The main difference between commercial and residential construction undertakings is the name. So, when choosing a residential construction, you plan to build housing for people. These can range from houses, apartments, and complexes to flats.

On the other hand, commercial construction is everything to do with retail, industrial, business to warehouse facilities. This is where a commercial renovation contractor comes in to help. Furthermore, you will find some other minor differences between the two, which we will discuss here.

These can be from funding and building materials to the completion time. So, if you are interested in either construction type, we will outline all the differences between commercial and residential construction.

Codes and Permits Needed

No matter what construction you choose, contractors must adhere to specific building and renovation codes, from commercial to residential. In addition, the project can only go ahead once the contractor has the proper permits from a state issuing body.

The main reason to obtain permits is to ensure that the construction projects proceed safely without endangering the environment or anybody during the process. The building codes between commercial to residential construction properties differ.

The reason is that when it comes to safety concerns, it differs from residential to industrial buildings. Another factor is that commercial buildings are usually larger than homes or apartments.

Hence, the industrial building has more dangers as contractors use heavy machinery.

The Difference Between Building Materials

Even the construction material varies in retail to residential construction. For example, the building material used in residential properties is smaller than building a massive facility like a hospital.

For instance, you may find more wood used in homes, while in commercial properties, it is built with cement and steel frames. The reason is that using wood in homes is more affordable than steel and cement.

For commercial buildings, you find using concrete and steel sturdier and a safer option compared to using wood. Hence, an industrial building typically has a longer lifespan than a house.

On the other hand, you can find housing built with brick, but it is more expensive than building with wood. Many of your modern homes these days are also constructed from cement as it is durable. But the material used in the construction is less than building a skyscraper or mall.

The Equipment

As with material, you find building contractors using different equipment as well. For example, for a large-scale commercial project, contractors use cranes and other huge machinery to erect a building for a large-scale commercial project. However, even building a huge modern house, you rarely need a crane.

But with that in mind, it also depends on where you build your home. The same applies to hiring contractors, as you need different commercial and residential building skills. For instance, the contractor needs crane operating skills if you create a warehouse. In contrast, a residential building needs stonemasons to carpenters.

So, you need skilled building contractors in commercial projects able to shut down machinery if it becomes dangerous, and typically not the case with residential projects.

The Completion Time

When comparing commercial to residential projects, completion time retail is faster as it often needs utilizing immediately. Still, in a commercial project, you have more workforce than in a residential project to complete the building faster.

For example, in the USA alone, it can take 80 days, and a house can take seven months from start to finish. In addition, with commercial projects, you have many investors that expect a faster project completion time.

Still, you may find some residential projects more streamlined. Typically, this is the case when dealing with massive estates, as the homes are already sold. The same applies to an apartment building. The process is streamlined and needs completion fast.

Commercial and Residential Building Costs

Another huge difference is the cost of commercial buildings to residential buildings. Retail to industrial building costs millions compared to building homes. The reason is that it is a huge difference when you consider the equipment, material, permits, and labor.

Even the way the projects get funded differs as you may find residential property paid for by the government but rarely the case when it comes to commercial buildings. On the other hand, you find real estate projects funded with crowdsourcing platforms.

Usually, this is the case with natural disasters when buildings are destroyed. Alternatively, you can find government bursaries to help people build a homestead.

Licenses

For commercial to residential buildings, you need different licenses. You find that most general contractors have a public license allowing them to build both types of structures. Still, others only have a building contractor license.

When a contractor only has a building license, they cannot perform any renovations to a residential or commercial building. They can only build a three-floor residential home. Hence, they cannot construct a retail outlet as they have not undergone the training or have the qualifications to do it.

Still, you can find some firms with licenses for both projects, including asbestos removal contractors that help with building renovations.

Personalizing Your Design

When you look at commercial designs, they are not customized but built to the local commercial properties forms. Residential property differs as a homeowner can design the living space as needed. Architects have free rain to customize homes to be creative. However, when you build a skyscraper office building, there is too much risk.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, commercial construction differs significantly from residential construction. We hope the article helps you understand these differences the next time you plan a construction project. Furthermore, if you are ready to renovate a home or office building contact Astra Management today for all your building, renovation, and asbestos abatement needs.