiarity with IT needs, data cabling, and agile workplace technology.
- Coordination of IT/security vendor if needed.
Tip: If your setting is highly technical, this is imperative.