When planning an office buildout in South Florida, careful cost estimation is key to ensuring a smooth project from start to finish. Unwanted budget surprises can derail a buildout – or completely stop it in its tracks.

Before you begin any office renovation or new build, it’s critical to understand how the two key variables of what you want + what you can afford align. This process does not always go seamlessly, especially when the reality of labor and material costs brings some of those visions down to earth. The good news is that there are ways to save money on office buildouts. It starts with good planning and accurate cost estimation.

How Office Buildout Costs are Determined

As with any project, you want to gather multiple bids and partner with an experienced construction consultantwho can help you compare bids and work with your chosen general contractor to achieve the vision you set with the budget you can afford.

In terms of accurately estimating costs for a Florida office buildout, there are a few ways to think about the cost categories so you can best evaluate bids and plan for your project’s expenses. Working with local construction experts can give you the best insight into current labor and material costs, as well as understand and plan for everything that goes into zoning and permitting approvals.

Hard Costs, Soft Costs and Vendor Fees

Office construction costs can be split into several major categories. At the highest level, they include:

• Hard costs
• Soft costs
• Vendor fees

Hard costs are all those items needed for the physical makeup of the space. This is things like mechanical, electrical and plumbing costs, framing, drywall, concrete, paint, flooring, doors, frames, etc. Though material costs have fluctuated in recent years, an experienced general contractor will be able to give you a good estimate for your project based on the current labor market and material costs. A construction consultant can validate if those estimates are accurate and suggest cost-wise alternatives if needed.

Soft costs include design and management fees, permitting costs and any other project needs not directly associated with the physical construction. Soft costs are sometimes calculated as a percentage of the project or are flat fees.

Vendor costs are also important to factor into your overall office buildout project. It can be somewhat of a catch-all category and will include expenses related to furniture and equipment, technology, signage and moving costs.

Planning an office buildout in Miami requires extensive planning, including making thoughtful budget considerations, which is not always easy if you’re not a construction professional. For a straight answer on commercial construction costs in South Florida and help leading your office buildout to successful completion, get in touch with our teams at Seacoast Consulting Group and Seacoast Construction.