Construction is a necessary part of participating in commerce, even to those who may not take part in the construction effort itself. Having a place to conduct business is a major part of the process of starting a business, and construction is an industry in and of itself for that reason. Construction of commercial buildings is often incredibly involved, however, and sports some of the most demanding jobs to show for it. Here’s what you need to know about the construction of commercial buildings.

The Scope of Construction

Commercial buildings are typically quite large, skyscrapers springing to mind as the platonic ideal for this kind of building. Skyscrapers are heavily associated with black and white images of workers sitting atop the exposed girders of incomplete skyscrapers around the turn of the century, so you’ve likely had some exposure to the sheer size of these structures and the relative danger of constructing such buildings. While one could theoretically build a modest home with their bare hands, skyscrapers and other commercial buildings typically require a bit more muscle, so to speak. Search “Washington rigging” and you’ll quickly get an idea of the type of machinery required to assemble these large structures, and it’s worth reiterating that they are often built with steel girders as supports, as opposed to the lumber associated with carpentry.The gargantuan structures therefore require a foundation of bedrock, rather than concrete.  Skyscrapers can take up to five years as a result of their size, and they require a substantial team of workers to maintain even that lengthy estimate. The average cost of a New York skyscraper can cost $15-20 million per floor.

Permits and Licenses

Construction is a risky business. This is true of even small scale construction such as carpentry and masonry, but commercial construction is even more so. Therefore, numerous regulations are in place to keep the workers and nearby citizens safe during this dangerous but necessary task. For starters, construction can only commence once a permit has been obtained, as this marks an arrangement between the construction company and the municipality involved that ensures that ample safety measures can be put into place that keep the construction site as safe as possible. Likewise, it gives all parties involved the time and the ability to make the public aware of construction, which may in turn affect the quality of life of surrounding businesses and may negatively affect the flow of traffic at times. Likewise, construction presents a new place of origin for vehicles that can create traffic complications without proper signposting. On site safety is its own can of worms, however.

Safety Regulations

There are numerous safety measures put into place at construction sites, because there are just as many potential hazards that need to be taken into consideration in order to ensure the well being of everyone involved. There are federally mandated safety regulations in place via OSHA that place steep penalties on failure to comply. The fines associated with these regulations are a sore spot for some, but they accomplish their end goal of protecting workers in this dangerous field from negligence as a result of trying to cut costs by cutting corners. Despite federal regulations, there are also industry regulations that apply more specifically to construction, whereas OSHA regulations apply to all hazardous occupations. Many of the safety regulations in place have to do with situational and spatial awareness, as these two factors are both extremely important to on site safety while simultaneously being impaired by the busy atmosphere and the extremely loud sounds of construction equipment.
Constructing a commercial building is an endeavor that is costly, time consuming, labor intensive, and dangerous. However, it simply must be done, and there are systems in place to ensure that everything goes as intended to provide the best end result for as many people and businesses as possible. This guide will give you an idea of what commercial construction entails and prepare you for your first project.