Ready To Renovate Your Commercial Property? 4 Things You Need To Do

If you have a commercial property that you want to renovate, in order to change the use of the space, or bring in new tenants, there are a few things you need to take care of in order to get the renovation process going.

Thing #1: Check Your Certificate of Occupancy

Before you start creating a renovation plan, you need to check your certificate of occupancy, also known as the CO. The CO lets you know what you can legally use the space for. For example, your commercial property may have a certificate of occupancy that allows you to use the space for an office, but not for retail space.

If you want to renovate the space for a new user, make sure that use is allowed under your current certificate of occupancy. If the new use is not allowed under your current CO, see if you can obtain a new CO. This can be a costly and lengthy process, which you should undertake before you start any renovations.

Thing #2: Discover & Address Existing Violations

When you renovate your property, you are going to need to get a building permit. Before you get a building permit, the city is going to run a check on your property. If you have any open violations on your property, you are going to need to take care of these violations before you can get a permit.

If you are already aware of existing violations, you can make the process of obtaining a permit go smoother by fixing those violations and by inviting an inspector to come out and certify that those issues have been checked.

Thing #3: Hire a Commercial Renovation Contractor

Third, you need to find a contractor to handle renovating your building. Look for a contractor who has experience with commercial renovations. A contractor who has experience will commercial renovations will know how to transform the physical appearance of the space, while also making sure that the electrical, plumbing and mechanical structure of your building can support your renovation ideas.

When renovating a commercial building, you need a contractor who can handle both the style side and the structural side of the renovation process.

Thing #4: Think About Legal Requirements

Finally, when you are renovating a commercial space, you need to make sure that you account for legal requirements, such as building codes, that you have to meet when you change the purpose of a building. For example, if you are running a restaurant, you will have to include bathrooms for patrons, which you may not have had to do when the space was designed as a retail space.

When it comes to renovating your commercial building, check your certificate of occupancy, fix any violations, find out about building requirements for your new space, and hire commercial renovation contractors.


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