Opening a retail franchise can be a technical challenge as you have to meet mandatory requirements from different parties. When you become a franchisee, the brand will provide you with detailed operating manuals that must be followed exactly. Your franchise retrofit is also subject to local building codes and zoning regulations, like any construction project, and there are often local laws that impose additional requirements. Finally, you can expect technical specifications from the real estate agency that rents the commercial space.
All of these requirements combined can present a challenge, especially when an entrepreneur is working with a franchise for the first time. However, an MEP engineering company can simplify the design and construction process. You'll also get quick approval from the local building department, the landlord, and of course the franchise.
Opening a retail franchise? Meet operating manuals and local building codes with a professional MEP design.
Here we will discuss the main benefits of working with professional MEP engineers when opening a retail franchise establishment. With their help, you can speed up design and construction while gaining value-added features like energy efficiency measures.
1) MEP engineers can help you choose commercial spaces for retail franchises
A fitout project for a franchise becomes much simpler when you find a commercial space that meets your needs. This is especially true for utility connections, as they must have sufficient capacity for the franchise's operational needs.
- For example, if you are starting a laundry franchise, you need to find a commercial space with an adequate water supply.
- If you buy or rent a property without checking the existing facilities, you could soon be faced with expensive upgrades.
MEP engineers can help you identify a suitable commercial space for a retail franchise. They can perform a professional assessment of existing facilities and let you know which systems are falling short of your energy and water needs.
Comparing commercial spaces can be a challenge: you can find properties that look great, but where MEP installations are designed for businesses with low energy consumption. You can avoid big expenses by getting a property condition assessment (PCA) before signing a lease or purchasing a property. If you skip this step, you could run into hidden problems that will make your franchise adaptation project much more expensive.
2) MEP engineers can help you with retail franchise manuals
Retail franchises have a specific way of doing business, and this impacts the design of your fitout project. However, MEP engineers can specify the components and features needed to meet the franchise's operational requirements. In other words, they can translate franchise manuals into plans and specifications that can be used in construction.
For example, a retail franchise may require specific lighting conditions and operating temperatures for a process. Based on these requirements, MEP engineers can specify fixtures and HVAC systems that achieve the described conditions. This saves a lot of time in the design phase, as you don't have to “figure out” how to achieve the conditions described in the franchise's operating manuals.
Some retail franchises provide sample drawings and construction documents, but these serve as a reference and not as final documents for your retrofit project. You will still need a design that meets local codes but adapts to the conditions of your chosen commercial space.
3) MEP engineers can comply with building codes, zoning regulations and local laws
Regardless of a franchise's operational requirements, you still need to meet local building codes and zoning regulations. This can be especially challenging when code requirements limit your design options.
- For example, Local Law 97 of 2019 imposes emission limits on many New York buildings starting in 2024, and staying below that limit could be difficult for energy-intensive franchises.
- In this case, an energy-efficient design that still achieves the operating conditions specified by the franchise is required.
Unlike franchise manuals, which aim to achieve the same results in all locations, building codes vary by state and city. This is important if you intend to open the same retail franchise in different locations: a project that works in one city may need to be changed to be used in a different jurisdiction, even if you find identical commercial spaces.
The combination of franchise operating manuals, local building codes, zoning regulations, local laws and owner specifications may seem overwhelming at first glance. However, experienced MEP engineers can design building systems that meet all of these requirements, even in cases where there are design conflicts between franchise manuals and local codes.
