Skip to content

Wolgast Blog - Construction Trends, Tips and Information

Get commercial construction questions answered by a professional contractor sharing building trends, tips and information

Posts about Manufacturing Construction

What is the Design Build Method of Construction?

Wolgast has been a Design Build Construction Company for almost 40 years and we're curious if it's a well-known term among those who haven’t previously been involved with the construction of a commercial building.  Have you heard the term before?  In a nutshell, it’s a method of construction delivery in which the building owner executes a single contract with one entity to provide architectural/engineering and construction services.

What Every Business Owner Should Know about Design Build Construction

General Construction for a long time was the primary method of delivering construction.  Even Wolgast in the early years was a one-trick pony with General Construction being our only option.  That is, until the 1970’s when we were the first to bring Design-Build to what’s now known as the Great Lakes Bay Region. 

Building Bigger to Benefit from Economies of Scale

A larger building can typically be constructed at a lesser square footage price than a smaller building. The overall price tag may be more, but a bigger building will get better value per square foot than a littler building, based on similar material selection. This information can help an owner plan for their business’ future.

Warning: Adding on to Your Building May Not Be Possible

 

What you should know before expanding your commercial business space

Many of our clients begin their business expansion quest by attempting to add on to their existing building rather than moving their operation, and most of the time they’re able to move ahead without any problems.  Expanding their existing space to make more room for additional manpower or machinery could be more affordable than building new or renovating another building.  However, there are times when it’s just not possible to expand where they want or at all.  Below we discuss the possible caveats to consider when expanding and to consider for the future when selecting a site.

Leaseback: Get a New Building While Keeping Capital in Your Business

 

Build to Suit

The Best Method to Build Light Commercial & Light Industrial Buildings

Light Commercial Buildings include (but aren’t limited to) medical practices, dental practices, office buildings, restaurants, banks, auto dealerships, and generally any building that is 25,000 s.f. or less and used for commercial business.

Light Industrial Buildings include, but not limited to (as defined by National Institute of Building Sciences -11/5/19), “space types used for assembly, disassembly, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, and repairing or processing of various types of materials…spaces for printing, commercial laundry, film processing, vehicle repair, building maintenance shops, metal work , millwork, cabinetry work” and warehousing. Also the light industrial buildings are typically not over 2 stories tall.

You Have Construction Service Options

Which construction delivery system is best for your project?


There are several unique and distinctive methods for providing construction solutions. As a business owner you have the luxury of selecting the most beneficial and appropriate delivery system for your type of project.

Popularity Increasing for Design Build Construction

As an update to this blog originally posted a few years ago, we have new information to add  from the June 2018 Design-Build Utilization Report funded by Design-Build Institute of America. Findings in this report determined that popularity continues to grow for this delivery method. The results showed, "Design-Build Construction spending in the assessed segments is anticipated to increase 18% from 2018 - 2021", and will likely represent 44% of construction spending by 2021. Researchers determined that the education of building owners on Design-Build benefits is gaining traction, and more owners are experiencing enjoying the benefits first hand.  Additionally, FMI Corporation, a management consulting and investment company, had released a report in March 2019 titled 2019 AGC/FMI Risk Management Survey, whereby they found that "38% of contractors were <planning> to increase their in-house design capabilities last year and 43% this year".  So there will be more collaboration, less risk, and more competition among design and construction moving forward.

Original blog article:

According to the May 2013, “Design-Build Project Delivery Market Share and Market Size Report” by Reed Construction Data and RS Means Intelligence, Design-Build construction delivery method has taken an additional 9% of the construction market since 2005 and General Construction has lost 10% of the market share in that same time.

To Use or Not to Use a Pre-Engineered Metal Building

We have had all kinds of business owners from varying professions ask us about using a pre-engineered metal building when they’re fact finding about new construction for their business.  We tell them a general rule of thumb to consider is that metal buildings are best for businesses that want an industrial look, or have a big enough budget to dress up a pre-engineered building with brick or EIFS (for example) to mask the industrial façade.

Recent Blog Posts