Commercial Construction Blog

In this post, we’ll break down the core differences in tenant improvement needs between retail, office, and restaurant spaces, highlighting what makes each one unique—and what to plan for before your next remodel or buildout in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

When it comes to commercial tenant improvement (TI) projects, business owners and property managers face a unique set of challenges. Whether you’re remodeling an office, retail store, or restaurant, ensuring that the project is completed on time, within budget, and with minimal disruption is no small feat. Understanding the common obstacles that arise in TI projects can help you proactively address them and ensure a smooth renovation process. Here are the top five challenges in commercial tenant improvements and how to overcome them.

When selecting an HVAC system for a commercial building, one of the most critical decisions is choosing between an evaporative cooler and a condensing unit. Each system has distinct advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice depends on factors such as climate, building size, energy efficiency, and cost. In this guide, we’ll explore the differences between these two cooling systems, weigh their pros and cons, and outline key considerations to help you make an informed decision for your commercial space.

Emerald Inc. had another great year in 2024, continuing to serve Arizona businesses as a go-to general contractor for remodels, renovations, and tenant improvement projects.  In fact, Emerald Inc. has now been in business for over 27 years!  We are grateful for all the support we have been shown over the years, especially from our families, friends, employees, colleagues, and subcontractors– you are a huge part of our success. 

It’s already October again, and you know what that means… all of the paint companies have released their top paint color picks for next year! We collect them all into one handy post for you so that you can identify color trends and plan accordingly.  As you will see in this post, in 2025, businesses will continue to pick versatile colors that help their brand to shine, and we expect to see businesses leverage timeless colors more than ever.  Please enjoy this guide to the 2025 colors of the year– we hope that you can use it to generate ideas about how to best utilize striking colors in your commercial space.

We’d like to continue our “Subcontractor Spotlight” series with an amazing company we’ve been working with for many years– The Resident Plumber.  The Resident Plumber is one of the contractors that has consistently done awesome work at fantastic value.  Read our interview below with one of The Resident Plumber’s owners, Kristi, to find out more about their company and more about plumbing in commercial environments.

We’d like to kick off our new team member spotlight series by sharing a mini interview with Michelle Burroughs, our office manager and accounting guru.  Michelle started with Emerald Inc. in June 2023, and she has been an amazing addition to the team.  We came up with some questions that should allow you to get to know Michelle and to see what an awesome person she is.

Emerald Inc. had another great year in 2023, continuing to serve Arizona businesses as a go-to general contractor for remodels, renovations, and tenant improvement projects.  In fact, Emerald Inc. has now been in business for over 26 years!  We are grateful for all the support we have been shown over the years, especially from our families, friends, employees, colleagues, and subcontractors– you are a huge part of our success.  Please join us in a look back at some highlights from 2023.

As a general contractor, Emerald Inc. has many go-to subcontractors that do quality work at competitive rates.  We push them to deliver the best possible work at the lowest prices they can for our clients.  We’d like to kick off our new “Subcontractor Spotlight” series with a company we’ve been working with for many years– Bullseye Painting Company.

When you are thinking about re-doing a space or creating a brand new one from scratch, it’s easy to want to jump the gun and get on the phone with an interior designer right away. But, have you considered whether or not hiring an interior designer is the best route to go?  In this post, we explore the pros and cons of hiring a commerical interior designer.

In 2022 we saw green dominate the colors of the year, and in 2023 muted colors were all the rage.  2024 seems to be a mixed bag– there are colors of the year all across a wide spectrum.  If we had to pick a theme for 2024 it would be versatility– there are amazing colors to create whatever look and feel you are going for, so pick the best one for your space! We hope this guide to the 2024 colors of the year is helpful, whether you are looking to refresh your restaurant, office, or any other type of commercial space.

We all know that efficiency is one of the main goals during any type of project, but it is especially critical in commercial construction.  From planning to completion, it is important to make progress quickly and to maintain a high level of quality. But, what happens when one part of design is holding up the process?  Well, this is when deferred submittals come into play– read on to learn more.

Whether you are looking to refresh your restaurant, office, or any other type of commercial space, you are sure to find one or more paint colors that will work wonders for your space in this guide to 2023’s paint colors of the year.

Have you ever looked at a set of blueprints and tried to envision how a building will look after construction?  It’s difficult!  At Emerald Inc., we understand that clients need to visually see how their building will look at project completion.  Luckily, our preferred architect partners have the skills and software to create a visual model of your end product.

Most employees probably don’t consider a mediocre break room to be a “getaway” space. Companies can offer their employees so much more by designating an area where workers could do more than just eat and dash. Let’s go beyond the typical break room and look at the value of adding a recharge room to your work place.

Many of the challenges of 2020 carried into 2021.  Emerald Inc. faced supply chain issues, volatile construction materials prices, and more.  Despite these obstacles, we were able accomplish a lot this year, helping many amazing businesses to build spaces that their employees and visitors will love.  Please join us in a look back at some of the top projects of 2021.

When we are thinking about what to give for holiday gifts, the first people that come to mind are all the awesome clients that we work with.  So, we thought it might be helpful to pull together a gift guide that showcases the amazing products and services that Emerald...

We hope you are ready for more amazing present ideas, because we have found a bunch of cool tools, gadgets, and more that will be loved by those in your life who are obsessed with building.

Paint is one of the most effective ways to quickly give your space a refresh. So, what better way is there to start thinking about how you can give your space a color boost in the new year than by checking out the annual "colors of the year"? In 2021, we saw muted...

If you are planning a construction project, we hope you have considered doing what you can to minimize any risks involved. Whether your project is a new-build or a remodel, you may not know about the insurance that protects owners and property managers during...

2020 seemed to be a year of reflection for many businesses, giving them time to reassess how the design of their space was functioning for employees and visitors.  Thus, we have seen a significant shift in design in 2021. Here are some trends to be aware of when designing your commercial space this year and into the future.

Arizona is full of inspirational architecture with a wide variety of styles!  As passionate builders, we love beautiful architecture that not only sparks a feeling of awe but also excels in fulfilling its functional purpose. In this post, we are going to share a little about ten of the top architectural wonders in Arizona.  One of these locations may even serve as the inspiration behind your next construction project.

We have some EXCITING news.  We’ve been thinking about ways to reward the community for trusting Emerald Inc. with their construction projects.  We recognize that there are many competent general contractors out there, so it is a great honor for us when we are selected to build your office, restaurant, warehouse, retail shop, or anything else! So, when you help Emerald Inc. to secure a new contract, we want you to share in the success!  Read on to learn more.

Quotes related to construction can be a great reminder for anyone because we are all “building” something, whether it be healthy habits, our own business, or better relationships. We are the architects of our lives and our destinies, so if these inspiring messages are good enough for draftsmen, they are good enough for anyone who wants to do better at what they are passionate about.

With any business investment, one of the biggest concerns is whether or not the purchase will monetarily pay off.  Strategically remodeling a commercial space has many benefits which can add up to a high return on investment.  Some improvements have a greater impact on your bottom line than others, and Emerald Inc. wants to help you get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to renovating your existing commercial space or building out an empty space from gray shell.

We think it is important to look back at the end of each year to see what Emerald Inc. was able to accomplish, so we wanted to share some statistics from 2020 that indicate how well we performed in this year’s challenging environment.  An analysis of when went well and what didn’t work this year can be an enlightening and actionable way to prepare for next year!

Finding a gift for anyone in your life that is a hobbyist builder or works professionally in construction should be a lot easier with this gift guide! We’ve pulled together a list of items that most anyone in the industry would enjoy. Hopefully you can find at least one suggestion that would be perfect for your giftee.

This entry focuses specifically on colors to watch out for in 2021.  Each year, major paint brands put out their “color(s) of the year” and/or a color palette of the year that includes a variety of colors they recommend.  With 2020 having been such a stressful year, it’s no surprise that going into 2021 we are seeing a lot of muted colors.

We’ve see a lot of cool, innovative design happening in the retail food shop space– bright bake shops, edgy cafes, whimsical tea houses, and quirky ice cream/frozen yogurt joints and gelaterias.  In this post we focus on functional features that have a big impact on making a space stand out.

In this post we cover some of the basics relating to commercial build outs, commercial leases, and working with landlords to take a vacant shell to a finished one that meets the needs of a business.

Here are even more useful terms to learn and apply when working on your projects. Hopefully you can learn some more words that you weren’t familiar with, or gain a better understanding of some construction concepts that you already know.

In a world impacted by COVID-19, restaurant design is evolving and adapting to the new normal. As restrictions are lifted and dining rooms reopen, returning diners will want reassurance around safety. Restaurants must demonstrate their new emphasis on sanitation and social distancing.  In this post we look at the design features that will make the so-called “third-wave” restaurants smaller, sleeker, faster, and ultimately, more successful.

Although we haven’t seen any studies yet that specifically indicate that public restrooms are COVID-19 transmission points, history has shown that other viruses have spread there. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the pandemic has the commercial real estate and construction industries taking steps to revamp commercial bathrooms, in the hopes that at best they can prevent the spread of infection, and at the very least make occupants and visitors feel safe. In this post we cover features you may want to include in your brand new or renovated restroom.

Most businesses don’t have the luxury of picking up and moving to a fully customized space, so they have to figure out how to keep operations going while construction happens in their current location. Although most people are familiar with the linear construction method, where the whole project is bid and then constructed all at once, circumstances may dictate that the more beneficial approach will be to split your project into multiple parts that are built at different times. That’s where phased construction comes in. In this post we’ll define the process, give an overview of the advantages and disadvantages, and provide some valuable insights.

Color is playing a bigger role than ever in design, especially in the commercial sphere. Color use has become analogous to branding and marketing. Therefore, colorized materials are becoming more widespread and a more important design element in commercial construction. In this post we examine and explore commercial color trends and what is driving them.

Many businesses are changing their operations to minimize threats to the safety and health of their employees and customers, and also to ensure continued economic success. Many of the short-term solutions business have come up with won’t be the most efficient solution in the long-term. Walk-up windows are a logical, dedicated solution that allow patrons to pick up and order without entering the establishment.

Budgeting is a critical part of determining the feasibility of your construction project, especially if you have a tight budget. We’ve compiled a list of the many of the common factors that affect how much a remodel, renovation, or expansion will cost. We hope this post is helpful in identifying the areas of your construction project that will have the biggest impact on the total cost of your venture.

There is a plethora of construction-related tools out there, but we wanted to share some that we have found very easy to use and helpful in the process of planning tenant improvement projects. Whether you are planning a simple small-scale remodel, an extensive renovation, or a complete build-out of vacant space, these tools can help you get a plan together quickly and efficiently.

Your commercial space design has a big impact the way people interact with your business.  When you maximize your space’s potential you can increase engagement, efficiency, sales, and more. Here are 5 important factors to consider when planning and executing a commercial construction project, in order to make the best use of your space.

BIM is the process of digitizing construction sites and creating intelligent data for projects, with the goal of efficient document management, coordination, and simulation. It helps in making the best design decisions, improving building performance, and enhances collaboration, ultimately saving time and money and improving safety by avoiding rework.

There’s a good chance you’ve heard a commercial contractor rattle off a number of unfamiliar words in the past. Even if technical construction terms have been explained to you before, it’s easy to forget what they are when you don’t use them every day. We hope that this short glossary can serve as a refresher of the definitions of some common and other less-used construction phrases.

While most people are familiar with blueprints, you may or may not have heard of “as-built” drawings.  In this post, in addition to defining as-builts, we want to explain why is it so important for owners, landlords, and property managers to ensure they have a copy of their property’s as-built drawings.

Choosing the lowest bid may save you money at the start of a project, but result in a much higher cost in the long-term. So, how can you find the right combination of price, quality, and qualifications? We’ve put together this guide for what to think about when comparing bids in order to select the best general contractor for your commercial construction project.

Signing away your right to lien can be risky, so here’s some tips to make sure you don’t get yourself into trouble by making a costly mistake with lien waivers.

An efficient punch list process will help to wrap things up and it gives the client/owner a chance to identify and request any final fixes so that they will be content with the final outcome of the project. We’ve identified some of the most common punch list items to watch out for and some tips to implement when it comes to managing a project punch list.

Why should you hire an experienced general contractor(GC) when the subcontractors are the ones that do most, if not all, of the actual construction? We’ve identified the top advantages hiring a GC to manage your commercial construction has over self-managing.

A TI is when you configure a rental space to meet the needs of a tenant, such as changing walls, floors, ceilings, lighting, and more. TI can be simple or complicated, depending on the space and the type of business, but we’ve created a list of common steps to provide an overview of what a tenant might expect when doing a commercial build-out.

Hiring a good general contractor to handle your tenant improvement construction will save you a lot of hassle and stress…but even the process of figuring out which general contractor to use can be daunting. We want you to be confident that you have chosen a construction partner that you can trust and will delivery high-quality results, so we’ve compiled a list of suggestions.

With so many businesses being forced to put operations on hold, we feel fortunate to be able to continue building (there are always less than 10 people on our construction sites at any given time). Even so, we have had to rethink the way we do things and examine all of our processes to ensure compliance with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.

With the ever increasing popularity of food delivery and catering, restaurants are having to come up with creative ways to meet high demand. Ghost kitchens are a great way to pump out large volumes of food without impacting the regular back of house restaurant operations. A general contractor such as Emerald Inc. is a great resource for kitchen owners/ investors because they will have experience building kitchens in many different cities and know exactly what is required to meet the rules and regulations, in addition to being familiar with which features and layouts will make kitchens the most efficient.

Many food trucks find that they can’t keep up with demand and that customers want their food outside of truck’s scheduled stops. If you’ve determined that it’s the right time to expand your food truck business by building a permanent location, there are several challenges you may encounter when it comes to building out your new space. We’ve pulled together some tips for expanding your brand to a brick and mortar location and to help make it a smooth, successful, and rewarding experience.

Different types of practices will use design in unique ways to reflect their type of business and clientele. Regardless, all medical facilities will want to design to make the environment feel clean, safe, and healing. Here is some inspiration for using design to help  patients, staff, and other visitors have a positive experience in a medical office.

Is it possible that skyscrapers could be made mainly out of wood in the future? With the popularity of high-density structural (mass) timber/engineered wood ever increasing, some say yes. While many people are familiar with plywood, OSB, and particleboard, this post focuses on other lesser-known types of engineered wood.

What is a quality development? Quality is subjective, but buildings, structures, and sites should be sustainable and stand the test of time so that they will endure as a community asset for many generations. Commercial developments should support community identity and positively contribute to the overall character of an area.

Have you ever been into a dental office and noticed that it felt dull, boring, cold, and clinical? An amazing design can help a dentist’s brand awareness skyrocket, support efficient patient care, and stimulate the senses and emotions in a positive way. We’ve pulled together some design ideas that are sure to help make patients and workers feel content, comfortable, and at ease.

The vacant, commercial space descriptors “gray shell” and “vanilla shell” come in handy because empty buildings come in a variety of states, and it helps to know what to expect as far as how finished the inside is. So, whether you are a real estate agent, broker, property manager, or business owner, we want to help you by defining each type of “shell” and providing some insights about what they mean with regards to construction.

To determine which type of plumbing is the best for your commercial space it can help to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each type of plumbing material. Business owners, property managers, brokers, home owners, and more can all benefit from learning more about what to expect when deciding on the types of plumbing described here.

Drone usage in the construction industry increased by 239% in 2018 (Drone Base). So, why are builders adopting drones at such a rapid rate?

Every business has unique needs when it comes to floors. It can be overwhelming to consider all of the flooring options that are available, but it is possible to narrow down all of the alternatives and make the best choice for a particular space. To help in the quest to find the best flooring option for a specific commercial space, we’ve compiled a list of some great options and our thoughts on each.

When building out a new commercial space or remodeling, one of the biggest decisions our clients face is which type of flooring to choose.  It’s important that flooring looks good, is durable, easy to maintain, and doesn’t break the bank.  So, do concrete floors fit the bill?

Matching design personality with company culture can enhance brand awareness and set a proper, welcoming tone for visitors. This applies to offices, retail, restaurants, dental/medical practices, and much more.

Learning more about sustainable construction is perfect for green-curious entrepreneurs/ business owners, brokers that have clients with sustainable needs, property managers that wants to project their firm as environmentally friendly, and contractors with green savvy customers.

Due to the nature of the business, construction workers may be exposed to the hazards of unguarded machinery, being struck by heavy equipment, falling from heights, trench collapse, scaffold collapse, electrocution, repetitive motion injuries, silica dust, asbestos,...

  It may be a good time to remodel the interior and/or exterior of your business if the company has grown bigger, demand for your product/services has increased, or your business strategy has shifted. But, is investing significant capital into giving your space a...

Value engineering is a term that comes up a lot when contractors and/or their clients want to minimize project costs. But, value engineering is different from simple cost-cutting.

Traditional Design-Bid-Build construction suffers from many downsides: Delays due to redesigns and rebids Increased fees due to redrawing and repricing Increased tension between owner, contractor, and design team Risk of losing financing due to delays Permitting...

If you are looking to improve your business space or want to build from scratch, there are several steps to consider.  This blog series will highlight many of the steps that we help orchestrate to get you to a completed amazing space!  Please reach out with questions...

We have recently reviewed the projects we have built over the last 10 years. Reviewing the past is valuable for many reasons including developing a deeper understanding of how and why things worked the way they did. It can also reveal trends, highlight...

Since 1997, we have built out many office spaces. We have discovered several items that are often missed and can make an impact on the budget of the new owner. We thought we would share what we have learned.

Emerald, Inc. is a construction company that has happy and satisfied clients. This is a brief overview of one of those clients, Urgent Care Extra. Beginnings are Important It started as a normal bid on a job. A couple of emergency room doctors wanted to build a second...