Those who are not in the thick of day-to-day commercial construction are often surprised to learn about the extensive responsibilities and requirements managed by general contractors during an office build-out.

The best teams make navigating the logistics of these projects look easy, but don’t be fooled – office space build-outs are highly complex and require your construction team to stay on top of numerous components all at once.

Below are a few important ones to watch out for during an office construction project:

• The building’s fire alarm and sprinkler systems – the last thing you want to do is set off the fire alarm during construction. To avoid this, it’s essential to understand the building and its fire alarm system before beginning any build-out. Your first step should be to identify the vendors who have worked in the building and engage them for the build first. They have priority over any competing vendors as they already know the building.

• The building’s HVAC and building management system (BMS) and controls – the building must be equipped with a mechanical system that recirculates air and has a fresh air intake to filter and clean the air. Moreover, certain tenants may require additional exhaust systems in their rooms. All of this must be assessed and analyzed in advance to ensure compliance with safety codes and regulations.

• The building’s rules – no two buildings are necessarily alike in terms of their rules for vendors or construction. You must be aware of them and plan around potentially restricted hours of operation. This could also include strategically planning your high-noise and high-impact work around any of the building’s restrictions.

• Existing operations from other units – to accurately plan the needs for your office space within a shared high-rise building, you must also know about the operations in other units. Don’t neglect this step in an effort to speed up your project, as it could have an impact on the design and construction of your project.

As you make plans for an office renovation or new construction project in South Florida, you’ll want an experienced team on your side. We can help. Give our team at Seacoast Construction a call at 786-433-8740.