Revamping your dental office design can represent a big step forward for your organization. An enhanced office layout can lead to better patient experiences, improved employee morale, and an increase in overall productivity. However, before you start making calls and scheduling construction, there are a few things that business leaders need to address first. Here are 10 things you should do before embarking on dental office construction:
#1 Clearly Establish Your Goals & Plan for the Future
Arguably, the most important part of a renovation is getting a clear outline of the dentist’s goals in their new practice. Is it simply just updating an existing space or are you taking on a larger space and doing a full build-out? Are you looking to be able to tend to more clients at once? Will you be wanting to add new technology that will need a special room or extra space? Will another doctor be joining your practice anytime in the next 10 years? Think ahead. There are a lot of scenarios that you should think about and consider space for.
#2 Review Your Budget
There’s a big difference between having an idea of how much you’re prepared to spend on an dental office construction project and knowing the availability of your funds. You should always have a range or an idea of how much money you have available before taking too deep of a plunge into planning a renovation. If you don’t, you could get entirely through the design phase and realize your available funds won’t cover it.
Once you know how much money is available to you and preferably also an idea of how much you want to spend, make sure that whoever you decide to partner with as your dental office construction contractor discusses your financial options with you. There are always ways to save money in a renovation without sacrificing the ‘wow’ factor of your space.
#3 Permits & Working with Your Land
Depending on if you rent your space or need to perform extensive construction, you may be required to speak with a landlord or government official to gain clearance for your redesign project. For the most part, Key Interiors can handle local permits and approvals, but you still may need to work with your landlord if you don’t own your space. Obviously, you won’t get very far if the authorities don’t give you the green light, so don’t try to skip this step – it will only end up taking longer and being more expensive.
#4 Choosing the Right Partner
Before choosing a company to work with throughout your design/build process, make sure your contractor has experience working with dental/medical facilities and has done dental office construction projects in the past. You may not think this has a big impact, and the non-specialized contractor may mean well (and may come in the cheapest), but they will hit unexpected delays and costs due to lack of experience in the industry. So many requirements and layout specifications are dental specific that an industry expert is ready for – whereas these could really throw a wrench in the project for an inexperienced contractor.
#5 Set a Timeline
Dental office construction projects can run the gamut from a few weeks to many months –– take time early in the process to work with your contractor to create the timeline you’d like while considering the extent of work needed.
#6 Plan for Disruption
Some dental offices are able to schedule construction on their office around regular work hours. Regardless, business leaders must plan for construction to disrupt certain parts of their office or their workday. Have plans ready for accepting patients even during times of peak construction. Some dentists may consider looking for temporary office space while construction is ongoing too. If construction is happening at a different location than your current practice, disruption should be minimal besides your needed input into construction & design decisions.
#7 Establish Contingencies
What happens if construction is delayed for two weeks? Or if a project goes over budget? Or if one or more aspects of your strategy need to be changed? Answering these questions may not be easy, but it’s important to have contingency plans ready in case of emergencies.
#8 Talk to Your Team
One of the best ways to create an office space that your team loves is to speak with them directly about it. It may sound obvious, but the truth is that your employees may have ideas, concerns, and preferences that could help you along in the redesign process.
#9 Talk to Your Neighbors
It’s always a good policy to let your neighbors know if you’re planning construction on your property. This is particularly important if you expect construction crews to make noise that could bother nearby businesses, or construction workers may take up public parking spaces.
#10 Call a Professional
If all of this seems like a lot of boxes to tick –– before construction even begins –– then you’re right! The good news is that companies like Key Interiors can help your organization pull off a dental office renovation seamlessly. We have years of experience working with dentists and other medical professionals, we have extensive contacts in the construction industry, and we can help you handle any logistical challenges that may arise during the redesign process. Contact us here for more information or to get started today!
