In our previous article on this subject we covered the following:

Do some research before you purchase property. A Civil Engineer/Surveying firm can tell you:

• How many s.f. of the lot can be dedicated to the actual building size.
• Environmental issues.
• Utility locations.
• Required traffic control improvements.

When hiring a building design firm:

• Choose a design firm appropriate to the size of your project.
• Obtain a written proposal and ask about additional fees that might not be included.
• Have a design firm that specializes in orthodontics office design as a project consultant.

In this article we will outline cost saving tips for selecting a contractor.

There are two basic ways of selecting a contractor:

Negotiated Bid:

This means that you have preselected a contractor and will negotiate the building costs with this one firm. This requires a lot of trust on your part. This may be the only option you have if you absolutely do not have time to go through with the bidding process, which takes 2-3 weeks.

Four ways to control costs in a negotiated bid process.

• Do some research to find out what is the average construction cost per square foot in your area for dental and medical spaces. We have found construction costs to run between $100 to $110 per s.f. in the Pacific N.W.
• Make sure that you have complete Building and Interior Drawings before you sign a construction contract. This will help you avoid costly add-ons.
• Have the contractor break the bid down. For example: Site Work - $, Foundation - $, Rough Framing -$, Roofing - $, Siding - $, Cabinetry - $, Floor coverings -$, Lighting - $, etc.
• Breakdown the big ticket items such as cabinetry. Sterile cabinets - $, Lab cabinets - $, Front Desk - $ and so on. Any item that raises a red flag can be broken down. This process will let the builder know that you are in control and will not be taken advantage of.

There are some advantages to a negotiated bid but it will require some work on your part.

Competitive Bid

This means that you have selected 2-3 contractors to bid your project. These three tips will help you get the best advantage from competitive bidding you need three things.

• Complete building drawings, complete interior design drawings, and a complete specifications package.
• Choose contractors who have experience in dental / medical office construction. We recommend that you do not use residential contractors to build your office.
• Select the contractor who shows a good understanding of the scope of work and has prepared the bid in a manner that reflects it. You do not necessarily want the lowest bidder. Some contractors will be low and after being contracted will search high and low for some vagueness in the drawings that can turn into an add-on item.

Good luck with your building project. Our office is always available to answer your construction and design questions.

Our next article will focus on the appearance of your office.

Also we are starting a question and answer section.

Please feel free to e-mail us at plan@indesco.com any questions you may have. For more information about our design services please refer to our Web Pages at:http://www.indesco.com/~plan Or call at 503.629.5150.

Your Cyber Designers Jacek & Susanne / INDESCO inc.