Going into a commercial construction project with your eyes wide open is the only way to proceed. Knowing exactly what to expect, including being able to anticipate any potential obstacles you could encounter along the way, makes for a much smoother ride and a more successful project overall.

A big part of being fully prepared starts with having complete clarity about what the project is going to cost. Unwanted surprises could end costing you tens of thousands of dollars (or more!). Don’t let it happen to you.

What you don’t know can hurt you

The biggest sting comes after the bite. What’s more, you don’t always know the extent of the damage until you’ve already been bitten.

In terms of construction bids, even seemingly small items that get left off the proposal can have significant consequences to your project’s budget and timeline. When you get hit with a bill for unexpected items, it may be too late to do anything about it.

Pay attention to these line items in your bids

In an effort to get the most accurate bid as possible, it’s important to pay attention to any items big or small that could intentionally or unintentionally be left off your bid. Two examples we frequently see include:

• Permit fees — with some commercial projects, additional designs must be submitted in addition to the master permit – and with them, come more fees. For example, sometimes a project is priced according to just the permit set, but the bid fails to account for the additional costs needed to fulfill the other project requirements.
• Any gaps in work – small gaps in work can be easy to miss when reviewing a bid, but it’s the little things that creep in that can really stretch your budget. An experienced project manager or owner’s representative will help you catch any of these gaps prior to the work getting started.

The bottom line when reviewing bids is that you likely are to uncover inconsistencies and surprises. When little things get left off, you end up paying the price.

Our job at Seacoast Construction is to protect project owners from unexpected surprises and ensure complete transparency in the process. We build our buildings and relationships on trust. If that’s something you value, give us a call at 786.433.8740.