You and your general contractor are a team. While you should have a lot of questions for the GC team you hire, they too should ask good questions in order to ensure there is a mutual understanding of the buildout’s goals and objectives.

Here are a few of the many right questions that should be addressed together before pursuing a specific property or project:

• Does the building have any contractor requirements and/or a contractor’s manual? There will be rules and regulations unique to each building, so it’s important to ask this question at the outset.

• Are there noise requirements? Most buildings limit the time frame during which contractors can make a significant amount of noise. Knowing this is important for planning your construction schedule.

• What are the logistics for getting materials into the building? The answer is probably not to just walk through the front door.

• What are the logistics for getting trash out of the building?

• Does the building require you to use certain vendors? Sometimes building owners have a warranty or service contract with a given company, such as a specific fire alarm company, and all contractors must work with them.

• How does the mechanical system operate? For example, it’s important to understand if it’s a split-system unit or being fed from a chiller.

• In terms of electrical, is there service to the space? If not, do we need to go to a nearby meter room and build the service to bring electricity to the space?

• Where is water coming from (and going to) for the plumbing? Is it inside or do we need to bring it from a nearby source? Also be sure to ask how the plumbing is connected to the sanitary line. Sometimes you need to go to a lower floor to get into someone else’s space to connect your sanitary line. When this is necessary, you’ll have to get permission, coordinate with the building manager to get in and potentially work after hours.

Asking good questions before beginning any project is important for determining whether the building will be the right fit. In addition, answers to these questions may impact the project’s scope of work, budget, timeline. At Seacoast Construction, we’ll ask the right questions to guarantee we have all the information we need to make strategic plans to achieve your goals. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.