When you’re looking to build your dental practice space, there are many things to consider. You need to find the right location, make your plans, find a company to help you, and allocate your budget. Once you have your plans, your timeline, and your financing, it’s important not to make mistakes that will kill your budget. The unexpected may happen, but it’s important to make sure you’ve done everything you can to stay on track.
Understanding Permit Timelines
Technically, permits themselves are not expensive, at least when factored into a construction budget. Permits can kill your dental construction budget because sometimes it can take longer than you expect to get them. Delays in getting permits can stall your project by months. Not only will you be making payments on a loan for a dormant office, your delay will cost you in lost income. Understanding all the red tape you’ll have to work through up front, making sure everything is correct, and working well with the right people can save you time and money.
Planning for Now, Not for the Future
One of the most frustrating mistakes you can make is to plan for where you are or were, and not for where you want to be. Finding that once your office is finished, it isn’t all you wanted it to be and you end up settling for something less can be very disappointing. When talking with the Architectural firm you’ll use for planning your project, it’s important to ask yourself questions. What growth do you want over the next five years? What specialties do you plan to incorporate? Do you have an associate, or will you want one? How many active patients do you have?
Ignoring ADA Compliance
The ADA compliance you need to follow is the Americans with Disabilities Act. Building ramps and lifts may be expensive, but it’s important to understand exactly what you’ll have to do from the beginning of your planning phase of your dental office construction project. Waiting until your permit gets denied or your office fails inspection because you aren’t ADA compliant will cost you extra time and extra money.
Choosing the Wrong Architectural Firm
Making the wrong choice for the company you work with on design can cost you. Many dental construction companies don’t have an Architect on staff. Finding a construction company that does can save a lot of time and money. Most of the time, you’ll find out well into your process that you need your own Architect, and often that’s not a cost that’s been budgeted for. Using a company that understands the need to have an Architect during the planning process can help avoid this unpleasant discovery.
In addition, choosing the wrong contractor can really set you back. Dental offices have their own unique needs, so choosing a contractor who specializes in dental office design can save you both time and money.
The unexpected can happen at some point during your dental office construction. But having the right Architectural firm to help you plan ahead can save you many headaches during the process. We’d like to help you plan, design, and build your new dental office. Contact us today!