Here in Florida and around the country, building material costs have been skyrocketing and supply chain issues have been plentiful. While fluctuations in material costs are not new, the intensity and duration that we’ve experienced with rising prices during COVID has made us all aware of the impact supply and demand has on the market. Even homeowners tackling weekend DIYs are noticing a significant uptick in the price of lumber.

For restaurateurs looking to open a new restaurant or expand an existing operation, paying attention to these changing costs is important both in terms of how it affects design plans as well as budget and project timelines.

What Restaurant Owners Need to Know About Design Plans, Budget & Timelines

During the design phase of pre-construction, there needs to be focused collaboration among the project owner, architect, general contractor, engineers, and other project stakeholders.

The simplest reason for strong early – and often – collaboration is that what happens during the design phase of planning will have a significant impact on the overall build process, budget, and timeline.

Getting too far ahead with design plans only to discover that changes need to be made once construction is underway can set you back thousands of dollars and months of lost revenue.

Restaurant buildouts face unique challenges, and issues can arise when overzealous design plans don’t mesh with what can be feasibly built, such as:

• Encountering issues with the mechanical, electrical, or plumbing systems;
• Discovering that there are roadblocks with permitting or that re-zoning is required;
• Finding out that life safety upgrades need to be made after the walls have already been closed off;
• And so on.

Your final design should be as close to “final” as possible, and this can only be achieved when you’ve engaged experienced and local professionals for the job.

An approved, buildable design will accelerate the buildout, which also means material costs can more confidently be estimated and you can get your restaurant open and earning revenue more quickly. The longer the project sits in limbo due to ongoing tweaks to the design, the less money you’re earning and the greater risk there is for price fluctuations in materials, labor shortages, and other obstacles.

If you’re planning a restaurant buildout in South Florida, come talk to us at Seacoast Construction.  We’ve been working in the local market for more than two decades and know what it takes to complete a successful build on time and on budget.