What to know about product installations
In the realm of commercial office furniture, meticulous attention to detail is crucial especially when it comes to installation; you want the items you purchased to fit in your space. But it’s not just the fit that has to be right, a subpar furniture installation can detract from even the most impressive office design. Installation issues can lead to change orders, budget overages, and headaches. This comprehensive guide empowers buyers like you to proactively prevent such issues, guaranteeing your commercial projects radiate excellence without having any trade-offs.
Pre-Install
While fit at this stage of your project is less likely to be a problem, it’s always wise to have someone go to site and conduct a site visit, especially if there has been construction. In this site visit, the PM for your installation company can verify some of the following:
Is the site ready to take delivery of furniture?
This is important because some areas may not be ready for product installation and returning to site at a later date after the rest of the product will likely lead to a change order from the installer.
Are the areas on the floorplan to specification?
PMs can also verify the dimensions of a room to make sure they match the specifications in the installation plans being provided by the designer who worked on them. If changes need to be made to the product order, there may still be time to change the order without incurring any additional costs. On the other hand, the designer, client, and PM could come up with alternative solutions that don’t lead to any additional costs.
Is there parking or an area available for the installers to unload?
Depending on how much furniture was purchased, some manufacturers can fill up an entire truck which can be offloaded at site instead of the warehouse allowing for the product buyer to reduce some of their labor costs.
Are the front or rear doors big enough to allow access for some parts that are large or preassembled?
Larger products could have trouble fitting the space to be installed if there is not enough clearance.
Is the area where the furniture is to be installed free and clear?
Unless the installer has quoted additional labor for removing and or disposing of existing furniture in the space where the new product will be installed, then the customer is likely to face a change order for the installer to remove anything from the space prior to installation. Keep in mind, it’s not just the labor of doing it but if the installer has to go to the dump, they will pass along the dump fees to the customer.
Most if not all pre-install visits are charged based on per visit basis and those charges can vary depending on what you as the customer would like the PM to verify while they are there.
Now that the site is getting closer to or ready to take furniture, we move on to the next step, installation.
Installation
Prior to the start of any installation, make sure you’ve covered the following:
COI or Certificate of Insurance - Many building management teams will request that their tenants obtain a Certificate of Insurance from the vendors they are using. This assures the building management that the vendors their tenants are using have the right insurance in case they damage something. Ask your building management for a sample copy or a letter of the COI requirements to give to your vendors if they require it.
The space is “Free & Clear” - Furniture is best installed when the space is free and clear of any other objects, people, or contractors. For new builds or remodels, furniture installers want to be the last person in that space because it reduces the potential for damages or punch items that could lead to a change order.
Site Contact - You have established a site contact who will be there to allow the installation team entry into the space, be available for any placement questions, and eventually sign off on receipt of the furniture once the installation is completed.
You’ve scheduled the electrician - Depending on your state and its requirements, an electrician must be present to connect any power connectors to a live connection. Most installers and installation companies are not qualified to tap into live power. The Project Manager on your project should have a general idea of when certain areas will be done so you can schedule an electrician to be present to make the connection. This is also important to the punch process as it allows the installers to test powered items like height-adjustable desks to make sure they are functioning before they leave.
Today is the big day and furniture installation is going to start. This portion by now should be pretty straightforward. The product is either being accepted at site or is being brought over from the installer’s warehouse. Once the installers have started it’s best to stay out of their way and give them room to work. There’s a lot that goes into installing office furniture and like you, they’d prefer to get it right the first time without any issues. While installation is occurring, be prepared for the following:
Concealed damage - This is where the box looks fine but the item inside was either damaged prior to or during transport anywhere from the factory to the site. There can also be manufacturer defects that would not have been visible until the box was opened. The installers can either leave the item at site if it’s usable or take it back to the warehouse. Your dealer will typically work with the manufacturer on a replacement and see that those costs are covered at no charge to you.
An item doesn’t fit as specified - There can be multiple reasons an item doesn’t fit in a particular space including the general contractor not building to plan and now the furniture that was specified to fit in that space no longer will or the designer pulled in the wrong measurements when specifying the product for that space. It happens, and depending who is at fault will ultimately depend on the resolution.
An installer damaged an item or structure - It happens, typically any damages will be noted during the punch process or on the daily status reports for the project. If you notice something while on site, let the Project Manager for the installers know immediately so there is time to address it. The installers will typically cover the cost of the replacement if the damage is on their side.
With the furniture installation finishing up, the installers will typically do a quick run-through to make sure everything is working, no parts are missing, and everything is wiped down and ready for use. Good installation teams will note any issues while the project is being installed, making a post-visit walkthrough unnecessary. However, depending on the size of the project and how many parts are involved, it is often wise to have a Project Manager conduct what the industry calls a post-installation visit.
Are we done yet? Almost….
Post-Install or Punch Walk
Project managers will typically be the ones who conduct a post-install visit to make sure everything is installed accordingly and works as it’s supposed to. They will also be looking for any potential damages or “punch” items that will need to be corrected. This can include installer damage and manufacturing defects in items or equipment needed to function properly. Keep in mind, this service does come with a cost depending on the size of the job and the type of furniture installed, however, the charges shouldn’t be exuberantly high as this is mostly a walk-through.
Photos will be taken - Depending on who the request is coming from, the PM can provide photos of every room or space where furniture was installed so that proper documentation can be made.
PM & the site contact walk the space together - The PM will walk the site with the site contact and note if anything was installed incorrectly or in the wrong area. Anything questionable will be noted.
Punch Trip
Last but not least, we quickly cover a “Punch Trip”. A punch trip is normally a return trip made by the installation team to install replacement items or any late-arriving pieces from the main project. These trips are sometimes built into the labor quote, quoted separately, or billed as T&M in a furniture installation project. If you have no punch on your project, then take a minute to celebrate because a punchless project is never guaranteed.