DBG Construction Archives - DBG Construction

Preparing for Inclement Weather

Jan 25, 2017 | DBG Construction, Starting a Construction Project

While the height of construction season is around the corner, there are still the remaining months of Winter and the upcoming rainstorms and tornadoes of Spring.

Mother nature gives us beautiful, sunny days, but she’s also unpredictable. When it comes to executing a construction project, weather is one of the most notorious factors that causes unpredictability and inhibits progress on the construction site.

For those of you beginning projects during these seasons, our team of pre-construction and project management professionals compiled a few pointers to avoid unwanted delays and unplanned cost increases:

Assess the weather conditions in the project location.
Before beginning any construction project, our team researches and identifies possible weather delays. They explore the climate of your project’s location and find the most common weather patterns in the area. More importantly, you will learn how impending inclement weather may run affect the projected timeline.
Make recommendations and adjustments given weather trends.
Depending on your company’s timeline and needs, we may suggest making changes to the project’s start date in order to minimize weather-related risks. Time is often an uncalculated cost in construction. At DBG, we understand that avoiding delays means your business opens and becomes operational, earning returns on your investment as soon as possible.
Plan on-site fixes for anticipated weather challenges.
If you’re planning to begin construction during rainy season, for example, our team will recommend incorporating specific types of equipment – such as plastic sheets and storm drains – and develop flooding contingencies for your construction site. The overall costs of extra equipment and exigency panning are less than being caught unprepared by an onslaught of weather conditions.
Create a realistic budget and timeline considering common weather patterns.
Our team develops a projected schedule accounting for probable weather-related delays, and how long these delays could last in your area and time of year. With our 10 years’ of experience as a general contractor, we predict how much these weather patterns may affect your projects progress; we create a timeline that takes realistic weather projections into consideration and develop a budget that is prepared for whatever the weather brings.

Although we can’t control mother nature, we have an impeccable record when it comes to dealing with the unexpected and delivering projects with quality in timely fashion.

A League of Their Own

Sep 28, 2016 | DBG Construction, Reasons to Use a General Contractor

Reasons to Not Be Your Own General Contractor

Maybe there’s no crying in baseball, but tears are shed in construction. Don’t get in over your head by assuming you know the ins and outs of commercial development, and don’t be your own General Contractor! Commercial projects require scheduling precision, hardball deadlines, and sizable risk. Here are some, but not nearly all, considerations that are crucial in commercial building projects:

1. Pre-construction Meetings:

An ace commercial construction firm knows how to ask the right questions to meld a client’s concept and a designer’s ideas into a finished project, so everyone involved is happy with the results. Pre-construction meetings set up the command center for the subs, so they don’t get in each other’s way. To manage architects, designers, engineers, subcontractors, and building supply vendors takes incredible coordination.

2. Identifying The Right Trade Contractors:

Trade contractors picked solely on low-ball bids show their incompetence on the job. You don’t need greasy footprints on newly installed carpeting after they showed up two hours late. Notice the game plan of a good commercial contractor managing a team of excavators, masons, framers, drywallers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, carpet layers, painters, landscapers, and roofers they know and trust. They’ll bat 1.000 on a project.

3. Budgeting:

A commercial contractor will set up a construction budget jointly with the chosen designer to integrate the initial stages of a project. Later, if building supply vendors become problematic or if any unexpected cost surprises pop up initiating a change order, your commercial contractor can suggest alternate materials and adjust another phase of the project. Controls are in place throughout the project to assure a predictable outcome at completion.

4. Facility Maintenance:

Some commercial contractors provide comprehensive facility maintenance services. Who better to fix it than the builder who installed it in the first place? If a general contractor offers facility maintenance and repairs, then the client has no need to search for technicians when something goes awry. Scheduled maintenance for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roof, and fire protection need checking annually, in some cases quarterly, to keep a lid on maintenance costs. As an example, your commercial contractor can come in before a commercial kitchen inspection and address any maintenance issues for an A+ rating. DBG Construction provides its own facility maintenance firm, handling multi-trade repairs and even small renovations to keep clients’ buildings safe and operational.

5. Check Credentials:

Remember, professionals you hire must have completed their education and acquired the proper credentials to earn your trust. Your cardiologist has a Doctor of Medicine degree, your accountant has earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance, and you want to make sure if you have to appear in court that your attorney has passed the bar exam! The alternatives, performing heart surgery on a family member, taking a chance on being your own financial advisor or representing yourself in court would be ludicrous.

In essence, you’ll want your builder to know the nuts and bolts of the profession with a portfolio of successful projects and proven experience – an assurance of excellence. When an investment in a commercial building is right for you, save the hammer for hanging pictures and call an accredited commercial contractor.

Sold on our pitch yet? Contact DBG Construction to discuss your next commercial project. We’ll hit it out of the park.

Conserving Construction Cash

Sep 19, 2016 | DBG Construction, On Budget Construction

Tips to Save Money on Your Next Construction Project

Price tags for construction project have a dangerous tendency to run high. Whether the work requires renovation or ground-up construction, expensive costs can be hard to avoid. So what are some tips to save money on construction projects? To provide you with effective, real-life advice, we consulted our firm’s professionals.

DBG Construction’s experts pull from nearly 200 years of combined experience in the construction industry. When asked how they would encourage clients to save money, these were their responses:

Conduct Thorough Price Comparisons

Shop around for the best price and the best services. You’ll save money by holding off on the first offer or the first cost. Invest a little extra time and effort into research until you find the best deal for your money and expectations.

Renovation vs. Ground-up Construction

Consider restoring or renovating an already existing property. Warehouse conversions, build-outs, or remodels are sometimes cost-effective alternatives to ground-up construction. You avoid expensive concrete costs and shorten your project’s timeline, enabling your business to open sooner.

Building Space and Efficiency

More space means more money. Consider your project’s size and determine what elements are and are not necessary. This is particularly important for businesses who are looking to cut-costs by using smaller spaces efficiently.

Business Growth Plan

Have a long-term business growth plan. Company growth is a critical consideration for any company – especially when considering building space. Develop a trajectory of your business growth and share projected growth percentages with your GC and project architect. They will be able to implement a versatile design that accommodates your current and future needs, without tacking on excessive costs.

Details and Vision

Identify the level of finish you want. You have that mental image of how your space will look upon completion. Discuss the details of that vision with your general contractor. They should be able to recommend the best choices or cost-effective alternatives to accomplish the level of finish your project deserves. It saves you time and money to know your options from the beginning.

Building the Wow Factor

Determine your businesses wow-factors. Every business has an aspect of their building that they use to catch potential clients’ attention and draw customers in. It can be an elaborate entryway, a luxury lobby, a critical industrial structure, or vibrant office space for your team. Whatever it is, make sure your general contractor knows how to properly and effectively emphasize your wow-factor.

Efficiency of Eco-Friendly

Take efficiency into account. Go green with eco-friendly options. Find a general contractor that can balance the concerns of economy, environment, utility, durability, and comfort. Water and energy efficient amenities will reduce excessive consumption and you save money in the long run.

Get Started in the Off-Season

Start the project during the off-season. You won’t only save money, you’ll have more one-on-one quality service from your contractors because they will have more time.

Plan Ahead

Go over the project schedule and to-do list line by line. Get rid of any unnecessary or excessive expenditures and/or things that you don’t really want. A reputable general contractor will help you value engineer the finishes to meet both expectations and budget.

Organization is Key

Stay organized throughout the entire project. From paperwork to the budget and from supplies to workers, stay organized. You should work with a general contractor that assists you with robust project cost accounting and construction management software. You have the right to know when and where your money is going at every step of the project’s development.

Knowledge is Power

Use wisdom. Know when to save and know when to spend. Some costs are better left for a later project.

So if you have a project that needs building or if you have questions about how we can help you save a buck, contact us! We’d love to help you build your savings and maybe even something else!

Saving Money on Your Next Construction Project

Sep 12, 2016 | DBG Construction, On Budget Construction

Two Tips to Save Money on Your Next Construction Project

Construction Projects are an exciting time for commercial properties, whether a new building constructed from the ground up, or a major renovation of an existing establishment. Here are the two best tips to save money on your next construction project:

1. Bigger Doesn’t Always Mean Better

Once you know exactly what you would like to build or renovate, meet with a contractor to have them examine your plans for inconsistencies or improvements. For a credible source, choose a contractor that is reputable, insured, has the proper licenses and certifications; and, more importantly, will provide detailed examples of their past projects.

You can save money by choosing a contractor that meets all of your fundamental criteria, but specializes in middle tier project size and value. This way, you still receive quality construction work without the excessive cost.

2. Know Your Budget

Decide on your maximum budget and discuss it in detail with your contractor.

As a general contractor, it is our goal to help you prioritize the essentials and assist with cost-effective redesigns if needed. This approach helps ensure that you are happy with both the physical and financial results of your project. As with every large endeavor, however, keep in mind that unforeseen circumstances may potentially increase your overall project cost; so discuss contingency plans and a buffer amount set within your budget with your contractor.

Keep these two money-saving tips in mind when you are selecting a commercial contractor for your next development or renovation. Choose contractor that is in tune with your needs and expectations to result in a project that is delivered promptly and cost-effectively.

Considering a commercial construction project? Let our experts help! Contact us to tell us more about your project.

Details Matter Blog: Welcome

Apr 22, 2016 | DBG Construction

Welcome to the new DBG Construction blog page! We are excited about launching this blog as it coincides with relaunching our new DBG website.

In the Details Matter Blog, we’ll share our experience and information about what we enjoy most: helping you bring life and vision to your projects. Our purpose is to setup for success, ensuring that every person involved in a project is successful: clients, architects, subcontractors, business-owners, developers, and staff alike. Our mission is to delight our customers by bringing teams together to build projects faster than any other general contractor.

Here is what information you can expect to learn from the Details Matter Blog:

We’ll share information to consider when making space decisions for a new or existing business/commercial property.
We’ll share an optimal timeline for locating new space and making renovations to meet your expected move-in date.
We’ll introduce you to key people who make DBG Construction different.
Look out for tips on how to save money when building and get the space you dreamed of for less.
We will answer your questions about how to effectively plan before beginning a project and what you should expect.

Who can benefit from reading?

Architects – find out how we can partner with you and gain your expertise on projects since we do not have an architect in-house.
Business Owners – learn when the time is right for leasing vs. buying and what the difference is between negotiated bid vs. competitive bid.
Commercial Relators & Developers – get help with sourcing investors, financing, design, tenant improvements, and facility maintenance.

Rules of Engagement

We invite you to join in on the conversation as we explore how to bring your construction project dreams to life. To create the most informative forum for discussion, we invite you to contact us through our contact page or email us your feedback here.

Thank you for reading, visiting, and contributing. We’re excited to have you here!

Click here to contact us for more information.