I was recently contacted by Dr. S. who decided to move his dental office to the suite on the floor below his current suite. Dr. S. occupied a suite on the second floor of a two-story building that had no elevator. His current dental suite was too small and didn’t function well for him. But the main reason for the move was that his elderly patients complained about having to climb the stairs. The doctor also wanted to accommodate disabled patients.

Dr. S. was ready to lease the ground floor suite that had been a medical office. He advised me that he did not want to incur the cost of major changes but was seeking some help with a dental office design. He wanted to keep the existing walls as is and just wanted me to prepare the dental office design plans for the needed plumbing and electrical upgrades.

Remodeling can be an important factor in a dental office design to best optimize your new space

After scoping out the suite, I could see there were a number of issues that had to be addressed. For instance, the treatment rooms were much too small to be used as operatories. The bathroom did not meet current Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and there was no business area. Presumably the previous occupants used modular furniture and took it with them when they moved.

I explained to the doctor that the cost of moving some walls and adding several new ones was well worth the cost. It was a choice between having a functional vs. a dysfunctional dental office. Flow and function in a dental office design are crucial to creating an atmosphere that is beneficial to staff and patients. Poor flow slows function, which can mean a less productive dental office. When staff members constantly bump into each other or must squeeze into a small operatory, it wears on their patience and fewer staff smiles can be noticeable to patients.

Dr. S. allowed me to incorporate a new space layout into the dental office design to show him how it could function better by keeping the expense to a minimum. He was pleasantly surprised to see so few changes could make his office flow and function so much better than he realized.

Many times I have been called in to similar situations where a dentist wishes to move into a space designed for different purposes and chooses not to make any changes. In those cases the dentist often settles and lives uncomfortably with his decision. It is best to consult with a qualified interior designer that has the dental office design knowledge and experience so you can avoid the possible pitfalls rather than wind up having to live with the consequences.

I trust that you’re gaining benefit from these case-histories based on my many years of experience dealing with dental office design. Many of you have had interesting experiences regarding your own dental office design projects, dental office remodeling, general contractor dealings, etc. If you’re interested in sharing here, I would be delighted to hear about your experiences. Feel free to post your comments and feedback below, or contact me and I’ll be glad to answer any of your dental office design questions.

For more dental office design case histories, see these previous “Don’t Assume Anything” dental office design articles that you might have missed …

• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Having Your Space Designed And Built By Your Landlord Will Be To Your Advantage
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume That All Interior Designers Are The Same
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Have Enough Square Footage For Your Dental Office Needs
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A New Property Has The Necessary Underground Requirements
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Build-out Fees Are Correct
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A Low Price Is Your Best Deal
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Can Build At The Location You Select
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Landlord Knows The Disable Access Regulations

In this dental office design case history we’ll focus on the pitfalls and problems that can occur when you’re forced to rely on the landlord’s office designer, building architect or general contractor.

Are You Forced To Use The Landlord’s Building Architect or General Contractor For Your Dental Office Design?

Dr. L. signed a lease for a space in a Medical/Dental office building. To complete the dental office design, the lease required that he use the building architect and general contractor. Dr. L. assumed it would save him time as he wouldn’t have to find an outside professional to do the design or build-out. Using the landlord’s resources, he believed he would be able to move in quickly with the least amount of effort.

Unfortunately for the doctor, he was very disappointed in the space plan provided by the landlord’s building architect. The Business Area was so small it was virtually useless. When Dr. L. complained about the inadequate dental office design, the architect said that was the only possible design based on the configuration of the suite. Dr. L. was very upset and spoke with his equipment supplier who suggested that Dr. L. give me a call.

Upon inspecting the configuration of the dental office suite, I quickly realized that by moving the interior entry door three feet to the left, the Business Area would gain the needed space to function properly. I knew there were no accessibility code issues and moving the door would be a simple matter. But the landlord refused offering only vague excuses. I encouraged the doctor to pursue the matter and soon the landlord relented, giving him the space he needed for a very workable Business Area.

The doctor was happy with the outcome. However, moving to the next step with his dental office design project, we began talking about the build-out process and I asked the doctor if he got competitive bids from other general contractors. I explained to Dr. L. that in my experience, doctors who did not get competitive bids generally have paid more for the construction. Sure enough, after receiving competitive bids, Dr. L. showed the landlord that three other competent general contractors would cost less money by anywhere from $30.00 to $40.00 a square foot. The landlord agreed to deduct $30.00 per square foot from the doctor’s bid. Dr. L. was very happy.

When choosing a dental office location, it’s best to keep your options open when signing your lease. If you eliminate your opportunity to get competitive bids, you may be putting yourself in a position where you can be taken advantage of.

I hope you’re enjoying these case-histories based on my many years of experience dealing with dental office design. I’m sure many of you have had interesting experiences regarding your own dental office design projects, lease negotiations, general contractor dealings, etc. If you would like to share, I would love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to post your comments and feedback below, or contact me and I’ll be more than happy to answer any of your dental office design questions.

For more dental office design case histories, see these previous “Don’t Assume Anything” dental office design articles that you might have missed …

• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume That All Interior Designers Are The Same
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Have Enough Square Footage For Your Dental Office Needs
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A New Property Has The Necessary Underground Requirements
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Build-out Fees Are Correct
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A Low Price Is Your Best Deal
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Can Build At The Location You Select
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Landlord Knows The Disable Access Regulations

“Dear George,

I wanted to thank you for a job well done. As you know I started the design process of my office about a month prior to contacting you. I started working with a company that had an ‘in house’ architect and was well into the bidding and planning when we ran into some issues that in my opinion should have been apparent from the beginning! That’s when I hesitantly contacted you and asked for help – I was hesitant because I did not want to spend the extra money. But I have to admit that I was wrong and that this was the best money I spent.”

… continue reading more of this testimonial 

The above is an excerpt from a testimonial I received from one of my dental office design clients, Dr. Mahallati. Unfortunately the situation he experienced happens too frequently. Selecting the right dental office designer is as important as selecting the right location to do your dentistry.

A dental office is one of the most complex offices to design. It has more of everything including plumbing, electrical, lighting, etc. Not only does the dental office designer need to know the specifications of the dental equipment to be installed, but they need to know how it will fit into the design and meet the building codes.

Every doctor is an individual and an interior designer must determine that dentist’s particular needs. As an example, one of the first questions that I ask my clients is: “What don’t you like about your existing office?”

For some doctors the answers come quickly. Other dentists, after giving it some thought, realize they have been living with an uncomfortable work environment and their workday could be made easier in the new dental office design.

In addition to getting references and seeing some completed dental office design projects in person, listed below are questions you should ask when considering an interior designer for your dental office.

Key questions you want a dental office designer to answer when about dental office design.

• How many dental offices has the dental office interior designer completed?
• How familiar is the interior designer with dental office equipment?
• Can the interior designer accomplish your goals within your square footage and still meet building codes?
• Does the dental office designer have experience designing for your particular specialty?
• Can the dental office designer fulfill all your needs or will an architect be required?
• What has been the most difficult design problem the interior designer has had to overcome?
• Does the interior designer take their plans through plan check and do they guarantee that the plans will pass?

Be sure that these questions are answered to your satisfaction. When building out a new dental office you have a blank canvas. Your dental office design is the foundation, and therefore the most crucial element. If your dental office is designed correctly you will have the proper amount of functional space in each area and it will flow smoothly. This will increase efficiency, add to patient satisfaction and ultimately improve the bottom line for your business.

For more dental office design case histories, see these previous “Don’t Assume Anything” dental office design articles that you might have missed …

• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Have Enough Square Footage For Your Dental Office Needs
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A New Property Has The Necessary Underground Requirements
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Build-out Fees Are Correct
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A Low Price Is Your Best Deal
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Can Build At The Location You Select
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Landlord Knows The Disable Access Regulations

It’s almost impossible to go to a movie or bank or any place of business today without seeing a computer happily humming away.  And how many desktops, laptops, tablets and all other forms of computers do you have in your home?  Computers are ubiquitous, and once you get used to having them it’s hard to live without them.

Up until recent times a dental office could function extremely well without a computer and many offices still do. But as the 21st century speeds forward, more and more dental offices are adding computers and most new dental offices plan for them.  

It would seem pretty easy to incorporate computers into your dental office design. Just go to your local electronics store and pick up some computers and monitors, plug them in and you’re set to go. 

Unfortunately it’s generally not that easy.  At least that’s what a customer of mine, Dr. S. found out when he purchased some computers for his new office.

When Dr. S. hired me to work on his dental office design he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do about his computers.  I suggested he contact an Information Technology (IT) specialist so that his office would function smoothly from a computer standpoint.  This was the second dental office for Dr. S., and he said it wouldn’t be necessary since he had done this before. He felt confident he could make the right computer decisions.

Modern dental office design needs to incorporate your computer and technology requirements

While preparing the complete set of dental office design bid plans for Dr. S., I requested and received the dimensions of the new CPU’s he purchased.  I designed cabinets to accommodate the CPUs and sent them along with the completed set of plans to the doctor for approval, which I received.  During construction I made an inspection visit to the jobsite and asked the doctor if he received the CPU’s he ordered. He said that he did.  I asked to see them as I wanted to double-check the dimensions as a precaution.

It is a very good thing I did …

While the CPU dimensions were correct, what the doctor didn’t realize was the brand of CPU he purchased needed 21.5” of overall depth rather than the 17” of depth specified by the manufacturer.  Dr. S. planned on running two monitors to each CPU.  The company he purchased the CPU from uses a 4.5” adapter to accommodate 2 monitors.  This means that the CPU would project out of the cabinet by 4 inches.  I contacted the manufacturer who told me that this is how they make it and there is no other option.  

When the doctor asked me what the best course of action would be, I knew it was time for me to contact a dental computer expert so I called Dr. Lorne Lavine.  He suggested the doctor return the CPU’s and advised me of the best computer equipment to get under these circumstances.  But when the doctor tried to return the CPUs the company gave him the run around.  Once again I contacted Dr. Lavine and he gave us the name of his contact at the company and from there everything moved ahead smoothly.

A proper dental office design should always incorporate your computer and technology requirements. When planning on upgrading or building a new dental office you may save yourself a great deal of time and trouble by consulting a qualified dental technology consultant.  

To learn more about dental office technology contact Dr. Lorne Lavine at www.thedigitaldentist.com

You might be interested in these previous “Don’t Assume Anything” dental office design articles …

• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Have Enough Square Footage For Your Dental Office Needs
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A New Property Has The Necessary Underground Requirements
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Build-out Fees Are Correct
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A Low Price Is Your Best Deal
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Can Build At The Location You Select
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Landlord Knows The Disable Access Regulations

Perhaps the following strikes a familiar chord?

Dr. P. leased a new dental office and as it was being built his general contractor handed him a chain set of Formica laminate color chips and asked, “what color do you want for your cabinets?”  Dr. P. looked at what seemed like 1,000 different colors and with a confused expression he said, “um…I don’t know, what do other dentists use?”

Dental office decorating can seem like an imposing task for anyone who has never had the experience.  Many people are unsure of their ability to select colors or have no clue where to begin.  Having worked with dentists for over 20 years I have come across many who would rather avoid the decorating process for as long as possible or have underestimated its importance.

The Dental Office Decorating Choices You Make Leave A Lasting Impression

Let’s talk about the importance of dental office decorating. In my previous blog post about Dental Office Decorating – Paint Colors I wrote “when a new patient opens your front door and walks into your office they are forming their first impression of you.  They will be surrounded by your color choices and décor.  What will their first impression of you be?”

Most doctors when asked what they would like their dental office to look like say they want it to feel relaxed, clean and welcoming.  But that can mean a lot of different things.  The first thing you should ask yourself is what makes you feel relaxed and welcome.

Think about a hotel lobby or restaurant you’ve visited where you enjoyed the atmosphere.  Try to recall the décor, what colors or materials attracted you? Check out the magazines. Although you may be focused on dental office decorating, many home decorating magazines have pictures that may provide you with color schemes you like.

The other area of importance is time. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to make choices.  Sometimes after you have selected everything and you’re ready to order, you may find certain items are out of stock or have been discontinued.  Then you have to go back to the drawing board to find something else that fits within your completed color scheme.

When you don’t give yourself enough time, you may make a decision out of desperation, and your dental office decorating project can end up being more expensive or you may have to settle for something you don’t like.

Dental Office Decorating Categories To Think About

There are many decorating categories to consider and each category has many choices, so it’s best to give yourself lots of time to review your options.

Below are some dental office decorating categories to think about.

• Flooring: see my previous  post “Dental Office Decorating – Flooring Choices“
• Wall Coverings: Paint, Wall Paper, Textured Walls, etc.
• Cabinets: Laminate colors, Granite countertops, Drawer Handles, etc.
• Window Coverings:  Blinds, Shades, Shutters, etc.
• Lighting:  Wall Sconces, Pendant Lighting, Switch Plate Covers, etc.
• Furniture:  Reception Seating, Task Chairs, etc.

With so many categories to consider and so many decisions to make, I recommend working with a qualified dental office interior decorator who can give you more insight into each material type.  In this way you can be sure that you have the best commercial grade choices along with the imagination of a professional who can get you through the dental office decorating process as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Previous Dental Office Decorating Articles You May Have Missed

• Dental Office Decorating – Colors and Paint Edit
• Dental Office Decorating – Flooring Choices

Understanding square footage can be a challenge. Square footage terminology like rentable, usable, load factors, common areas refer to some of the different measurements involved in determining how much usable space you actually have available inside your dental office suite.

This common confusion over square footage resulted in a major disappointment for my client Dr. F.

Do You Have Enough Usable Square Footage To Meet Your Dental Office Design Requirements?

When Dr. F. leased his dental office he was under the impression that he had 3,200 square feet within his space.  He was quite happy about it as his lease permitted him to sublet some of the space. Since he only needed 2,500 usable square feet he envisioned that he would be able to sublet the remaining 700 square feet and use the income to put towards his lease payments until he needed the additional room. 

When Dr. F. hired me to do his build-out plans he showed me the footprint of the space and told me to design only 2,500 square feet.  I measured the space as I always do to confirm the actual amount of space we had to work with.  Unfortunately I had to give him the bad news. He only had 2,550 net usable square feet.

He was quite upset when he handed me the lease and said “see, it says 3,200 square feet!”  After reading it carefully I explained that the 3,200 square feet actually included 650 square feet of common areas.  The common areas can include hallways, outside walls and other non-usable space. 

In frustration, Dr. F. complained “Why do I have to pay for non-usable space, that makes no sense!”

Calculating Square Footage For Your Dental Office Design

Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) is generally the standard used by property owners when calculating square footage.  Depending on the standard used, when you share common space with other occupants you are generally required to pay for some of the space even though it doesn’t actually fall within your dental office suite.

Often included is half the demising walls and some portion of the outside walls, but the actual determination is up to the property owner and can differ from property to property.

Before signing any lease be sure to have the property owner, real estate agent or your interior designer carefully explain to you exacty how much net usable square footage you have within your dental suite.

For general information about real estate terminology, you can check the following website but keep in mind that this terminology is subject to interpretation:  http://www.buildingareameasurement.com/glossary.htm

For more information about The Building Owners and Managers Association standards refer to:  www.boma.org

When you design the space layout for a new dental office suite, you’ll want to clearly understand the concept of “usable square footage“. Misunderstanding the true square footage you have abailable for your dental office design is often the cause for additional cost and expense and uncecessary dissapointment.  This is another example where engaging the assistance of an experienced dental office design professional can definitely help you avoid additional problems and headaches with your dental office design or remodelling project.

You might be interested in these previous “Don’t Assume Anything” dental office design articles …

• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A New Property Has The Necessary Underground Requirements
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Build-out Fees Are Correct
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume A Low Price Is Your Best Deal
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume You Can Build At The Location You Select
• Dental Office Design – Don’t Assume Your Landlord Knows The Disable Access Regulations

When I kickoff a dental office decorating job with a new client, the process begins with a great deal of discussion looking at different dental office flooring options.

In our conversation the three most commonly asked questions I hear are: 

• Is the flooring easy to keep clean?
• How long will the flooring last? 
• How much will the dental office flooring  cost? 

To answer these questions we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of some of the most common commercial flooring types.

But first, below are some general dental office decorating questions for you to consider. Your answers may help you determine what will work best for your needs.

Answer These Questions First To Begin The Dental Office Decorating Process

1. What Kind Of Dental Practice Do You Have?
   Do you perform surgery, have a lot of young patients, work within a certain economic base or community?
2. What Is The Purpose Of Each Area?
   Obviously carpet wouldn’t be a good choice in Sterilization but should you use it in the lounge?
3. Where Is Your Dental Office Located?
   Are you on the ground floor where patients can track in dirt or mud?
4. What Is Your Dental Office Decorating Budget?
   Carpet and Laminate Flooring are easier on the budget than Luxury Vinyl and Stone. Best to know all your choices before you commit.
5. What Is The Condition Of Your Subfloor?
   Does your subfloor have deep cracks or do you have a moisture problem?
6. What Quality Maintenance Do You Have?
   The two most important issues for longevity of materials is first-rate installation and first-rate maintenance.  If you want to keep your floors looking good for a long time, get the best dental office maintenance you can afford with your budget.
7. How “Green” Are You?
   Recycling is important for the future of our planet. Although most manufacturers are working hard towards increasing their recycling capabilities, some products are more “green”  than others and you’ll want to know more about them.For more information check the U.S. Green Building Council website:  http://www.usgbc.org/. In addition, each commercial manufacturer provides sustainable information about their products on their websites.

Carpet Flooring Choice – Dental Office Decorating

Although everyone is familiar with carpet, not everyone knows there are different types.  For instance I always recommend 100% nylon carpet as it provides the best durability, largest color and style choices.

Olefin is another type, often used in tenant improvement because of its low cost.  Olefin’s main advantages are price and resistance to soil and water.  However, when crushed, it doesn’t regain its original shape easily. After a few years of wear, Olefin can often become very matted and the traffic lanes flatten out.

Overall, the main advantages of carpet are sound reduction, price, style and color selection and carpet is the most forgiving product over uneven floors. The main disadvantage is soil retention.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring Material – Dental Office Decorating

When most people think of vinyl flooring, they conjure up images of supermarket style industrial vinyl tiles or their mother’s kitchen linoleum. But that’s not the case with luxury vinyl.   What sets today’s luxury vinyl apart from the vinyl of days past is appearance. Luxury vinyl mimics a number of other flooring materials and does it well. It generally comes in either planks that look like hardwoods or tiles that resemble stone, metal, marble, etc.

The advantage of luxury vinyl is that it works well in high traffic areas and is easy to maintain with only damp mopping. Or if you prefer the polished look it can be buffed.  The disadvantages are that the subfloor must be in good condition and it is one of the more expensive flooring types.

Laminate Flooring – Dental Office Decorating

Laminate flooring has a number of layers but basically it is a wear resistant high pressure laminate layer over high density fiberboard.  Mostly it is designed to look like wood floors and is becoming more visually convincing and realistic all the time.

The advantages are it is reasonably priced, comes in multiple colors and styles and installation is not difficult. The only maintenance required is damp mopping.  The disadvantages are the subfloor must be in good condition, does not work well with excessive water and it’s one of the noisier flooring types.

Sheet Vinyl Flooring Material – Dental Office Decorating

This is the stuff that you might see on your mom’s kitchen floor, however the styles have improved somewhat.  Although it generally comes in about six foot widths requiring seams in your operatory, it is possible to get it in 12 foot widths but with very limited selection choice.

The main advantage is that the price is reasonable. The disadvantages are limited styles, high level of maintenance requirements, (although some manufacturers do offer “no-wax”), the subfloor must be in good condition and the flooring seams may eventually come up.

Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) – Dental Office Decorating

This is the supermarket stuff.  It comes in 12” squares and there are a multitude of colors and patterns.  It’s easy to install and the least expensive material.  But vinyl composition tile requires waxing and stripping and is not known for durability or aesthetics.

Porcelain, Ceramic and Stone flooring materials – Dental Office Decorating

With so many styles, colors and textures to choose from, its long-standing durability and minimum maintenance requirements porcelain, ceramic and stone material is a great flooring option.  But the major advantage is also its major disadvantage, i.e. the hardness of the material.  It can be very noisy and if you install it in a long hall it can become tiresome for your staff to walk on by the end of the day.  Other disadvantages are the price. And the grout can get dirty over time.

Dental Office Decorating – Style and Function

So when designing or remodeling your dental office you should not only be concerned with style but function as well.  It’s extremely important that whatever flooring material you decide to use be sure it has a good commercial warrantee because there are many good looking residential products that will not hold up well in high traffic commercial areas.

Once again I recommend working with a qualified dental office interior decorator who can give you more insight into each material type (like tip sheared carpet vs. loop pile graphic or rectified tile). A good interior decorator may give you some ideas about how to turn an average area into one that will have a truly uplifting impact for you and your patients.

Commercial Flooring Product Resources for your Dental Office Decorating Project

For more information about commercial flooring products I have listed some websites below.  I especially suggest you refer to their maintenance instructions to give you an idea of how much maintenance is required for the products you select.  Note that this is only a partial list and I’m not promoting any particular company.

• Carpet:  Shaw Contract Group
• Luxury Vinyl:  The Mohawk Group
• Laminate: Alloc – Laminate Flooring
• Sheet Vinyl & Vinyl Composition Tile: Mannington Commercial – Carpet and Flooring
• Porcelain Ceramic & Stone: Dal Tile Products

Previous Dental Office Decorating Articles You May Have Missed

• Dental Office Decorating – Colors and Paint Edit

While you never want to assume anything, you can almost always expect something somewhere will go wrong or be amiss. Often times, it’s how you handle and manage these exceptions that define a dental office design success!

Don’t Assume A New Property Has Has All Of The Basic Underground Requirements

Dr. W. purchased a newly constructed condo office.  We reviewed his needs, finalized his dental office design, and obtained all of the necessary city approvals. We then had the general contractor begin the building process. 

When the contractor started trenching to do the plumbing he realized there was no sewer line in the dental office suite.  The contractor and I had reviewed the as-built drawings provided by the condo builder before construction began and it clearly showed a sewer line in the suite, but it was never built. The missing sewer line was obviously a serious problem.  It would require major construction and city approvals to build an underground connection from the main city sewer line to the dentist’s office suite. Not only could it take months for the approvals but the construction cost would be astounding!

Dr. W. was stunned that this could happen.  The contractor and I thought there must be another way. We checked with the other condo offices to see if anyone else had a drain line. Fortunately the condo next door to the dentist did have a sewer line. The doctor had to negotiate with his neighbor to see if he would allow us to connect into his sewer line. After quite a bit of wrangling his neighbor agreed.

This time the plan worked but it could have easily become a nightmare. Dr. W. could have been entangled in costly law suits and major delays.  It is unusual, but not unheard of, that new construction omits a critical element.  Always hire a first-rate general contractor with sufficient and specific dental construction experience to thoroughly check and review your potential office property. 

When you undertake building out a new dental office suite, you should expect something will go wrong somewhere virtually everytime. In this case with Dr W, having the assistance of an experienced dental office design professional definitely helped resolve a critical problem saving the dentist a lot of extra expense and headache.

Don’t Assume Your Dental Office Build-Out Fees Are Always Correct

Dr. K was very excited about the new ultra-modern shopping center just built in his neighborhood.  He knew this impressive property was exactly the type of place he wanted to locate his new dental office. He set about selecting a space and we began the design phase of the building process.

I was especially happy to work with him on this project because we were going to have some amazingly unique features that mirrored the concept of the shopping center.  But the doctor’s excitement began to fade when he received his sewer fee assessment.  He showed the sewer bill to me and asked my opinion about why it should be so high. I was really surprised that the fee was over $7,000!  This seemed quite exorbitant so I checked into it for him.

When a dental space is built it must fall into a description of usage. For instance, examples of various property usage descriptions that apply include general office, retail, restaurant, medical/dental, etc.  Sewer fees are typically assessed by the usage – the more sewer usage, the higher the fee.  That seems reasonable and makes sense.

In this case, however, the shopping center paid the lowest fees claiming that all of the spaces would be occupied by “retail” lessees. Unfortunately, the hidden implication here means that any other usage would require an upcharge.  As a restaurant had just moved in before Dr. K, they used up the available credit balance which left the doctor having to bear the brunt of the upcharge and pay the full amount of $7,000.

When I explained this “upcharge” situation to the doctor he was able to negotiate with the shopping center and had his fee reduced to $2,000.  The office was completed and we are all ecstatic with the results. Especially the doctor who greets his impressed patients with a beaming grin!

When building out a dental office suite there are invariably all sorts of unexpected fees. I strongly recommend you review all fees assessed and get the facts before plunking down your hard earned money.

This is one more example of how bringing in a qualified interior design professional can help you uncover and understand all of the hidden and underlying fees you will likely encounter when you build out a new or remodeled dental office. You don’t have to settle for every charge and assessment that’s thrown your way. Don’t be complacent about these unreasonable charges, you could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table!

First is that impulse to grab the lowest price, bid or offer that comes in. We all like the “best deal”, and a dentist office remodel or new office design is no exception. But be careful, the lowest price can often cost you much more in the long run than first meets the eye.

Second, when you’re evaluating new properties and locations to setup your dental practice, you should always have a qualified dental office interior designer or contractor come in and help you review the property before you sign that lease and make the commitment. A professional designer can help you spot many of the hidden problems that the landlord or leasing agent either doesn’t know about or understand.

In fact, this is one of the big mistakes I see dentists make time and time again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called in after the fact to try and fix a situation that could have easily been avoided with a little bit of preventive legwork up front.

Don’t Assume A Low Price Is A Good Deal

Dr. W. was told by his landlord that the building he was in was sold and would be torn down so he had to vacate in 30 days.  The doctor couldn’t believe what he just heard, he had no idea the building was being sold, and only 30 days to vacate!  Naturally the doctor was feeling panicky trying to figure where he could move his practice. It had to be nearby because he didn’t want to lose his patients.

He knew there was a medical building nearby that had been vacant for quite some time. Perhaps that might be an option for relocating his office. He arranged to meet the landlord at the vacated space.  It was in great need of cosmetic upgrades, but the rooms looked like the right size and were plumbed.  The doctor asked if there were any problems with the space. The landlord said that the property was OK but the doctor had to take the space “as is.”

In the back of the doctor’s mind he knew he should probably call in a designer or a general contractor to have a look at the space before he made any commitments to lease the property. But the lease price was very attractive, this place was just a few blocks from his existing practice, and he felt the uncomfortable pressure that he had to move in less than 30 days. So he signed on the dotted line.

Dr. W. called me to come see the space so I could advise him on how best to convert it from a medical space to a dental office with the least amount of changes. I explained that medical office layouts generally don’t work well as dental operatories as they are not the right size, but he asked me to do my best to make it work.  Of course, I asked him if he had a general contractor review the place before he signed the lease and he said no.  Alarm bells were going off in my head and I advised him to have a general contractor meet us at the job site.

Unfortunately the office needed everything upgraded;  plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, drainage, roof repair, disabled access issues, and more.  Although he was able to get the repairs done quickly enough to move into the suite within the month, the amount of money it cost him to fix all the problems was well beyond what he originally planned to spend.

Understandably, Dr. W. had a very difficult situation to deal with. But he did have more options than he realized that might have helped him manage a little less emotionally. He could have checked with local real estate agents or practice sales companies. He might also have been able to share a space with a local dentist until he found a better opportunity.  In this situation, his decision ended up being more emotionally driven than rational and he paid a great deal extra because of it.

Since this doctor has known and worked with me for years, he admitted he should have called me when he first heard the news. He knows I would have been able to give him the rational advice with an experienced eye that he needed. Fortunately, we were able to get him up and running in time and he didn’t lose any patients as a result.

If you’re in the process of selecting a new location for your dental practice, don’t assume that the landlord or sales agent will provide you with acurate information and details, especially when it comes to building codes and regulations.

Always do yourself a favor and bring in a qualified design professional to help you assess a property’s suitability for your dental office requirements before you sign the lease and make the long term committment. It’s a simple and quick step to take up front and can save you thousands of dollars of additional cost and expense in the long run.