A Build-Out Construction Project Manager Checklist
Build-out construction in commercial buildings is often executed for tenant improvements (TIs). This is where a landlord’s building space needs additional construction finishing before it is move-in ready for a new occupant. This can be a previously occupied commercial space for retro-fitting or a new construction space needing build out. Often the space can already be at a state of a vanilla box (or white box), where there are walls, HVAC, plumbing, doors, floors and more, but it’s not ready to occupant requirements for day-to-day business. So a construction manager or project manager is required to oversee construction finishing for build outs to finish and make the space move-in ready. So what can be found on a build-out construction project manager checklist? Here are some common essentials to reference and use for a build out:
- Doors - for example wood veneer building doors, architectural woodwork doors and frames, or plastic laminate building standard doors with mortised hardware
- Office fronts - for example glass office fronts with matching wood framing or no glass, full-height glass office fronts with aluminum framing
- Walls can be painted drywall, wallpaper covered drywall, acoustical fabric wall covering or even include architectural woodwork
- Custom fixtures can be completely optional, such as for accents or artwork displays
- Custom shelving or architectural accents can be additional options
- Ceilings - for example 2×2 fineline ceiling, standard 2×2 ceiling tiles, or more expensive drywall ceiling
- Electrical requirements are standard but today there are often requests for extra outlets, particularly for open-concept offices where electronic devices need to be plugged in everywhere
- Lights - for example LEDs, 2×4 recessed light fixtures, 18-cell parabolic lights, indirect cove lighting or other custom lighting fixtures
- Millwork is usually factory-made woodwork such as trim, flooring and even shelving. Millwork can be extensive and more costly throughout the office space or else very minimal (and consequently low cost) and even plastic laminate
- Flooring can be wood or laminate, tile, carpet (such as standard broadloom carpet) or even more custom
- Countertops can be millwork or stone
- Similar to electrical, there may be advanced networking requirements for offices to enable network plugging in where wi-fi isn’t enough
- Plumbing is standard however there can be desires for special plumbing fixtures
- Furniture is not usually supplied by the builders however it should be considered in the space planning - particularly regarding ventilation, plumbing, electrical, etc.
- In the Covid era for health, extra spacing requirements should be considered for office seating and staffing locations
- And of course HVAC is standard and expected in the build-out construction project manager checklist
