Commercial renovation questions and answers

We answer questions!

What's the most important part of a renovation project?

Paperwork. The Drawings, Specifications and Contracts. Without good planning paperwork, everything is simply guesswork and good luck. Every commercial renovation design has some unique details. Few contractors and even fewer consumers understand how to get all the details on paper. There is no substitute for renovation project experience. If you don't plan carefully (for all the inevitable problems), before you start the project, you'll be making decisions on-the-fly. Your chances of making good decisions, (when delays are costing you even more money) are very unlikely.

What is the #1 mistake, made by commercial tenants?

Impulse buying. They make the decision to renovate, hire a (general) contractor or interior designer and start the project in less than a month, (often without submitting a building permit application). Once you make the decision to start the project, it's very difficult to stop, fix the design mistakes and take control of the costs. The longer you take to plan for all the possible problems, the smoother your project will go. Good planning and good contracts will give you the most cost effective project and dramatically reduce your chance of being sued. The easiest problem to solve, is the one you don't create.

Do you know a good contractor for a ...

Of course we do!

Can you refer me to a contractor?

No we can't. Our clients already know how difficult it is to find competent, honest and reliable trades people. Good contractors are far too busy for us to send work to them that might make it difficult for them to help our clients.

Why is it so hard to find a good commercial renovation contractor?

The current BC laws allow anyone to buy a business license and call themselves a Licensed Renovation Contractor. Greater Vancouver property owners are faced with a frightening prospect. Without careful screening, your project could simply be practice for the guy who was driving a delivery truck last week! Too many people hire the guy with the lowest estimate and then just keep paying for all the extras (that he says couldn't be anticipated!) Professional contractors tell you exactly what, when and how much, (when they're forced to.) We specify to all the renovation contractors, exactly what you'll pay for. If they can't or won't provide it, you have no reason to pay! You can only do this when everything is covered or specified in the contract.

Why not just hire a general contractor?

Having the skills, knowledge and experience to design, specify and schedule a renovation project, requires more than most contractors are able to provide. Even if they can, they'll usually do what's best for them, not you. General contractors usually charge you a mark-up of 20-100% of the sub-trade prices (as their profit margin). Finding good sub-contractors is easy, when you know what you're actually looking for. To do that, you need to ask the right questions. There is no Universal Tradesman and no Universal Contractor. A good contractor produces a good project result. We make sure every renovation is a good project.

How can CWS provide free services?

Contractors charge what they can get away with. With CWS, they can't get away with over-charging you. Our fee is usually substantially less than the savings we generate for you. We also ensure that you get exactly what you want to pay for, not what you get talked into. We design your project to be cost effective and functional, with minimal life-span maintenance.

Why can't we just do this ourselves?

You can. If you have already completed several thousand successful renovation projects, you can probably get the same result without any help from us. Although you can do the design, planning and general contracting yourself, you can't legally perform the skilled trades work on a commercial project.

Is it difficult to design a profitable restaurant ?

Yes it is. If it was simple, anyone could to it! The cost of commercial floor space, makes careful space design critical. Although an interior designer can often produce a beautiful restaurant design, the restaurant is frequently not very functional, efficient or profitable.

So what does all this Cost?

Usually, nothing! Renovation projects that are controlled by a renovation contractor are always open to consumer abuse. With all the complex variables, absolute cost analysis is impossible (unless the project specifications are clearly defined). We save you money by defining your project and then specifying the most efficient use of both labor and materials available. By ensuring honest value for your project investment, your risk of fraud is greatly reduced. Allowing professional contractors to concentrate on providing a professional result, always generates savings in time, wasted effort and confusion. Having the project progress inspections eliminates shoddy workmanship. Although our fees are still usually less than 10% of the total project cost, we have frequently saved our clients 3-5 times the total cost of our services.

Related Design and Planning Information

• Important Retail Store Planning Steps
• Your Legal Responsibilities
• Design a Retail Store
• Commercial Lease Space for retail stores
• Retail store Tenant Improvements
• Common Renovation Myths
• Leasing Retail Store Space

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We provide commercial tenant improvements renovation project planning and design services to lease space clients in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Richmond, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, BC.

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