Planning a Retail Renovation Budget

planning retail renovation budget - headwaters construction

planning retail renovation budget - headwaters constructionRetail renovation is an important activity for anyone running a retail store. Renovations allow you to fix, replace, or simply improve the face of your retail store. This makes it easy for your customers to relate to your store and enjoy the shopping experience. 

While renovations are an important part of your business cycle, they require money. As a store owner, it is important to have the right budget before embarking on any renovations. This prevents you from getting stuck in the middle and having an unfinished store. 

Here are some of the things you need to know when planning your retail renovation budget. 

Design 

Design, or more specifically redesigning your store, can cost you anything from a few thousand dollars to a whole lot more. The more extensive the redesigning process, the more money you are likely to spend. 

Additionally, if you plan on hiring a designer, make sure to set aside at least 20% of your entire budget as their fee. You can choose to perform slight design changes such as changing fixtures and repositioning certain items around your store to save on costs.

Flooring and Ceiling  

Flooring and Ceiling are likely to be your landlord’s responsibility. Your lease should have detailed information on who is responsible for flooring and ceilings between you and your landlord. 

However, if you are planning to add any cosmetics on the floors to match the mood of your store, you will incur costs. 

Plumbing 

This mostly pertains to the bathroom. 

Does your store have a bathroom? 

If no, does it require one? 

If yes, do you need to change the position of the bathroom? 

You are likely to spend less money if you have a bathroom and do not need to move it. In this case, a fresh coat of paint will do. If you need to add a bathroom or move it to a better position perhaps for the benefit of you and your customers, then you will incur greater costs. 

Set aside some money to hire different professionals such as a structural engineer and plumber to make sure that your bathroom is made or moved the way you want. You can also employ the services of a commercial renovator to handle everything for you. 

Electrical 

This is yet another avenue where your expenditure depends on your preferences. If your retail renovation involves altering the lighting structure and making additions for more intricate lighting to fit the mood of your store, then prepare to spend more money. 

You can cut costs by using existing wiring and fixtures. However, this might not work in all instances as some stores need specific lighting. Finally, take into account any power load increase that will happen after the renovation. This is likely to be caused by the addition of more equipment using more power in your store. 

Millwork

This entails any woodwork such as doors, flooring, wall paneling, crown molding, etc. The material, quantity, and space required for your millwork will determine how much money you spend on your renovations. The more intricate and detailed the designs, the more time and money you are likely to spend on renovations. 

Now that you know what you need when planning a retail renovation budget, you can take the next step. Retail renovation is a great step towards making your store look better. Make sure to involve a general contractor or commercial construction company like Headwaters Construction Inc. for professional services.

How to Keep Your Commercial Buildings Secure Over the Holidays

How to keep your commercial construction company safe during the holidays - Headwaters Construction Inc

How to keep your commercial construction company safe during the holidays - Headwaters Construction IncHolidays come with a flurry of activity. Among the things that are likely to happen during this coming holiday season are long-awaited vacations, evening dinners, retreats and activities that might keep you, your tenants, or colleagues away from your commercial building.

These activities tend to leave commercial establishments unmanned for the better part of the season making them easy targets for criminals to steal or vandalize your property. The last thing you want as a building owner is to have to incur expenses as a result of mindless crimes.  

It is possible to keep your building safe during the holiday season by employing some security measures which guarantee the safety of your property. Here are some of the measures Headwaters Construction Inc. recommends you take. 

Alarm Systems for Your Commercial Building

Alarm systems are ideal because they discourage crime. Criminals are less likely to attempt and break into or vandalize your building if they notice a high tech alarm system. 

Modern alarm systems also come with monitoring devices which make it easier for commercial building owners to secure and monitor their premises. Alarm systems can also be used to alert local authorities during a breach without the intruders knowing it. 

Cameras for Your Commercial Property

Cameras are an important asset to have around your building because they play a role in stopping and, or recording crime. A thief or vandal might feel discouraged from committing their crime(s) if they know that the property is under surveillance. 

Some security cameras also come with additional features such as motion sensors. You’ll get an alert as soon as someone is there. Others allow you to monitor your building in real-time. 

Cameras can either be hidden or visible depending on a number of factors. Hidden cameras might not discourage criminal but they will record and store footage of intruders. Specialized Audio & Video, a residential and commercial security system company in Sacramento, says that it’s common practice for any business owner or homeowner to have a security system setup. There are far more benefits of security cameras than there are cons. 

You Need High-Security Locks for Your Business

You don’t want to finish a commercial construction project with your general contractor and then end up with your property vandalized. We recommend high-security locks for your property. Conventional locks are no longer able to keep most intruders out of your buildings. Technology allows them to access your building easily and, at times, without you even noticing it. 

Technology has also allowed the creation of high-security locks that can stop these modern criminals. These tend to use keycards, codes, biometric scanners, and the likes to deter criminals from accessing your building. High-security locks are an ideal solution at stopping low tech crimes. 

Employ Additional Security to Protect Your Assets

It doesn’t hurt to have additional security on your premises. You can source services from security companies who will then provide you with additional personnel to man your building. One benefit of human security is that they provide real-time footage. So, you can count on your building to remain safe at all times. 

You do not need to physically man your building to ensure that criminals do not take advantage of you or your tenants. It is possible to use any or all of these security measures to keep your building safe. By employing these measures, you can rest assured that your building will remain safe at all times and enjoy a well-deserved holiday season. If you have any questions regarding your commercial property, contact Headwaters Construction Inc. today. 

How Drones Are Improving the Construction Industry

how drones are improving the construction industry - headwaters construction

how drones are improving the construction industry - headwaters constructionDrones have been an important addition to technology for decades. Up until 2006, drones were only used for military purposes. However, 2006 saw the first commercial drone license issued. Since then, people have been using drones in a wide range of areas to provide real-time data. 

Commercial construction companies have taken up drones and are increasingly using them to carry out different functions. These special drones are equipped with special cameras and software to help them collect the kind of data that helps them make better decisions regarding construction. Construction companies use drones to work faster and produce better results. 

Here are some of the ways in which drones are improving the construction industry. 

Aerial Data Collection

This is the most important reason why drones are important in the construction industry. Drones provide a bird’s eye view to different terrains. They provide more accurate data and in a shorter period of time. Using drones equipped with the right software allows construction companies to make more accurate calculations for the area, volume, and distance during different stages of construction. Many companies use drones for their tilt-up construction projects.

Drones Improve Communication and Management

Commercial builders are better able to communicate and manage workers through drone technology. These drones are equipped with cameras that provide real-time video feedback for communication and surveillance purposes. This has helped increase efficiency at the job site by a considerable margin. Drones also make it easier to manage different construction sites at the same time. 

Drones Help Improve Security 

Today, drones are revolutionizing how commercial construction companies are dealing with incidences such as theft and vandalism. Drones used for security purposes are able to perform actions that ground-mounted cameras are not able to, such as tracking moving subjects using laser technology and covering areas that are out of reach. They are easy to maneuver and more flexible. 

Efficient Transportation 

It is now easier to transport time-sensitive materials from one point to another using drones. Many commercial construction companies enjoy this perk. Since drones do not have to deal with regular traffic or adhere to traffic rules, they can easily be used to transport material using half the time and resources. 

Marketing and Promotion

Drones have improved how construction companies market and promote their work. It is now possible to film aerial shots of different areas during various stages of development, create and develop 3D renderings, videos, and pictures to provide multiple angles for better visualization. 

This has allowed contractors to help clients see the viability of different projects. Drones are also helping contractors show job progress to clients.

Safety and Insurance

One of the reasons why commercial construction requires high safety standards is for insurance purposes. With the rising cost of insurance for such projects, drones are making it easier to inspect safety procedures in job sites. It is also possible to determine the quality of work and avert accidents in a timely fashion. 

Drones are revolutionizing the commercial construction industry. For more information, advice on how to make your construction stand out, contact Headwaters Construction Inc. and enjoy our professional service.

Commercial Construction Loan: Everything You Need to Know

commercial construction loan - everything you need to know headwaters

commercial construction loan - everything you need to know headwatersCommercial construction is an expensive venture. Whether you are in the business of setting up commercial buildings or are merely looking to have a building for your business, you will incur high costs throughout the construction period. 

It is common for people and businesses to result in taking up loans to finance these projects. After all, not many have the kind of money that would facilitate a whole construction lying around. Banks and lending institutions are usually more than ready to lend deserving parties in the form of commercial construction loans.

A commercial construction loan is a loan you receive to finance the construction or renovation of a commercial building. 

Whether you are a business or individual looking to get into commercial construction, it is important to understand the kinks involved in commercial construction loans and how they work. 

Commercial Construction Guide 

Unlike other loans, your lender will not provide the full amount in one lump sum. Instead, money is disbursed in partial amounts according to the draw schedule decided upon by you and your lender. This draw schedule involves a pre-arranged milestone system. For example, you will receive money for land development, laying the foundation, etc. 

Each time you hit a milestone, your lender will involve an inspector to confirm that the work meets the requirements before releasing more money for the next milestone. This goes on until the full amount is released. 

When it comes to paying interest for the loan, you will only pay interest for the amount disbursed. For example, if you are taking a $1 million loan, and the lender has only managed to provide you with $500K, you will only pay interest for the $500K. This way, you will only pay interest until the whole amount if disbursed. 

Borrowers can then pay the principal amount in a lump sum once the construction of the project is complete. 

Construction Loan Payment 

The borrower does not have to make one large payment for commercial construction loans. Instead, they can receive a commercial mortgage from the lender, turning the already completed property into collateral. 

You can then use the amount received from the mortgage to pay off the loan before embarking on making more favorable monthly payments. The payments can also be spread over a long period of time. 

Fees and Interest Rates

You are likely to encounter a number of fees before getting your commercial construction loan. They include: 

  • Guarantee fees 
  • Processing fees 
  • Documentation fees 
  • Project Review Fees 
  • Fund Control Fees 

You will also be required to pay a down payment of about 10% -30% of the total project cost. This alleviates some of the risks the lender is bound to undertake.

Interest rates range between 4-12% depending on your credit score. The better your credit score is, the lower the interest rates you will be charged. The kind of lender you work with will also determine how much interest you pay. Banks tend to charge lower rates than other lenders.

Types of Commercial Construction Loans 

There are different types of commercial construction loans. They include: 

  • SBA CDC/504 Loan Program (Small Business Administration (SBA) CDC/504 loan). These loans are most popular because they come with low down payments, low-interest rates, and favorable credit score requirements. 
  • SBA 7(a) Loan Program- These loans are ideal for buying or constructing real estate. Borrowers can get up to $5 million with a repayment period of up to 25 years. 
  • Bank Loans- Bank loans require that one pays a minimum down payment of 10% and can provide you with a maximum payment period of 25 years. Borrowers can also get fixed and variable rates. 
  • Mezzanine Loans- This loan is a type of loan that is usually secured with stock. 

If you are looking for a commercial construction company, look no further than Headwaters Construction Inc. We offer professional construction consulting and planning, general contracting, building or property maintenance, and tilt-up construction.