Have you ever drove by a commercial building that was being built and thought about all of the details that go into the creation of that building? Probably not! You probably think to yourself, “Hey, there is a new store going in over there!”. You are probably not thinking about the site infrastructure, zoning, or the optimal soil conditions that is required to make that building come to life. There are many details that go into building a large commercial building  and we are going to share those “behind-the-scenes” details with you today!

What Goes Into Site Selection?

Before ground can be broken for any building there are some initial steps that must be covered so the process goes smoothly.

  1. What is the size of the site and where are the boundaries? – You need to determine the overall size of the site and the length of the property as this will help to determine the appropriate size of the building. You also have to make sure that the size of the property meets the goals of the project.
  2. Jurisdiction over the site– Is the site located within city limits, does that city have certain building codes that must be followed?
  3. What are the soil conditions at the site? Not all soil is created equal. There are certain types of soil that are not capable of being built on, or withstanding the building’s size. The soil must be tested to determine its strength and condition. This is a huge factor when determining a future location for a  building because replacing soil can be costly.
  4. Site terrain– The terrain must be analyzed when determining if a site is ideal for building. If the site is located on a steep slope then building on it will require more groundwork and construction expenses. This will increase time/money spent on the project.
  5. Checking for environmental road blocks– Is the site in question home to an endangered species of animal or plant? If so, you may not be able to build on that site so it is important that this is researched before building. Also there can be a hefty price tag associated with removing a high density of trees. Its possible for there to be local regulations that impose their own set of fees.
  6. Does the current zone match with the future building use?– If a building site was zoned residential than a commercial building could not be built on that site.
  7. Material requirements– Building in certain areas requires the use of certain materials/ external design so to maintain a cohesive feel among the city buildings. Examples include: stone or brick to name a few.
  8. Size/Height restrictions– If there are any regulations that prevent buildings under or over a certain size,  you might be forced to alter the original size of the building or choose a new location.
  9. Parking regulations– Typically zoning rules place a limit on the certain number of vehicles that can park at the establishment. If this is not considered it could be a huge cause for concern, especially if you are building a retail establishment.
  10. Suitable access point to main roadways– This is very important if you are building a retail establishment or a large office building as you will want your employees and/or customers to be able to access the building with ease.

As with any building and site selection, there is permitting that must be done.  Permits are to be obtained from the site’s city and/or county (in some cases, even districts too). These can take up to 12 months (some longer in certain cases) so its important to begin the process early.

As part of Dublin Building Systems commitment to high quality service from start to finish, we offer the assistance in site selection/location, feasibility analysis, zoning assistance, budgeting, financing, design services, engineering, construction, and cost control. If you want to know more about how you can build your next project with Dublin Building Systems please contact us for more details!