Reducing Unnecessary Costs When Building Your Self-Storage Facility

It’s an excellent time to invest in the self-storage market, but that doesn’t mean it’s without risk — especially if you’re going the traditional plan-and-spec route. The good news is that you can help reduce these risks by utilizing the design-build project delivery method and working with a seasoned self-storage builder, like Metrolina Builders. 

The plan-and-spec delivery method is outdated and can create many unnecessary costs for owners and investors. For one, owners accept more liability with traditional build approaches — from assembling a disjointed team to obtaining documents and designs from team members who may not have a clear understanding of the owner, their vision, and potential construction restraints. In this model, it’s like each team member is isolated on their own island.

That’s why investors and owners can often find themselves stuck in the crossfire between their general contractor and architect. Not only is it a stressful situation, but it’s also likely to increase your costs and significantly delay your launch. 

With design-build, clients can help accelerate the timeline of their build while also reducing their risks of additional, unnecessary costs. In fact, owners only face extra costs if they decide to expand the project scope. There’s no finger-pointing between a contractor and design team when they’re part of a single contracting unit. The design-builder is held to a performance specification in the contract, not a set of drawings. This approach means there are no change orders due to design or code problems during construction — and each member of the team is working under a united vision with shared goals. 

If you plan to take the design-build path, it’s best to engage the contractor as early in the process as you can. The contractor will be able to handle design choices that can decrease the overall budget. This method helps manage all the necessary parts to reach the firm project price. This important knowledge allows the firm to deliver the whole project at once, instead of one phase at a time. 

Of course, it’s equally critical that you work with a design-builder who has a deep understanding of your market — like Metrolina Builders. With more than a thousand satisfied clients, we’re your go-to source for creating self-storage facilities.