Commercial Construction Management: A Quick Guide

Commercial Construction Management: A Quick Guide

Commercial construction management is the process of designing, renovating and building commercial structures. It involves everything from offices to retail shopping malls and medical centers. Commercial construction projects are awarded through a competition involving developers and contractors who submit proposal bids. Pricing for the commercial construction project is based on the size of the build, the budget and the scope of the project from design to breaking ground and completing the build. Value engineering is a process that looks at how to improve functionality and keep costs down and is often used to determine a more accurate, cost-effective plan.

Commercial and residential construction management are not the same, but they do share many similarities. For example, the materials used are often different, with residential homes usually framed in timber and larger commercial projects requiring steel frames. There are strict regulations in commercial construction regarding materials, techniques, electrical systems, plumbing and design. Construction budgets and costs are also different, with commercial projects being larger and more expensive than smaller residential builds. There are also general labor costs that can be more expensive than residential costs due to tight schedules, and the way that commercial and residential construction teams interact with their clients is different. Residential construction projects usually require working directly with an individual who will reside in the house when it's complete, while commercial projects involve stakeholders who work on commercial construction projects for a living.