A modular building is a wildly popular option for the majority of Americans who are looking for convenience and affordability when expanding their business. These innovative structures offer a fast and efficient solution, providing businesses with a way to quickly scale up without the lengthy wait times and inflated costs of traditional construction. Modular buildings are custom-built inside factories and then shipped anywhere in the country, where they are assembled on-site in a matter of days. This streamlined process allows for greater control over both timeline and budget.

Throughout the construction journey, clients have the opportunity to customize and incorporate unique features that are specifically tailored to their company’s needs—whether that’s adding specialized office spaces, meeting rooms, or unique design elements that reflect your brand.

At Specialty Modular, we aim to make this process seamless, comfortable, and successful for each of our clients. We take on the responsibility of managing everything from factory construction to shipping and final assembly, ensuring that you don’t have to worry about a thing. However, there are still important steps for you to take in the planning phase. Other than dreaming big about what your business could look like in a modular building, today we’ll walk you through all of the exciting and practical aspects of modular construction. These are the key considerations every business should focus on when exploring modular building options—helping you understand the benefits and how to make the most of your new space.

Making a Modular Building Fit Your Needs:

Visualizing YOUR Needs First!

It’s so easy to try and make your business work inside of a pre-existing buildings; but it’s also a lot like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. With modular buildings, so much is easily customizable that it’s best to start thinking about your needs before thinking about what’s available. Take some time to assess your space requirements and understand what specifically you need. This usually works best if you begin focusing on the number of employees and their day to day operational tasks as a gauge of what you need. 

Now Consider Others!

When figuring out your space and what your needs are, it’s also a great time for you to really consider how your clients or customers will utilize the space. Do you have a retail space or is it an educational facility? Do you have clients stopping by for consultations or even procedures? Or do you just need a waiting room for them to sit comfortably for a short period of time while they wait? Whatever your layout is, we’ll want to make sure there is enough space and the right kind of flow.

Allocating Your Resources!

Lastly, when it comes to discussing the preliminary matters with your team, it’s always best to start outlining a budget and allocating it theoretically to what you think is a high priority. If you want an aesthetically pleasing building and the design is very important, it’s best to be aware that you want to spend more money on features. If you’re also certain that you want to make sure storage and built-ins are present, keep in mind that you’d like your budget to match your interests.

We completely understand that many people have no idea where to begin when it comes to assembling budgetary numbers for a project like this, but knowing some of your interests and limits are extremely helpful for us to assist you going forward.

Choosing the Right Modular Building Type:

We encourage everyone who is checking out Specialty Modular to spend some time getting inspired by our floor plans page. You can find a wide selection of building floor plans that we have built for other businesses and companies from a wide range of industries. Whether you are looking for a classroom or a medical clinic, we have options available for you to look at. But don’t feel limited by what currently exists. Start figuring out what floor plan would work best for what you’ve discussed with your team. We specialize in custom modular buildings and are always up for a challenge.

One of the great aspects of a modular building is that they are also endlessly customizable or expandable if you need to take your current project into the future. If you start with one building today and need to expand to a campus in the future, modular makes it friendly and unified.

It’s also very important to know any compliance or regulations that might be required based on the industry that you are in. We are fairly familiar with many compliance codes and requirements for a lot of industry types, but it’s always good to know from the source if you have any special needs or requirements based off of the business you run. Knowing any requirements up front or limitations greatly help us with the design process and we can let our friends at the factory know ahead of time for any potential additional requirements.

Choosing a Site for your Modular Building:

When approaching a modular building option, it is very important to make sure that you have a location already selected. We completely understand when clients first come to us and are on a fact finding mission to try and understand what they’re biting off. However, one of the largest hurdles when building any building is the site location. A site location is going to let us know up front if you already have a location purchased and picked out or if you will need to buy a location as well as a building. 

When a site is located, one of the questions that inevitably comes up as well, is how the building is set. We can set buildings on a foundation after being dug out on site, known within the industry as “pit set” where the door will be at ground level. Classic modular buildings with stairs and ramps are placed on supports which require compacted gravel or a cement pad for the building to rest upon. These usually are unanticipated costs for many clients coming to us, but are marginal when factored into the overall project, but being aware ahead of time is a bonus.

Lastly, we recommend that all permitting required at the local level be done by the client, as your town is more likely to get you through the system faster than they will be for us. Checking in and seeing if you require anything special and making sure you’re fully permitted will help save you heartache in the future. Making sure everything is squared away with the city will prevent delays in the future when we get to installing your dream building.

The Practical Side of Your Modular Building:

When it comes to your building, a site location really starts to make a lot of design choices for you and helps solidify your vision. With a site located, things as mundane as the sunrise and sunset will determine where you want doors and windows facing. It helps you also decide where the best placement is if you’re looking to expand in the future or where the parking lot needs to be located. Many of these factors are pre-determined based on what your site will allow and what is available.

Another crucial aspect to the practical side of designing your modular building is where your utilities are accessible. Water and electricity are requirements for most buildings to function as intended when purchased. Having access to sewer, water, and electricity will be a requirement if you have a “wet” building, which means you have water access such as a restroom or kitchenette. You’ll want to keep this in mind when you’re envisioning your new building and communicating your plans to the team.

Lastly, the aesthetic of your building is sometimes one of the last things that a lot of clients consider when they’re designing their building. Something as simple as paint selection for your siding and trim could be extremely helpful in preparations for your building. However, you can also experiment with types of sidings or any aspect of your exterior that is going to match your needs for your business. After all, for many businesses, conveying a sense of who you are before the client ever enters the building is a way to get a foothold in with your clients.

Understanding the Construction Process of Your Modular Building:

One thing that is always very helpful for our clients is understanding what the building process is like for modular buildings before they start mentally planning and scheduling what needs to be done. Most people have a very specific kind of building process in mind when they think of building their business and that usually paints an inaccurate, if not incorrect, view of how this process will work.

There is a vast difference between a modular building and a stick-built building. A stick-built building can take months to clear, frame, send in subcontractors, seal up, and finalize before you’re ready to enter the building. Modular Buildings are built through a factory with a rigorous schedule that requires they be efficient, diligent, and on time for each step that is carefully inspected before continuation. The experts in our factory assemble your building, depending on the size, within weeks before they are shipped out to their final destination where we assemble them within a matter of days.

From a client’s perspective, the process is a bunch of waiting until things start to move very quickly. Thankfully, once a contract is signed, you mostly just sit back and wait for us to do our thing. Your building is designed and built to last because it has to travel from the factory to your destination safe and secure. No stick-built building can survive that kind of demand. Once your building is at its destination, our assembly teams work hard to get your building set and in place within a matter of days, depending on the size of the project.

Once our assembly crew has completed putting your building together, you’re free to get utilities hooked up and an HVAC team out to make sure everything is perfect. 

Financing your Modular Building:

One of the scarier questions we ask our clients is if they have their financing in order for the project before we continue. It’s easy to get a little defensive when asked this question, but we’re not trying to squeeze every last penny out of you. Mostly, what we’re checking is how far along in the process you are. Making sure that your financing is squared away is a sure sign that you’re ready to move forward and you’re serious about getting started.

Not that people without financing are ignored, it simply helps us realize how quickly you need quotes and more information. No matter how you intend to finance your building, just letting a sales team member know that you’re financed and ready to go is a way to signal that things need to start happening.

If you’re not sure about your financing, you should make an appointment with your bank or loan officer to see what’s possible for you. You may want to shop around to find financing that works for you and helps your dream become a reality.

Final Thoughts: Preparing for Your Modular Building

Investing in a modular building is an exciting and strategic decision that offers efficiency, customization, and cost savings. By planning ahead and considering factors such as space requirements, compliance regulations, site selection, and design aesthetics, you can ensure that your modular building perfectly aligns with your business needs. Modular construction not only accelerates the building timeline but also provides flexibility for future expansion, making it a smart long-term investment.

At Specialty Modular, we take pride in guiding our clients through every step of the process, from initial design concepts to final installation. While we handle the complexities of factory production, shipping, and assembly, your role in planning and preparation is crucial to ensuring a smooth and successful outcome. Taking the time to assess your specific business needs, secure permits, and communicate your vision with our team will help us bring your ideal space to life.

Whether you’re creating a new office, an educational facility, a healthcare clinic, or any other commercial space, modular buildings provide a modern solution that adapts to your business’s evolving demands. By embracing this innovative approach, you’ll not only save time and money but also gain a high-quality, durable structure designed to serve your business for years to come.

Are you ready to take the next step? Contact Specialty Modular today to explore your options and begin the journey toward your perfect modular building!