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3 Reasons to Choose a Design-Build Firm

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The design-build method has quickly grown in popularity over recent years. According to Autodesk, 82% of surveyed construction owners plan to use design-build within the next five years. In the same report, it states, “increased state and local government backing have led to 43 states having full or largely permitted authorization to use the method during public agency projects.”

While the rest of the nation is catching up, the Maryville commercial construction experts at Leon Williams has been utilizing the design-build method for over 30 years. Dedicated to delivering your project on time and on budget, our experts understand the importance and benefits that using this method has for our clients.

Whether it’s the decreased number of changes or the reduced project delivery time, we are committed to using the design-build method to better serve you.

Here are three reasons why you should choose a design-build firm like Leon Williams Contractors.

Reduced Delivery Time

The project delivery schedule is one of the most important aspects for the project owner and the construction company. When a deadline is set, all parties want to stick to that timeline without any problems. When using the design-build method, processes are more streamlined due to the designer and contractor being a single entity. Because of this, teams can work on multiple aspects of the project at a time.

Collaboration

With a design-build firm, all the teams are combined under one-single contract. Because of this, everyone is working toward one single goal. This leads to clearer communication within the team and encourages teamwork while improving the overall quality of the project. With there being a single point of responsibility, everyone is responsible for the totality of the project. In addition, this also allows for easier adjustments to the project because communication is smoother when using the design-build method.

Early Project Involvement

Both reduced delivery time and collaboration are benefits of design-build projects because the method offers the opportunity for early involvement. Our design-build experts believe in getting involved early to ensure we identify any on-site construction issues that could place the budget or schedule at risk. With all teams being a part of the design-build team, we can effectively discuss potential measures to take to ensure the job is completed as smoothly as possible prior to construction.

We are only three months into 2023, so there is still plenty of time to partner with a design-build firm for your latest project. Give our experts a call at (865) 982-1734 or contact us online.

Use value engineering to maximize your office renovation

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Every business needs a refresher now and then. Whether you are a dentist office or providing IT support, a renovation can spark new life into your company while catching the eyes of new customers looking for the services you provide. Whether it’s a full-scale renovation or just a simple spruce-up, deciding to spend money on a project is a big deal, and you want to select a contractor that will deliver high-quality results.

The Maryville construction experts at Leon Williams Contractors have years of experience working on office renovation projects. Our experts understand the importance of creating the most bang for your buck when it comes to office renovations. While our design-build method provides advantages such as reduced project delivery time and a single point of responsibility, we are also experts in value engineering. This helps us protect your investment and maximize its value.

Construction Decisions

As described by Investopedia, value engineering is “a systematic and organized approach to providing the necessary functions in a project at the lowest cost.” It also “promotes the substitution of materials and methods with less expensive alternatives without sacrificing functionality.” Our experts can provide advice and information needed for you to make informed construction decisions that align with your project goals and budget. Oftentimes, project owners would like to include something in their renovation that may make the office more appealing but be detrimental to the overall functionality of the space. Our experts will provide an evaluation while making alternative recommendations that maintain the value of the project while protecting the functionality of the space.

Staying on Budget

Our experts always have your budget in mind when we make recommendations. From the very beginning, our team will compare alternative materials and fixtures that help maintain your budget and makes the construction process more efficient. We’ll provide honest evaluation of the value, quality and life expectancy of every building alternative or solution we recommend. Our goal is to maximize your budget and develop a premier renovation.

As the Maryville commercial construction experts, we are ready to help you stay on budget for your new office renovation. Give us a call at (865) 982-1734.

As the World Turns: Construction Trends to Look for in 2023

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When the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, we said goodbye to 2022 and welcomed in the new year. With a new year comes new challenges and goals for both individuals and companies. While there will be some changes within the construction industry, many of the same concerns and trends will carry over into this year. From labor shortages to material costs, those looking to begin projects will be forced to take these issues into account when selecting a contractor.

As your Maryville commercial construction leader, our experts at Leon Williams Contractors have the tools to help you when planning your 2023 project. Here are a few construction trends you will see this year.

Increased Focus on Pre-Planning

Similar to 2022, the labor shortage continues to be an ongoing issue in several industries across the nation. According to a report from Bisnow, there are roughly 25% more unfilled construction positions than hires. Almost every stat about the labor force in construction shows a shortage of construction laborers. With construction companies scrambling to find skilled laborers, it will be important to partner with an agency that focuses on pre-construction planning to ensure your project stays on schedule. Our experts get involved early to prepare for any issues that may occur on a project. Before the first plan is drawn up, we can help find and evaluate property options for your project, negotiate with property owners, and identify on-site construction issues that could place the budget and schedule at risk.

Overbudgeting and Material Cost Concerns

On a national scale, material costs have taken a positive turn. While prices remain high, there is a downward trend in the pricing of certain materials. But supply chain issues are still affecting the availability of critical materials. This is raising concerns about going over budget for construction companies and clients alike. For the experts at Leon Williams Contractors, our value engineering model can help offset some of those costs. Emphasizing the importance of protecting your investment and maximizing its value, our experts give you advice and information on alternative solutions that will align with your project goals and budget.

Emphasis on Energy-Efficient Buildings

With each passing year, energy conservation is becoming an area of focus for project owners. It is projected that by 2025, nearly 60% of all new buildings could be labeled net-zero ready. When it comes to searching for energy-efficient fixtures, our experts can make recommendations on materials that can meet your goals while maximizing your project’s value. In addition to our value engineering methodology, our design-build model will allow us to streamline communication between all invested parties to develop a plan to meet your project goals.

With 2023 underway, choose a design-build firm that can help get your year and project kicked off right. Contact the experts at Leon Williams Contractors at (865) 982-1734 or reach us online.

A Year in Review: Accomplishments of 2022

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With the COVID-19 pandemic causing less chaos, 2022 was a time to get back on track for industries across the state. Restrictions in many areas have been lessened, and businesses have had the opportunity to return to a more normal business environment. For the experts of Leon Williams Contractors, that meant we were able to complete several great projects around the region.

Our clients love that we use the design-build method because it offers simple but powerful advantages such as reduced project delivery time, fewer changes, a single point of responsibility and real teamwork. We also protect your investment and maximize its value by using value engineering, which allows us to offer more bang for your buck by providing building alternatives and solutions that help provide quality without breaking the bank.

While we look forward to implementing these methods for projects in 2023, we want to take a look back at some of our successful projects in 2022.

Voodoo Brewing Company – Knoxville, Tenn.

We had the pleasure of working with Knoxville’s first Voodoo Brewing Company brewpub in the latter part of this year. Voodoo Brewing Company is known for bringing their combination of beer, art, food and music to the local community. Our project with Voodoo consisted of a 6,400 square-foot renovation in the heart of Bearden. 

RIO East Church – Maryville, Tenn.

At Leon Williams, church renovations and construction are one of our specialties. We love playing a part in providing a great space for people to gather, learn, and worship. This year, we had the opportunity to work with RIO East Church in Maryville on a 4,600 square-foot renovation. The design-build project included new restrooms, a warming kitchen, classrooms, and a nursery connected to their existing worship spaces.

Morristown City Hall – Morristown, Tenn.

For over 20 years, Leon Williams Contractors have specialized in renovating office buildings. In 2022, that tradition continued with the renovation of the Morristown City Center. This 25,000 square-foot renovation was completed in multiple phases and consisted of new office spaces, conference rooms, lighting and finishes.

Other notable projects in 2022 included:

  • Carson Newman Maples Café
  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville Chick-Fil-A refresh
  • Lincoln Park Baptist Church roof system replacement and interior repairs
  • Kids Central Pediatrics in Maryville
  • Maryville DCS office renovation.

As the clock inches closer to 2023, start planning for your next project by contacting the Maryville commercial construction experts at Leon Williams Contractors. Give us a call at (865) 982-1734 or online.

Use value engineering to maximize the budget for your church project

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For nonprofit organizations, sticking to a budget is extremely important. With expenses such as insurance, utilities, labor, and a variety of others fixed within the budget, splurging can quickly become a thing of the past. When it’s time to renovate or add on to your church facility, it’s important to balance the costs with the benefits.

Value engineering helps you find the best processes for the best costs without reducing quality. The method promotes the necessities of a project while leaning on less expensive alternatives without sacrificing the functionality of the space. Value engineering helps protect your investment while maximizing its value.

The experts at Leon Williams Contractors specialize in value engineering and have over three decades of experience working with local churches. Our professionals focus on giving you the advice and information you need to make informed construction decisions that align with your project goals and budget. Our experts provide clients with an honest evaluation of the value, quality and life expectancy of every building alternative or recommended solution.

When it’s time for your next church project, here are a few ways our experts can help maximize your budget.

Provide Resourceful Advice

When it comes to a project, oftentimes what looks great doesn’t help with functionality. Sometimes, larger-than-life features can hinder the efficiency of a building. Our professionals will look at the plan and make recommendations on how to accomplish your key features without being detrimental to the budget and progress of the project.

Recommend Proper Materials

With your budget in mind, our experts will consider different types of materials that could be utilized to better fit your budget. From the outset, we compare alternative materials and fixtures that can make construction easier and more cost-effective while providing the quality that you expect.

Teamwork

At Leon Williams, we work hand-in-hand with the project owner and design team to determine what is best for the project. Early on, the team will go over plans and locate potential problems and pain points so they can be addressed. Overall, this helps minimize costs while saving time on the project.

As the Maryville commercial construction expert, we are prepared to utilize our experience and value engineering expertise to help you get more bang for your buck. If you are ready to get your next church project underway, give our experts a call at (865) 982-1734.

How design-build can help you with your food service project

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The food service industry is constantly changing. Whether it’s to keep up with current trends or to meet a shift in demands, you will likely need to renovate your space. Nothing showcased the ongoing changes in the industry more than the COVID-19 pandemic. During a time when multiple businesses were forced to close their doors, many restaurants pivoted by upgrading their buildings for curbside services.

When it’s time to consider a renovation or a brand-new restaurant project, design-build construction agencies can provide the necessary measures to ensure your project is completed on schedule and within budget. The Maryville commercial construction experts at Leon Williams Contractors are design-build professionals while also having 30-plus years of experience in the food service construction industry.

There are multiple ways the design-build model can assist in your restaurant project.

  • Reduced project delivery time: One of the major goals of the design-build model is to reduce the time needed to complete a project. With this method, all stakeholders are involved from the very beginning of the project. This allows the team to be proactive in their planning and leads to fewer changes and claims. Any potential problems can be addressed early in the project to allow for better collaboration. Decisions can be revisited at later stages of the projects without added delays.
  • Accountability: With the design-build model, both the design and construction function come together within a single team. This prevents the need of having contractual obligations for the designers and builders individually. The design-build team is accountable for the entire project. Because of this, there is a single stream of accountability in addition to a streamlined means of communication. If there is a problem with your new patio seating area, you know who to contact.
  • Reliable Teamwork: One of the best aspects of the design-build model is collaboration and teamwork. With the design-build team and owner working collaboratively on the project, everyone is working toward a common goal – finishing the project on time and on budget. If a problem arises, the design-build team must work to solve the problem because the entity as a whole is accountable. This model empowers the team to work in lockstep with one another.

If you are looking for a construction agency to complete your restaurant project, choose our design-build experts at Leon Williams Contractors by calling (865) 982-1734.

Avoid Problems with your Franchise Project by Planning Early

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You wouldn’t start a business without creating a plan first, would you? There could be a myriad of issues that one wouldn’t be ready to handle, which could ultimately fail. The same applies to construction projects. That’s why it is important to have a series of tools in place to help avoid on-site issues. One of those tools is a pre-construction plan.

 In today’s business climate, having a plan is essential to ensure projects stay on track. The Maryville commercial construction experts at Leon Williams Contractors believe in getting involved early when it comes to your franchise project. We begin evaluating the project before the first plan is drawn up to ensure our team and the project owner have all the necessary information.

As East Tennessee’s leader in the design-build method, pre-planning plays a major role in our process. Here are three ways pre-planning can help you avoid problems during your project.

  • Identify on-site construction issues: Our experts evaluate property options for new facilities. but equally as important, we assess and identify on-site construction issues that could place the budget and schedule at risk. By accounting for potential hurdles or obstacles, the pre-planning phase can minimize issues during the construction phase of the project.
  • Develop a feasible project timeline: Creating a schedule is paramount to ensure all key tasks are completed on time. During pre-planning, decision-makers meet to determine a feasible timeline for the project in order to have realistic expectations. This is critical with today’s supply chain issues.  If your general contractor is not furnishing a mapped-out schedule, they likely have not explored the lead times required to complete your project.
  • Clearly defines the budget: To ensure all decision-makers are operating in harmony, an established budget is created during the pre-planning phase. This allows the project owner to know the estimated cost of the whole project.  We put extra effort to spell out what items are included and just as important excluded from the budget. This helps an owner identify other items that may need to be included in the project budget and maintain accountability.

If you are looking for a contractor who will take the necessary steps to keep your project on track, give our experts a call at (865) 982-1734. You can also contact us online.

How design-build can prevent construction delays

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Delays can be a hassle in everyday life. You could be on your way to work when traffic causes you to run behind. You may have to wait on your food longer than expected at a restaurant. An unexpected flat tire could create downtime on a road trip. But when it comes to construction, delays can be costly and prevent you from reaching your target open date.

For the experts at Leon Williams Contractors, it is our goal to keep your project on track by reducing delays in the field. As the Maryville commercial construction expert, we utilize the design-build project delivery method to ensure you don’t spend more money because of delays.

The Design-Build Institute of America describes design-build as “where one entity, the design-builder, enters into a single contract with the owner to provide both design and construction services.” With this method, the roles of the designer and constructor are integrated to ensure one entity drives one unified workflow from initial concept through completion. This creates a collaborative team effort between the design-build team and the owner while placing responsibility for coordinating all project elements on the design-build team.

Here are some ways design-build can prevent construction delays on your project.

Accountability

As mentioned, the sole purpose of the design-build method is to have the design and construction services integrated, which places the responsibility solely on the design-build team. This typically results in fewer change orders and disputes because all the work is performed under the same umbrella. Project leaders on the design-build team can hold individuals accountable for their portion of the project and reduce the number of errors that could ultimately cause delays. In addition, the owner knows who to approach in the event of an error or change.

Enhanced Teamwork

With the team being united from the onset of the project, they are aware of what the project entails. This makes it easier for team members to remain on the same page and stick to the agreed-on schedule. Communication is a major component of a project. The design-build method empowers team members to create a collaborative atmosphere with everyone working together to complete a project faster and more effectively as compared to traditional delivery methods.

Simplicity

The design-build method simplifies the building process thanks to collaborative teamwork. Not only does this reduce delivery time, but it also results in fewer delays, lower costs, and less paperwork. All of this contributes to a much timelier completion date.

 If you are interested in learning how our design-build services can reduce delays, or if you are ready to start your next project, give our experts a call at (865) 982-1734. You can also contact us online.

Need a new look? Value engineering can provide your restaurant with a facelift

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Nothing lasts forever. There is always a need for change. While your current building design has landed you success, a facelift can give your restaurant a fresh look and feel while also accommodating for changes in customer demand and industry changes. If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that time can change in an instant and making the necessary pivots can help you increase revenue. Just ask those that added areas for curbside delivery areas during the pandemic.

Of course, renovating your restaurant isn’t a free venture. It can cost a substantial amount of money. Business owners want to be smart with their money, and value engineering can provide a perfect avenue to help owners produce the restaurant facelift they desire.

The purpose of value engineering is to find the best processes for the best costs without decreasing quality. So, you need a contractor that not only understands but has years of experience in value engineering. The Maryville commercial construction experts at Leon Williams Contractors have decades’ worth of experience saving people money without risking quality.

There are multiple areas that our contractors specialize in that can help your restaurant renovation project.

Materials and Fixtures

Our experts will look at the different types of materials to make sure they maximize your budget. We compare different materials to make construction quicker and more affordable. For example, there are different alternatives to flooring and lighting fixtures that are more cost-effective yet still provide the same level of quality as the more expensive options.

Sound Advice

Business owners usually have a vision of what they want their renovation to look like. While this is great, sometimes it can include some unnecessary and sometimes detrimental features that could hinder progress or make the building less efficient. Our experts will make recommendations on planned features that could limit usability or add unnecessary costs to the project.

Group Decisions

One of the best perks of value engineering with Leon Williams Contractors is that we tackle things as a group. This makes it easier to locate potential pain points and address them accordingly. For example, if we notice a potential budget-increasing feature, it can be addressed early on and added to the budget.

If you’re ready to get started on your restaurant’s new look, give value engineering a try with Leon Williams Contractors. Not only will you be hiring a contractor with over 30-plus years of experience, but you will also be committing to a high-quality project while spending less money. When you’re ready to give value engineering a try, give us a call at (865) 982-1734.

Is your church in need of a renovation? LWC specializes in church construction and renovation projects

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After years of successful operation, every building needs a fresh coat of paint. Year after year, your place of worship has been full of individuals who have enjoyed a positive experience. But age takes a toll on all buildings after a while.

While some leaders may suggest constructing a new building, renovations can be what your church needs. A more cost-effective option, updating your existing building can provide your church with a fresh look while keeping its history in place for future generations. From creating a new façade to expanding the space, Leon Williams is here to help you complete your vision.

Protecting Your Investment

Deciding to invest in a renovation project should not be taken lightly. While it’s more cost-effective than constructing a new building, it still takes time and money to bring your vision to life. An important aspect of any project is the pre-planning stages.

A critical component of the pre-planning stage is how to handle the flow of traffic during the construction process – both inside and outside the building.  Does this need to be phased to ensure current operations can continue?  Will a temporary facility need to be installed?  Will that facility require connection to the building utilities?  Are there certain ministries that will need to be held in other locations or be accommodated during construction?  It is important to consider these questions as part of the entire project budget so that there are no surprises once construction commences. 

At Leon Williams Contractors, we pride ourselves in asking these and many more questions during the planning phase so that construction can progress smoothly. Before our experts draw up the first plan, we can evaluate the multiple options available for the renovation and assess and identify on-site construction issues that could place the budget or schedule at risk.

Our experts are dedicated to protecting your investment while maximizing its value. We recognize that churches are non-profit entities with a set budget. We want to provide as much bang for your buck as possible. Through value engineering, we will advise and provide you with information to help you make informed decisions about your church project.

For example, maybe you believe it’s not worth investing in new facility equipment. Our team will provide you with pinpoint details to help you decide if you want to continue on that path or install new equipment that will decrease operating costs over time. As part of our mission, we provide honest evaluations regarding the value, quality and life expectancy of every building alternative or solution we recommend ensuring our goals align with expectations.

We Are Here To Help

No matter what your goal is for your church renovation, the professionals at Leon Williams Contractors are here to help. As the Maryville commercial construction expert, we have 30-plus years of experience in using value engineering to help clients across East Tennessee. If you are ready to get your church renovation project started, give our experts a call at (865) 982-1734.