The Tool Desk
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The eight starter questions for a commercial building project help you decide whether an expansion or new facility is ready to enter formal planning. You are in a stronger position when the people who must approve the project are aligned, plans can proceed without avoidable pauses, the required opening date is explicit, and both construction and long-term financing have a credible path.
This checklist is adapted from Star Building Systems’ 2014 preparation framework, not a substitute for current local code, permitting, cost or lending advice. Use it to expose missing decisions before you commission detailed design or commit capital, then confirm every assumption with qualified local professionals.
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Use the questions in sequence: establish authority to proceed, test whether planning can run continuously, set the date the facility must open, work backward to the construction start, and then validate financing and budget. A “yes” does not approve a project by itself; it tells you which evidence still has to be collected.
What signals that it may be time to consider building?
Star Building Systems identifies three practical signals: you are running out of room for inventory or employees, you lack customer-facing space, or you are ready to own rather than rent a location. None is an automatic instruction to build. Each is a reason to compare the cost and operational effect of a project with alternatives such as improving an existing site, leasing more space or changing the way space is used.
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Write down the business problem in measurable terms before discussing a design. For example, record the space you have, the space you expect to need, the functions that cannot fit today, and the consequences of delay. This statement keeps the project focused on capacity or service needs rather than on a preferred building appearance.
1. Do I have the approval of all interested parties?
Begin planning only after every person or organization with authority, money, ownership rights or operational responsibility understands the proposal and has a defined approval route. The first question is a governance check, not a ceremonial sign-off.
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- Name the approver: record a person or governing body rather than a department alone.
- Define the decision: state the amount, scope, location and commitments being approved.
- Capture conditions: note limits such as a maximum budget, required return, site restriction or opening date.
- Set an escalation path: decide who resolves a disagreement and how a revised scope is authorized.
Do not treat informal enthusiasm as final authority. A short approval register with dates, conditions and outstanding decisions prevents design work from advancing on assumptions that a stakeholder later rejects.
2. Can plans begin and be completed without interruption?
Plans are ready to start when the project can supply the information, decisions and access needed to carry design through approval and construction documents. If a key input is uncertain, identify it as a dependency and assign an owner before spending heavily on detailed plans.
Check the continuity of the planning path:
- Confirm control of the site or the right to investigate it, including access for surveys and tests.
- List the information the design team needs, such as the business brief, space requirements, equipment list and known utility needs.
- Identify external reviews and approvals that can affect the design, and verify their current submission requirements with the relevant local authority.
- Agree on who can answer questions and how quickly decisions will be made.
- Reserve the budget and professional capacity needed to move from concept through permit-ready documents.
“Without interruption” does not mean that no revision will ever occur. It means that expected reviews, investigations and decision points are planned rather than discovered after work has begun. If land control, environmental information, operating requirements or approvals are unresolved, pause at a defined gate instead of allowing an incomplete plan to gather momentum.
3. What is the open-for-business date I need?
Set the date the facility must be able to serve customers or support operations, then define what “open” means. A ceremonial opening, staff move-in, equipment commissioning and full trading capacity may be different milestones.
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Document the date, the operating capability required on that date, and any immovable business event behind it. Include time for equipment installation, technology setup, inspections, staff training, inventory movement and a controlled transition from the current location where those activities apply. These are planning allowances, not source-provided industry standards, so validate them with your design and construction team.
Ask what happens if the date slips. A written consequence—such as a lease expiration, seasonal revenue window or contractual obligation—helps the team rank schedule decisions. It also gives lenders and approving parties a common definition of urgency instead of a vague request to “finish quickly.”
4. When will construction have to start to meet this deadline?
Work backward from the required opening date to establish the latest defensible construction start. The source framework asks this question but does not provide a scheduling formula; your project team must build a date-specific programme from the actual design, approval, procurement and construction scope.
Create a milestone map with at least these stages:
- brief and site investigations;
- concept and detailed design;
- reviews, permits and other required approvals;
- financing close and contract authorization;
- procurement of long-lead items;
- site preparation and construction;
- commissioning, inspections, fit-out, training and move-in.
Mark dependencies and decision deadlines, not just the final completion date. Then add an explicit risk discussion: which activities can overlap, which cannot start until an approval or funding condition is met, and what recovery options exist if a milestone moves. Revisit the map whenever scope, site conditions, approvals or financing terms change.
5. Is financing available?
Availability means more than a lender saying that a product exists. You need an evidence-based view of how much capital the project requires, which costs are eligible, what equity or other contribution is expected, and whether the timing of funds matches the work.
Start with a whole-project budget, then prepare a concise financing brief containing the proposed site, scope, schedule, ownership structure, requested amount, contribution, repayment plan and major risks. Ask prospective lenders what information and conditions they require before relying on an indicative conversation. Financing terms, underwriting standards and rates are time- and jurisdiction-specific; confirm them directly rather than using a 2014 checklist as current lending advice.
6. Can interim or construction financing be arranged, and what are my sources?
Construction or interim financing covers the period in which money is drawn as the project is built. Determine whether that facility can be arranged, how draws are authorized, what security or guarantees may be required, and how its maturity aligns with completion and conversion to permanent debt.
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List every plausible source separately—such as a commercial lender, an existing relationship bank, an investor or internal funds—without assuming that a source will support the same uses or timing. For each, record the amount under consideration, application requirements, draw process, fees, conditions and the event that repays or replaces the facility.
Ask for a written explanation of what happens if completion is delayed or costs rise. A construction facility that expires before the building can operate creates a different risk from a project that merely needs a larger eventual loan. Your legal and financial advisers can explain security, guarantees, covenants and tax effects for your jurisdiction.
7. Can long-term financing be arranged, and what are my sources?
Long-term financing is the funding intended to remain after construction, often replacing or paying off an interim facility. Confirm that a permanent lender is willing to consider the completed project and that the proposed repayment structure fits the business’s expected cash flow.
Compare sources on more than headline interest. Ask about term, amortization, fixed or variable pricing, renewal or refinancing risk, prepayment provisions, collateral, guarantees, reporting and the conditions for conversion from construction debt. Keep the comparison tied to the project budget and opening date: a permanent loan that cannot close when the interim facility matures is not a complete financing plan.
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8. Do we need help obtaining financing, and what are our resources?
Ask this before an application stalls. Help may be useful when the project has several funding stages, an unfamiliar ownership structure, complex site costs or a timetable that requires coordination among lenders, designers and contractors.
Make a resource list with the role each adviser will perform. Potential resources include your accountant for financial projections and tax questions, a commercial finance adviser or broker for lender discussions, a lawyer for land and loan documents, and the design or construction team for scope, cost and schedule information. Verify qualifications, fees, conflicts and who is responsible for each deliverable.
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An adviser should improve clarity, not replace your decisions. You still need to approve the project scope, understand obligations and keep a record of assumptions supplied to every party.
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How do I prepare a budget that covers the whole project?
Estimate the space you need and a budget per square foot, then compare that working estimate with current construction costs in your community. The 2014 budget follow-up from Star Building Systems does not publish cost figures, so do not reuse an old number as a current allowance. Confirm local costs and contingencies with professionals familiar with your site and building type.
Build the budget as a project total, not a building-only price. The source lists these categories to consider:
| Category | What to capture |
|---|---|
| Land | Purchase or site-control costs and related due diligence |
| Building | Core construction and the specified building systems |
| Permits and fees | Application, review and other authority charges |
| Land improvements and utilities | Grading, drainage, connections and on-site infrastructure |
| Equipment and furniture | Operational equipment, fixtures and furnishings |
| Soil tests, surveys and environmental studies | Investigations needed to understand site conditions and constraints |
| Demolition and site preparation | Removal, clearing, excavation and preparation work |
| Paving | Parking, access drives and other paved areas |
| Design fees | Architecture, engineering and related professional services |
| Insurance | Project and operational coverage identified by your advisers |
| Brokerage or legal fees | Transaction, contract and legal work |
| Traffic studies | Required analysis for access or local review |
After listing costs, label each as known, estimated or still unknown; identify who supplied the figure; and state whether the budget can move. A flexible budget is not a blank cheque. Define the decisions that could expand it, the scope that could be reduced, and the approval required for either change.
What should I verify before committing to the project?
Use a readiness gate that combines the eight questions and the budget work. Do not commit to land, design or construction solely because one area looks positive.
- Authority: interested parties and approval limits are documented.
- Site: access, investigations and major constraints are understood well enough for the next design stage.
- Scope: space, operations, equipment and customer requirements are written down.
- Schedule: the opening definition, milestone map and latest construction start are agreed.
- Money: whole-project costs, budget flexibility and funding gaps are visible.
- Finance: interim and long-term sources, conditions and advisers are identified.
- Compliance: current local permitting, code, environmental and land-use requirements are being checked with the relevant authorities.
Because the source material dates from 2014, treat this gate as a decision framework rather than a current legal or financial checklist. Requirements vary by location and project type and can change before work starts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should a one-page project worksheet contain?
A compact worksheet turns discussion into accountable decisions. Keep one version of the truth and update it when a scope, date or funding assumption changes.
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| Prompt | Evidence to attach | Owner and next decision |
|---|---|---|
| Who approves? | Approval register, conditions and authority limits | Named decision maker; approval date |
| Can planning continue? | Site-control evidence, investigations, design brief and review path | Project lead; readiness gate |
| When must it open? | Operational definition and business deadline | Operations lead; accepted date |
| When must construction start? | Milestone map and dependency list | Designer or contractor; schedule baseline |
| Is money available? | Whole-project budget and funding brief | Finance lead; gap to close |
| How will construction be funded? | Interim facility options, draw conditions and sources | Finance lead; application plan |
| How will ownership be funded? | Long-term term sheets or lender requirements | Owner and adviser; conversion plan |
| Is help required? | Adviser scopes, fees and conflicts | Owner; engagement decision |
What happens after the eight questions are answered?
Convert the answers into a dated action plan. Close approval and site-information gaps first, validate the budget against current local conditions, confirm the opening and construction dates, and then pursue financing with the documents lenders request. Re-baseline the plan when a material assumption changes.
Star Building Systems summarizes the value of this preparation by writing, “By having a clearly mapped out plan for your project, you’ll hit fewer snags and complications along the way.” The statement is the source’s guidance, not a guarantee. When you are ready to move forward, its starter article also points readers toward finding a Star Authorized Builder; independently check builder qualifications, scope and contract terms before engagement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I secure a site before talking with lenders?
Discuss the site and proposed transaction with lenders and advisers before making an irreversible commitment. They can identify due-diligence, valuation, environmental or financing conditions that should be reflected in the purchase agreement.
When should an architect or engineer join the process?
Bring design professionals in early enough to test the space brief, site constraints and approval path before the budget is treated as final. Their scope should state what information they will produce and at which decision gates.
What if the required opening date changes after planning starts?
Reissue the milestone map and identify which approvals, procurement decisions, financing conditions and operating activities are affected. Tell every approver and lender promptly; a revised date can change both the construction-start requirement and the funding timeline.
Does this checklist apply to a small expansion as well as a new building?
Yes, but scale the evidence to the work. An interior expansion may not require land purchase or traffic studies, while it can still need stakeholder approval, uninterrupted design, a defined opening date, construction funding and a whole-project budget.
