21 Ways As-Built Surveys Improve Retail Renovations

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While online shopping is increasingly popular, so is the need for personal interaction, product engagement, and welcoming environments.

Instead of shying away from technology, more and more stores are using it to their advantage. Friendly and knowledgeable employees are equipped with devices for mobile payments or quick product information. Monitors and tablets throughout the space suggest convenience and innovation. Even online brands are finding their place in the physical world with pop-up stores, which gives them the opportunity to incorporate their online presence into a hands-on experience. Also, becoming increasingly popular are hybrid shopping spaces – stores that blend retail with food and beverages, art and service.

Coast 2 Coast is the industry leader in helping pioneering brands renovate their retail spaces across the country. To fit the needs of the current customers and create spaces customers crave, we help project stakeholders take a look at existing conditions during the planning phase before the transformation begins.

Here are 21 ways As-builts Make it Happen:

On the Inside

1. Provide design teams with comprehensive floor plans documenting spatial features and limitations (openings, columns, doorways, fixtures, etc.)

2. Identify fixture bays, endcaps, shelf counts and more for effective merchandising

3. Plan conversions for your space’s lighting to eco-friendly or LED options

4. Document the equipment needed for food preparation, storage, and dining point-of-sales areas

5. Avoid or resolve your landlord or leasing concerns with square footage verification

6. Evaluate planned loads on existing support systems by identifying the spacing, sizing, and placement of structural elements like joist beams or columns

7. Find out if there are changes in your floor level and whether or not you need a transition

For Record Keeping

8. Complete checklists for due diligence and utility requirements

9. Ensure regulatory compliance; complete municipal code reviews for signage and ADA surveys to verify construction and accessibility guidelines are met

10. Visualize exiting conditions of your space with photographs of the current floor plans in case of maintenance or repair

On the Outside

11. Capture landscape elements such as retaining walls, tree obstructions, sidewalks, and pedestrian hardscapes.

12. Assess the conditions of loading docks and delivery access points for delivery logistics

13. Find the best entrance and exit locations by identifying curbs, medians and parking striping

14. Read your property’s light levels for parking lot security

15. Examine surrounding areas, landscape, road frontage and competition

16. Survey and catalog interior and exterior signage

With Systems

17. Document existing mechanical equipment & duct work like diffusers, roof units, supply & return vents and more

18. Ensure that sufficient power is available by identifying existing electrical panels, transformers, disconnects, circuit breaker amperages, etc.

19. Track plumbing details commonly needed for retail planning (i.e. water supply, water heaters, meters, sinks, toilets, fountains, floor drains, grease traps)

20. Locate above-ceiling obstructions and height restrictions. Know exactly what you’re dealing with overhead and if there are limitations due to ceiling height

21. Pinpoint your fire/life safety systems like emergency lighting, sprinkler systems, risers, connections, alarms and more