Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Receive emails for breaking commercial building contractor news

To ensure that you don't miss special commercial warehouse builder announcements and headlines that will affect your business, register with news feeds to get regular updates and instant reports. You can usually specify the types of alerts you need from news services that provide these email alerts. If you are only interested in industrial properties, for example, you don't need news feeds about retail projects.

I recommend: The Construction News Portal is a great source of information about big projects going on around the country and the issues surrounding the industry. Reed Construction Data provides news and trends information in a variety of forms, from newsletters to forums and blogs for your information needs.

Add sources that provide detailed commercial warehouse construction news and trend information

Read industrial complex construction news and trends reports written by analysts and industry experts. Watch for the articles that provide information about building costs, economic forecasts that drive commercial real estate investment and emerging green building rules and materials. Find reliable sources that cover your area of expertise.

I recommend: Find headline news and in-depth reports covering the industry at Commercial Property News. Find news and features that affect the industrial construction industry at Building Design+Construction.

Participate in trade groups for industrial complex builders that give members additional insight

By joining other commercial warehouse contractor professionals, you can build relationships that help you stay ahead of the news. Get leads on projects for industrial buildings before they are made public and learn about new product upgrades from vendors that visit the association meetings and trade shows.

I recommend: News and networking are valuable benefits of becoming a member of the Construction Owners Association of America. Find valuable information and reference sources through the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask your vendors to keep you updated with news about commercial warehouse construction equipment and IT upgrades as they happen so that you can prepare to incorporate the new products into your budget.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Develop a contract that spells out your expectations from the commercial building contractor

It is typical for the commercial warehouse contractor to provide a construction contract for your signature. You should consider this contract a guideline, and make changes to the contract so that it suits your project before signing. Another option is to develop your own contract for the contractor to sign. Regardless of which method you choose, the contract should clearly outline your expectations on timing and materials used in the project. The procedure and cost for changes to the plans once construction begins should also be in writing.

I recommend: Find sample contracts online at BuilderSpace or generate your own with software provided by ABCA Forms.

Protect your industrial complex construction with proper insurance

Industrial buildings are expensive to develop and build, and it is imperative that the owner of the company protect the property. Even the most well regarded industrial complex builders fall victim to material theft or acts of nature that damage or delay construction.

I recommend: Builder's risk insurance, from companies such as Zurich, provide protection against theft or damage to the industrial buildings, while surety bonds, like those provided by Cool Insuring Agency, protect you as the owner, from problems with the contractor. You will purchase the builder's risk insurance, and the contractor is responsible for surety bonding. Before committing to one insurance company, visit Insure.com to see how that company ranks.

Choose an experienced commercial building contractor

Warehouse builders come in all experience levels. Someone could have an established business in your town and not be suited for the type of work that industrial complexes require. Someone with fewer years of experience that has worked on industrial warehouses before will know the potential pitfalls of a large project.

I recommend: You should check the qualifications of any contractor with Contractors License before hiring. Once you are positive that the builder is properly licensed, check references, and actually visit sites where the contractor has worked. Before making your final selection, interview warehouse builders that you feel may be qualified to determine how they handle the industrial complex building process. AsktheBuilder.com has some excellent questions to get you started.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You can re-sell or lease properly designed industrial warehouses if your company should move. Think in these terms when planning everything from the building structure to the roads leading into and out of the complex.

Guide to Industrial Complex Construction Education and Training

Learn how to obtain the credentials you need to work on industrial complexes

By Lesley Graybeal

1. Get an advanced degree in construction management or civil engineering online.
2. Become a certified construction manager before working on industrial complexes.
3. Get licensed as a contractor to work in industrial complex construction.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Earn a degree in a construction-related field to manage construction of industrial warehouses

In order to become ideally qualified to overseeing the construction of industrial warehouses and complexes, look into bachelor's and masters degrees in construction management, construction science, civil engineering and other related fields. While advanced degrees are not explicitly required, they provide evidence of the advanced management skills necessary in industrial complex construction.

I recommend: Ferris State University has an online bachelor's degree in construction management. Norwich University offers a Masters of Civil Engineering online degree designed for people who are currently working in construction.

Join industrial warehouse builders by becoming a certified construction manager

For the construction of many industrial buildings, you may only need to have a certification provided by one of the main construction management associations in the United States. Becoming a certified construction manager involves a combination of experience and education, and allows very experienced individuals to compensate for a lack of formal education.

I recommend: Read about the certification process offered by the Construction Management Association of America and become a certified construction manager. The American Institute of Constructors also offers a similar type of certification credential.

Manage industrial buildings as a licensed general contractor

Another training avenue for people interested in industrial warehouse construction is to become a licensed general contractor. General contractors manage construction sites and provide a link between site owners and constructors. Individuals can become trained in contracting online through training institutes and provide evidence of training through a license as required by the state in which they live.

I recommend: Contractor's Institute provides access to online courses and training in becoming a general contractor or developing more advanced knowledge and skills. The Contractor's License Reference Site has information on the license requirements for all types of contractors in each state and how to obtain the licenses necessary.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Industrial complex construction education and training is not just a straightforward degree or certification program. Becoming trained to manage industrial complex construction often requires that individuals have at least two years of experience working in a construction related industry, so be sure that you have the necessary experience before seeking advanced training.