New Jersey Real Estate

All sorts of steel commercial construction projects have been popping up in recent years. Steel buildings have long been used for warehouses and towering skyscraper office buildings, but commercial construction trends show that they are transitioning into more rural and suburban areas.

This trend follows the learning curve of any great innovation. First, the adventurous first adaptors jump on board the enticing new innovation, in this case steel buildings. Then, as the rest started to notice all of the benefits and hear all of the good that comes with investing in a metal building they slowly started jumping on board. And now, the word is out; everyone has come to recognize the benefits and the trend toward smarter investing in steel buildings will continue to grow exponentially.

The future of this type of buildings in commercial construction is bright. In any sort of building being constructed for commerce the final goal is to earn the largest return possible on your investment. Metal buildings are allowing business owners to do just that. With more design options, faster construction times, and a lower price tag, one might think a business owner is crazy to go with any other building material. Read the rest of this entry »

Before you start designing and building a new church, you must make sure to carefully count the costs. For starters, here are two tricky costs that you must be aware of.

ARCHITECTURAL FEES

The services provided by architectural firms vary from project to project, as do the fees charged for those services. For instance, the scope of the architect’s services may vary depending upon whether the church will put the plans out to several general contractors for competitive, lump-sum bids versus working with a pre-determined construction manager. The size and location of the project are variables. Whether the church will require the architect to inspect the project and review contractor billings will also affect the fee.

Many architects quote a percentage fee based upon the estimated construction cost of the project. This may lead the architect to over-design the facility in order to increase the construction cost… and his fee. Even if the architect is willing to fix his fee based upon the estimated project cost, how is that cost determined? For instance, High Architects, Inc. may charge 8% of the estimated project cost. “High” estimates the cost at $80 per square foot. Low Architects, Inc. Read the rest of this entry »