In many parts of the country, construction is booming. Unfortunately, they are not making any more land, so what we have is quickly gobbled up to build on, and this brings services and amenities, as well as housing, to the people.
While residential construction is built for living and includes houses, condos, townhouses and apartments, commercial construction may be harder to define. These are the non-residential buildings that we work and play in, and they are vital to our infrastructure, giving us places to go for goods and services and entertainment.
Here are the types of commercial construction going up around us.
Type #1: Small-Scale Construction
This is the type of commercial construction that involves smaller projects with shorter timelines. There is typically less equipment used and a smaller workforce to complete them. These are usually renovations on an existing business or a commercial space where there is a need to change the interior of the building to match the needs of the business.
It can be anywhere from lip sticking with paint, wall coverings, new flooring and fixtures to building a new interior layout, changing windows and doors and building custom built-in furniture like desks, cabinets and wall units. This could be done at an office, restaurant or retail space and some larger buildings like an office or shopping mall with a tenant wanting their space redone.
Type #2: Medium-Scale Construction
Medium-scale construction can include expanding and upgrading existing spaces and building new projects from the ground up. Because commercial construction includes retail, food and lodging, this project size may be a restaurant or a store. You will have a larger workforce that includes different trades and various equipment and material to construct a whole building, and the timeline will increase.
Gas stations and other stand-alone businesses fall into this category and construct more buildings at medical facilities or retail locations. Smaller buildings and medical offices are medium scales, as well as fitness centres and gymnasiums.
Type #3: Large-Scale Construction
These are the huge projects you see around your city or town, and they contribute to its growth. As more commercial projects increase in an area, residential builders bring people closer to these services.
Some of the large-scale commercial construction projects include office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, and more. These types of commercial construction you will see being built and maintained in your part of the country. It takes a dedicated team of workers and management to build commercial buildings that add to the community and provide jobs for those living there.
Type #4: Office Construction
These are larger buildings with multiple floors and can be just a few stories to large skyscrapers. They are complex projects that can take years to plan and build and may have a workforce of hundreds.
Type #5: Shopping Mall Construction
Large retail outlets allow people to shop for everything in one location, and malls are getting bigger and bigger. Many have 2 to 3 stories with 100’s shops and larger anchor stores to draw in the crowds. Various building materials are usable for these structures, and the custom-designed storefronts and interiors are for different brands.
Type #6: Hotel Construction
Hotels are major builds that require large machinery and equipment to construct. They can be low-rise hotels with a few stories up to high-rise accommodations that go up 50+ stories. These take a long time to build and are typically constructed within tight spaces around other buildings.
Type #7: Sports Structure Construction
Sporting venues are also getting bigger and bigger, with main cities having arenas and smaller communities building sports complexes. Many of these house ice rinks, swimming pools, indoor playing fields, fitness centres, food services and corporate meeting rooms. This type of commercial construction brings in your standard workforce and specialties for installing infrastructure for ice surfaces, pools and large-scale seating.
Type #8: Medical Facility Construction
While clinics and doctor’s offices are mid-sized projects, other facilities like hospitals are much bigger. These structures are usable for treating and housing medical patients. There needs to be room for emergency services, laboratories, diagnostic centres, rehab facilities, physical therapy, clinic visits, office space and all the infrastructure that runs it. These are major builds with many workers, planners, medical experts and management teams to bring these structures to life.
Type #9: Airport Construction
Airports are another major construction project requiring years of planning and a huge workforce. These projects are usually expansions, so you are not only constructing a new facility, you are adding to the existing facility and working around an active airport with planes flying in and out, an established workforce on site, and 1000’s of travellers coming and going. There is also enhanced security as construction workers come and go.
Type #10: Institution Construction
Commercial construction also includes building large-scale projects like schools, universities, mental health facilities and jails. These projects are built to accommodate those who work, visit, or live there, so they will have offices, housing, food service, treatment rooms, and recreational amenities.
