Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. While getting involved in Austin ground-up construction projects can be very lucrative, it can seem intimidating. However, building ground-up is not as difficult as it may seem for growing businesses.
Rather than taking an old building and renovating it to suit a target market, it may be more profitable to design and construct a building according to your own specifications. This is a risk, but it is one worth taking if you have thought through the right factors
Here are four things to consider before undertaking a ground-up project:
1. Location
Location, location, location. Every business owner understands the popular adage about how to make money in the industry. Location can make an enormous impact on success. This is especially the case when it comes to a ground-up project. You want to make sure that you are building in a location where a market and high demand already exist.
The cities encompassed by the Austin-San Antonio Corridor offer businesses great variety when choosing a location. The growing metros along IH-35 offer companies the opportunity to build ground-up construction projects that are still easily accessible to the already existing community.
2. Weather conditions during construction
Weather is another critical factor to consider when planning and setting a budget for a construction project. Severe rain, snow, and frost can hamper the progress of such a project and contribute to costly delays. Central Texas is an excellent place for building ground-up as crews can work year-round with little weather impact.
S. Watts Group understands the importance of staying on time and budget. Preparing for possible weather-related delays is always part of our strategic planning process. As it is essential to consider how the weather from the location and season will affect the building process.
3. Reliable Budgeting
A major difference between renovations and ground-up construction costs is the absence of the unknowns that come with renovation projects. It always seems as though in renovation projects additional costs begin to add up once crews get to work opening up walls, floors, etc.
The chance of surprises are minimal during ground-up construction. As such by building ground-up, businesses avoid unexpected costs and ensure that their budget stays on target.
4. Knowledge of the ground-up construction process
It is essential to have substantial knowledge of this type of construction work before beginning. We want to make sure businesses understand the building process before deciding which road to take.
Here is a brief summary of the steps involved in building ground-up:
- Pre-development phase: Consists of selecting the site and acquiring the land, doing environmental assessments, getting the required permits, and building plans.
- Development phase: Includes all the work necessary before beginning the construction, including surveying, land grading and excavation, as well as installing various site utilities.
- Construction phase: Erecting of the building, which is guided by the approved construction drawings.
- Closeout phase: Includes going through a range of final municipal formalities, including obtaining a certificate of occupancy.
S. Watts Group has concrete experience building ground-up across the entire Austin-San Antonio Corridor. Our teams work with clients from every industry to meet their aspirations for building their business.
We invite you to explore our portfolio of work and learn more about our construction process.
