Selecting the right commercial builders for any business-related refurbishment, development, new build, or renovation can be complex. There are myriad considerations around timeframes, budgets, expertise and professional accreditations, alongside compliance with commercial building regulations.
2. Selecting the right commercial builders for any business-related
refurbishment, development, new build, or renovation can be complex.
There are myriad considerations around timeframes, budgets, expertise
and professional accreditations, alongside compliance with commercial
building regulations.
Safety and compliance are fundamental successful commercial
projects, whether you are constructing new office premises or wish to
upgrade your existing site. Working with skilled building contractors
with a proven track record in the commercial property development
industry can make a significant difference.
In this guide, the commercial master builders at Pinnacle
Works provide insights into how a property build or renovation works,
what to expect from your chosen contractors, and essential tips to
ensure your building work meets your requirements.
3. An Introduction to Commercial Building Services
One of the first aspects of beginning any commercial building
project is to ensure the professionals and contractors you
collaborate with have expertise in the full range of services and
building techniques necessary.
Residential and commercial building projects vary considerably,
and an experienced company with a comprehensive
understanding of the regulatory frameworks and building
standards will be a valuable partner.
Crucially, commercial builders operating to high standards of
professionalism can offer advice, planning assistance and
guidance as you navigate the process, including:
4. Help with identifying the range of commercial services required
to meet your brief, from groundwork to traffic rerouting, project
budgeting, liaising with local authorities to secure the necessary
permissions, and monitoring progress.
Communication with architectural services providers, working
through your detailed construction plans and technical drawings
to identify potential cost savings, efficiencies or challenges.
Analysing the applicable regulations and safety standards, which
are essential to ensure any commercial construction is
compliant, approved by the local inspection team, and adheres
to best practices.
5. We will discuss standards shortly, but this is an important
element.
The relevant regulations will depend on the nature of your
commercial construction, with specific requirements related to
industrial sites, commercial new builds in the city and
commercial medical facilities, as a few examples.
Our dedicated commercial building team can provide further
advice on request if you would like independent support with
planning your construction services.
6. Types of Commercial Building Projects
The scope of commercial refurbishment services is vast, and the
right building contractor will differ with the nature of the premises or
the type of building work involved.
UK commercial building projects could comprise:
New builds – constructing offices, retail spaces, storage facilities,
industrial warehousing and manufacturing sites, automotive buildings,
hotels, and catering builds for restaurants.
Building repairs and renovation services – addressing structural
defects, renovating tired properties, restoring commercial sites, and
upgrading the current style of newly acquired facilities.
Property Extensions and additions – in the same way homeowners
opt for loft conversions to increase their usable space, businesses often
look to maximise their operating capacity by adding new storeys or
expanding their premises outward.
7. Business clients might require anything from small to medium
refurbishments to improve the value of their property assets to full-
scale renovations and new constructions, each of which commands a
different range of commercial skills and knowledge.
The Importance of Planning and Design in
Commercial Construction
Every great commercial building project begins with detailed
specifications, budgeting, research and site selection. The planning
phase directly impacts the success of any building scheme.
As a reputable commercial renovation expert, Pinnacle Works invests
as much time and energy into your design and planning as necessary to
ensure you have a thorough understanding of the resources required,
costs and other aspects of your building project to proceed with
confidence.
8. Before we undertake any commercial projects, we assign one of our
accomplished project managers to liaise with our commercial clients to
understand the following:
The core objectives, in terms of budgeting, deadlines, aesthetics, and
functionality.
Your expectations from your new or renovated commercial space.
The current stage of the project – whether you have appointed
architects and engineers, need assistance securing permits
and planning permission approvals, or would like us to collaborate with
third parties to keep things moving forward.
Thorough planning is vital, allowing our team to identify possible
issues or delays, recommend approaches or techniques, and ensure all
the work is properly scheduled, monitored and overseen by capable
commercial building managers.
9. Incorporating Project Management Into Commercial Building Work
We’ve touched on project management, another all-important part of
our building services. Following the planning and design stages, when
we proceed to implementation, Pinnacle Works provides ongoing
project management, which ensures our clients have the assurance of
robust site controls.
Commercial buildings must comply with standards, building
regulations and quality requirements.
An experienced project manager represents your interests and deals
with a wide range of tasks, including:
Budgetary control – ensuring work is completed on time, to your
specification, and within budget, often signing off each phase before
the next can begin.
10. Liaison – project managers keep in close contact with clients,
architects, building inspectors, subcontractors, estate agents and
other stakeholders to ensure every party is up to speed.
Scheduling – the complexity of a large-scale project means that
several professionals may need to work to carefully planned
schedules, from groundwork, electrical, plumbing and joinery
services to commercial interior design teams.
Quality assurance – your project manager is responsible for
ensuring your building work meets the right quality
benchmarks, from checking every tradesperson on site is fully
insured to assessing whether each completed phase matches
your expectations.
11. One of the great features of working with the commercial builders at
Pinnacle Works is that we have an in-house team, from plastering and
decorating to project managers, interior design specialists to expert
tradespeople, providing a streamlined service from end to end.
Selecting Appropriate Construction Techniques and
Materials
Commercial building plans are highly detailed and include structural
engineering calculations that may dictate the materials required or
how your site is developed.
For example, commercial building projects where the property needs
to bear heavy loads – such as having an overhead crane – will require
higher-grade materials, often steel, which have the requisite yield
strength. In contrast, offices may require lower-grade support, thus
reducing costs.
12. Building engineers and designers assess factors such as the compression,
tension and load exerted on each part of the building to identify the most
suitable materials, gauges, dimensions and placements.
However, an experienced commercial building team will also be able to
offer recommendations to maximise your value for money, including:
Sourcing and availability – where a specific material is scarce, in high
demand, or subject to rising prices, it may be more affordable to select an
alternative with the same performance features but a lower cost and less
likelihood of delays.
Durability – materials with excellent longevity that are well suited to the
climate and purpose of your commercial building require less
maintenance, will last longer, and maintain their aesthetic appearance.
13. Materials such as steel framing and precast concrete are most
prevalent in commercial builds. Still, you may be able to reduce your
costs or expedite construction by making informed decisions based on
the most available and affordable options.
Businesses may also wish to prioritise sustainability, using energy-
efficient working programmes, locally sourced materials and low-
carbon equipment and tooling – this can be particularly important for
commercial developments with a funding or grant element related to
sustainability, low energy consumption or the redevelopment of
brownfield sites.
14. Commercial Construction Safety and Regulations
Safety regulations vary depending on the location, type and nature of
your project and the materials being used.
The primary UK regulations relevant to commercial building projects
include:
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002 (COSHH)
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Working at Height Regulations 2005
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Health and Safety (Consultation With Employees) Regulations 1996
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
15. Pinnacle Works is fully versed in these, and all other regulations
imposed by the Health and Safety Executive and ensures compliance at
every phase of your project.
Commercial builders often have additional considerations from
residential construction teams, with the need to ensure work sites are
safe, do not pose a public health hazard or safety risk, and are well
managed for tradespeople, inspectors, and contractors.
One of the core requirements when selecting any commercial builder
should be to ensure they have a complete understanding of all
legislation and regulations and can recommend efficient strategies to
achieve the required outcomes in adherence with best practices.
16. Challenges and Opportunities in the Commercial Building Sector
The challenges facing commercial construction have been well
publicised, where Brexit prompted shortages in skilled labour, and
post-pandemic material scarcity and global inflation have meant that
some raw commodities and resources have been harder to find, slower
to source, and more expensive to purchase.
However, our approach is always to embrace innovation and look for
opportunities to add value and efficiency to the way we operate.
Sustainability and low-energy consumption buildings are growing
significantly in demand as businesses seek to invest in premises that
are future-proof, low-cost to run and meet future zero-carbon
production targets ahead of schedule.
Technological solutions such as blueprint modelling and simulations
can assist and expedite planning, cloud-based project reporting
provides always-on communications, and smart infrastructure
monitoring systems can identify potential deficiencies automatically to
improve safety and reduce risk.
17. If you would like to explore ways to improve the sustainability or
energy consumption of your building or discuss options to reduce the
carbon output associated with your planned commercial build, please
get in touch with Pinnacle Works at any time.
Our full-service commercial teams are always happy to assist, whether
you’d like to begin work on a new office construction project, need to
cost out a potential commercial renovation, or wish to understand all
the options available.
Original URL : - https://pinnacleworks.co.uk/commercial-builders-
safety-standards/
