Frequently Asked Questions

• One of the first steps in building a dental office is finding a location.  Realtors specializing in dental and medical can help provide different options and offer their expertise in deciding what is right for you.  If you do not have a realtor, ESA has experience with many different realtors and can help provide contacts.

• Once a location has been decided the next step is typically getting in touch with an equipment supplier.  Some suppliers specialize in specific areas of Dental and Medical, while others are one stop shops with the ability to provide everything.  Most dental suppliers can also assist in layout of the selected space.  If you do not have a dental supplier, ESA also has experience with many different suppliers and can help provide contacts.

• With a location and equipment supplier selected, a quality contractor that has extensive experience in Dental and Medical such as ESA Construction should be contacted.  At this point, we can help you with budgetary and finish selection needs.  We can also help asses feasibility and cost for potential spaces.

“Design builds,” offer many advantages over “Full architectural service.”

• It is faster and less adversarial because the contractor and the owner have worked together from concept to completion, and as a team to bring the project in on budget and on time.
• The cost is known early on in the design phase. The cost variables become simple to address and are usually related to choices regarding finishes i.e. granite, sound system, and decorative walls, etc.

• It is faster and more cost effective since the design/estimating and construction phases can be done simultaneously. This process allows the customer to custom tailor the project with his desires and budget practically eliminating change orders.

• The team approach gives cost impacts and input during the design process verses waiting for the bids to be opened. With this method savings are passed onto the owner and he/she can request options based on budget and overall criteria.

A typical office can be completed between 60 and 75 days depending on the project size and scope. At ESA, we understand that the sooner your office is open, the sooner revenue can be generated, which is why we do everything possible to open on time or in many cases ahead of schedule.

The amount of time and attention needed for a project is completely up to you.  We encourage making weekly visits to the job site in which one of our team members can meet with you to ensure that what you are getting exactly what you are wanting.  It is often difficult to visualize what an office will look like, and how it will function strictly based on a set of plans.  As the project progresses, in many cases, we can make changes to fit your style at little to no charge if made at the right time in the process.

ESA Construction provides an in-house interior designer which we offer at no charge to assist in both layout and finish selection.

An interior designer can still be helpful in making these choices along with other choices such as furniture, furniture placement, and overall aesthetics.

• Ordering the dental equipment too late.  Dental equipment can take anywhere between 4 and 8 weeks lead time to get to the site with a few days to install.  This can cause problems where the office is ready but cannot get a final inspection from the city because the equipment is not installed yet.
• Waiting too late to get paperwork/proposals signed.  The permit process cannot start until a signed proposal is in hand.  Permit processing can take anywhere between 3 and 6 weeks and sometimes longer depending on which city the project is located in.  The sooner a project is signed, the sooner the permit process can start, the sooner you can get working.
• Making changes at the last minute.  Making sure the plans are what you want before we start building is important.  Sometimes it is difficult to tell from the plans how exactly the office will look before it is built and some changes are necessary.  It can often be helpful to get staff involved early for the areas they work in regularly, as this may give insight into that area.

At ESA Construction, we have built our business based on referrals and repeat business.  We strive to build a relationship with every one of our clients, not to just build their one office, but to take care of all of their needs both current and future.

The shutdown time required in major remodels largely depends on the scope of the project.  We understand that time is money and make every effort to keep the shut down time to a minimum.

Remodel costs depend on how much is being remodeled, and what time periods we are able to do the work. Many cases in smaller remodels, we are able to take care of projects during nights and weekends. Other more extensive projects may require office downtime over long weekends, accompanied by nights.

Each flooring option provides a variety of pros and cons.

• VCT – Typically put in more behind the scene, non-public areas like the Lab, Break Room and Storage areas.
  • The cheapest of typical flooring options
  • Relatively easy to clean
  • Requires maintenance waxing
  • Is not very appealing to the eye

• Carpet – Typically put in Corridors, Offices, and Waiting Rooms.
  • Typically cheaper than Luxury Vinyl (LVT) and Tile
  • Helps cut down on echo and noise travel
  • Difficult to sterilize
  • Shows wear patterns in heavy traffic areas

• Luxury Vinyl (LVT) – Typically put in Operatories, Corridors, open Sterilization and Waiting Rooms.
  • Relatively easy to clean
  • Does not require waxing or coatings
  • Very durable
  • Provides the look of wood or tile while still being sterilizable

• Tile – Typically put in Restrooms and Entries.
  • Relatively easy to clean
  • Durable
  • Provides good protection in wet environments

• Wood – Typically put in some Waiting Rooms.
  • Difficult to sterilize
  • Provides a very appealing look
  • Shows more wear than other options like Luxury Vinyl (LVT)

P-Lam or Plastic Laminate is a process of laminating a durable plastic type material to typically a particle type wood surface.  This provides a sterilizable durable surface that comes in a wide variety of colors and finish styles.

Wood and metal door frames typically cost about the same, while typically metal frames show less signs of wear over time.  The type of door frame selected is primarily based on aesthetic value.