I want a new Daycare.....Where Do I Begin?
You need to do some business and financial planning before you'll be able to really start down the road to your dream daycare. Knowing what you can realistically afford it is the first step. Otherwise you have no way of evaluating whether a location is a real possibility for you.
I'd suggest speaking to a few different daycare consultants about what you want to accomplish. Then select the one who seems best able to guide you in putting together a business plan for your practice.
You will most likely need a loan to build your new daycare and the bank will require a good business plan in order to approve the loan. In the course of putting together the business plan you can do some preliminary scouting for daycare spaces and find out what the rental rates are in your desired area.
How Much Will My New Daycare Cost?
REMODELING PROJECTS are the most difficult to "guess-timate" before you have actual plans in hand because the amount of work can vary so much. If you are remodeling a small center you probably need to budget at least $45,000 to do enough to make a real difference. Medium to large daycares can cost $65,000 to $90,000 or more.
BUILDING OUT AN INTERIOR SPACE varies according to labor costs in your area. Generally it's more expensive to build on the East Coast or West Coast and less expensive in the Midwest and South. The following figures are approximate average cost per square foot for a well designed daycare with good quality materials and custom millwork.
East & West Coast $80 - $150/sf
Mid West & South $75 - $100/sf
BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP starts at about $120 - $200 per square foot (not including the land) for a simple building in a medium or small size town with lower construction costs. You could easily spend $220 per square foot and more for a building in or around a busy metropolitan area. You can ask contractors in your area what a typical commercial building costs in your area.
Children's Furniture : Catalog or Custom?
There is an upside and a downside to both approaches. You must weigh the choices and decide what is best for your particular situation.
CATALOG FURNITURE - Most furniture manufacturers will assiste in layout for you and give you an exact price for the whole package. Funiture can go with you if you move to a different location and it's easy to add more pieces in the future by just placing an order from the catalog. However, children's furniture can be fairly expensive and some people want their daycare to have a different look than what can be achieved with pre-made furniture.
CUSTOM FIXTURES - Your local cabinetmaker can build your furniture and fixtures if he has a well-detailed set of plans from a designer or architect experienced in daycare design. The cost of your furniture can vary greatly depending on how much custom cabinetry is required and you won't know the actual cost until the plans are done and you get the bids.
The quality of the work can vary also. It's up to you to choose the contractor wisely and refuse to accept any sub-par work. With custom furniture your daycare will be one-of-a-kind and could cost less than if you bought all the furniture. Many daycares have a combination of the two.
How Long Will Construction Take?
Interior build-outs should take about 6 - 8 weeks, but always add another two weeks or more on to whatever date your contractor promises. Contractors rarely finish on time, even the good ones!
For the average small to medium size daycare building you'll need about 6 months for design, building and permits. A good contractor can build it in 4 months or so, but don't be surprised if it takes longer.
Do I Need A Building Permit?
If you are doing minor cosmetic changes without any effect on the structure of the building or changes to the plumbing, heating or electrical systems, you probably don't need a building permit. If you are building walls, adding or moving electrical outlets, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc. you DO need a permit.
What if I do the work anyway without getting a permit?
In small towns and rural areas, the building department is usually more lenient than in a big city and you may be just fine. But in larger cities and towns the building department is more likely to come down hard on those who try to get away without a permit.
They can actually shut down your job and stop any work from progressing until you get a permit. They can make you tear out the drywall to see if your electrical outlets have been installed according to code. It simply is not worth the risk and aggravation. If you suspect you need a permit, go to your local building department, discuss your project with one of the planners or inspectors and find out for sure.
How Long Does It Take To Get Plans Done?
For an interior build-out, a complete set of architectural plans can take 2-4 weeks and the construction drawings another 4 weeks for your architect or designer to complete. It can take longer depending on how many revisions it takes to get your approval on the final drawings.
For a building, it can take 3 months or more depending on how long it takes to get preliminary approvals on the site plan before the actual construction drawings can be started.
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