How Long Does It Take To Build a Commercial Building?
For many commercial building projects these days, labor costs account for between one-fifth and nearly half of the total budget. The longer that construction takes, the more contractors and subcontractors typically charge. To make smart business decisions for new construction or build-outs, you need to know how long it takes to build a commercial building.
The Average Length of Time for Commercial Building Projects
In general, commercial buildings take from four months to a year and a half to complete. Countless details can affect a project’s timeline, including materials shortages and delivery delays. A 10,000 square-foot commercial building usually takes contractors about six months to build.
Shops and Retail Locations: 4 to 6 Months
Smaller stores can be ready to go in six months or less. These projects are typically less complicated, mainly consisting of open space and aisle dividers. If you use a prefab building model or work with a standardized design, this type of project can go even faster.
Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, and Automotive Repair Centers: 4 to 12 Months
Simple gas stations can be completed more quickly than fully equipped service stations with convenience stores. In addition to having rows of refrigeration equipment, many C-stores also offer food, which adds to equipment ordering and installation times. How long construction projects take for automotive repair centers depends on the design and the number of bays.
Cafes and Restaurants: 4 to 12 Months
Construction projects for restaurants, cafes, and fast-food locations tend to be on the shorter side, especially if you already own a parcel of land.
If you’re building a franchised quick-service restaurant, the time to your Grand Opening depends heavily on the franchisor’s building specs and support. Some franchisors get new locations up and running in several months, and others drag things out for a year.
Medical, Dental, and Chiropractic Offices: 4 to 8 months
The specifics depend on the size of the clinic, but many dental and medical practices can be completed in about six months. The more exam or treatment rooms contractors have to build, the longer the project takes.
Office buildings: 8 to 18 Months
Not only do office buildings usually have multiple floors, but many also require internal walls, plumbing, and electrical connections for offices and restrooms. The added size and complexity add to the project length significantly.
Warehouses: 4 to 6 months
Even though warehouses have a large size in square feet, they’re generally simple to build. The rise of prefab construction and steel buildings has sped up warehouse completion times even more.
Keep in mind that fully insulated storage facilities or cold-storage warehouses with refrigeration equipment take much longer to build. Depending on the size of the space, these projects can take from 8 to 12 months on average.
Strip Malls, Grocery Stores, and Neighborhood Shopping Malls: 6 to 12 Months
Construction for grocery stores and local shopping malls doesn’t take as long as you may think. Some have been built from the ground up in a few months.
Modular building construction is growing in popularity for outdoor shopping plazas. This approach can cut build times by three months or more.
Outlet Malls and Regional Shopping Centers: 12 to 30 Months
Shopping centers with several anchor stores, multiple floors, and dozens of smaller retail spaces require a long time to complete. Not only do they have more complex permitting requirements, but the materials and finishings must be picture-perfect. Parking garages and cinemas add even more time.
Data Centers, Factories, and Industrial Buildings: 12 to 24 Months
Delivery of large-scale industrial factories can vary widely by industry. The sheer scale of these buildings requires a larger project.
Operational complexity also has a large effect on timelines, from requiring thick concrete slabs and reinforced columns to long design phases and detailed assembly line layouts. Coordinating many different subcontractors and equipment companies can add weeks or months to the project.
Factors That Affect How Long It Takes To Build a Commercial Building
Many elements of a project affect the average construction time for a commercial building. By identifying likely bottlenecks, you can reduce your time to market. Some of the most common delays come from:
- Permits: City and county bureaucracy can be difficult to navigate, and some permits have complex requirements.
- Complexity: Complex layouts, materials, finishes, HVAC systems, or operational specifications take longer than straightforward building designs that contractors have worked with dozens of times.
- Customization: Customized building design elements add to construction time, especially when compared to prefab and modular construction.
- Materials: With concrete buildings, it takes a long time to prepare site areas, reinforce the framework, pour concrete, and wait for the material to cure. Metal building construction is significantly faster.
- Location and weather: Excessive heat, rain, and unexpected frost can pause or slow down construction projects. Concrete buildings are especially susceptible to these obstacles, and some areas of the U.S. are more prone to temperature variations or intense storms.
- Changes: Making modifications to the agreed-upon plans, expanding the scope of the project, or going with a different equipment supplier can set construction back by months.
Partnering with a contractor that handles both design and construction can streamline project planning and execution. Contractor experience also makes a large difference for meeting your design specs accurately from the beginning.
The Advantages of Modular Construction for Commercial Businesses
For many businesses, function is more important than form. Keeping costs and construction times down helps your business build towards profitability more quickly.
Modular construction is an excellent solution for QSR locations, retailers, pop-up stores, service businesses, warehouses, and data centers. You get the design flexibility necessary to meet your operating requirements, combined with the speed of preformed building materials and standardized construction processes.
For many applications, a modular approach can reduce construction times by 20% to 40%. Earlier sales growth can help you get the working capital necessary for continued improvements.
How Long Does It Take To Build a Commercial Building With Modular Materials?
The amount of time needed for building construction depends on the size, shape, and specifications for your project, but modular approaches are always faster, from the design phase to installation. At Roxbox, our controlled production process delivers high quality and speed. Tell us about your commercial construction project we can provide a clear timeline.