The Differences Between Residential and Commercial Construction

When talking about construction, the first thing that comes into mind is buildings. There are two areas where contractors construct buildings, and those are residential and commercial construction. Usually, a contractor can do both construction projects, but several areas between residential and commercial construction ultimately set them apart.

It's best to know how to differentiate between the two so that you already have an idea on which contractor to hire depending on what type of construction you need them to do. There's a chance where the contractor is highly knowledgeable and experienced at doing residential development, but they have no experience with it.

To help you set the two of these concepts apart, we have compiled some of the construction aspects that separate them:

The People Using the Building

As the name implies, residential construction pertains to constructing buildings for people to live and use as homes. Since residential buildings are mostly for families, there will be construction in several areas to accommodate people and provide a comfortable room.

Whereas for commercial buildings, people only go inside the building to usually work, conduct businesses, handle meetings, or any other function not intended for homes. People come and go in commercial buildings, so there will never be an area where it'll look like a bedroom. Although there may be resting areas, these usually consist of multiple bunk beds, avoiding any form of privacy for anyone using them.

Commercial buildings are usually more significant than residential buildings because of the numerous people visiting and working around. There needs to be enough workspace for employees working inside commercial buildings to get the job done without ever getting disturbed by others.

Construction Equipment Used

There's a reason why large commercial buildings you see getting constructed use industrial construction equipment. Most of these buildings need heavy construction equipment because of the several large materials to complete the construction job. The machines and equipment used are high-powered and lift many large and heavy construction materials to great heights.

Buildings such as skyscrapers are one of the many commercial buildings that require these types of construction equipment. Using other than a piece of heavy construction equipment can result in numerous accidents. The machine might fail when lifting heavy materials, causing delays with the job, and potentially injuring people underneath the falling materials.

There's no need to use heavy construction equipment for residential construction since there aren't too many heavy materials needed for the job. Most houses are easy to build and can even be made within a month because of the materials that residential contractors use. You have to know that there are specific construction machines and equipment to ensure they do the job as efficiently.

The Time it Takes to Finish the Construction

Between residential and commercial construction, commercial buildings take a longer time to build. It is because commercial buildings are mostly large enough to accommodate more than a thousand people every day. The materials also need to be heavy and sturdy, so lifting these and incorporating them into the building needs to be precise and delicate. One wrong move can cause severe problems for the entire building.

Whereas with residential construction, it might only take a few weeks or months to complete the construction job. Depending on how many floors the home has, an experienced construction contractor can finish it on or before the agreed deadline. Apartments don't necessarily need to have expensive construction materials. As long as it's appealing and reliable enough to last for years, homeowners will be able to live comfortably.

Construction Materials Used

Commercial buildings have more metal materials than residential ones unless the entire house comprises mostly metal materials, which is unlikely to happen because it won't feel like a real home without the other ones. Commercial buildings also require more intensive and sturdier materials, while most residential construction projects will focus more on timber.

It's also why commercial buildings are significantly expensive than residential buildings because of their high-quality materials. There are no cheap materials used in commercial buildings because the entire building's integrity will be at stake. Risking the hundreds of lives should never be made to cut costs and save more money for the construction of commercial buildings.

The Functionality of These Buildings

Companies never hold their businesses in any residential building for the sole purpose of calling it a residence. Homes are only for families to have their privacy, relatives, and other small guests to visit from Time to Time. There aren't any large scale businesses that use residences to do their job because contractors didn't construct it to occupy a lot of people in the first place.

Companies and businesses usually need large spaces to work efficiently. They also need a vast area where they can place several pieces of their equipment to conduct their transactions. Instead of having an extensive commercial building constructed, most of these buildings are standing vertically. Hence, the reason there are skyscrapers. Skyscrapers primarily have designs that help avoid the waste of any land and provide space for other buildings to stand on.

Examples of commercial constructions are shops, warehouses, factories, clinical laboratories, theaters, sports venues, hospitals, local office buildings, etc. Greater need for particular services for commercial construction is also required, such as fire protection equipment, lifts and escalators, security, data and server rooms, lighting and HVAC, and access controls.

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Now that you have an idea about differentiating between residential and commercial construction, it will give you enough insight into who to look for when you need to have a building constructed. It can make searching for the right construction contractor easier and less of a hassle because of how the construction industry works.

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