Why Having a Modern Utilities Strategy is Important for a Developer-Builder
Utility services are the beating heart of civilization as we know it. From the magnificent buildings, marvelous infrastructure, housing, and amenities around us: everything relies heavily on how utility lines are connected to it all, their availability, and capacity.
However, developers and builders often view them as non-essential; so they don’t put a lot of time into creating a viable utility strategy. Instead, some builders and developers often use templated or old-fashioned utility infrastructure plans within their projects.
This practice may not be the most cost-effective or reliable solution in the long term. Here are some reasons why it is important to have a robust and modern utility strategy for developers and builders.
Importance Of A Utility Strategy
Each Project Requires a Different Approach
Although building and development can be a relatively linear task, some elements will always differ – even within the same project, in many instances. There are design variations, economic influences, and geographical factors to consider.
Even two different projects in the same area may require some minor changes, making strategizing a very important part of the development phase. The same structure may be suitable for one area but may cause problems in another.
To Understand Infrastructure Availability
The cost and time a project needs to be completed are highly dependent on the availability, suitability, planning, and availability of utility services. Before working on any project, construction workers need to strategize how to use the existing utility lines to their advantage.
If the necessary utilities are not available, builders and developers also need to find a way to extend the current utility infrastructure to reach their project vicinity. You can ask the service provider to do it for you, but this process can take some time and may increase costs.
There is a special need for extensive utility infrastructure in technology integration solutions, industrial or manufacturing facilities, and commercial sites built in rural areas. Data centers and other telecommunication infrastructure built in remote locations are also prime examples of where infrastructure availability needs to be analyzed extensively.
A utility strategy also helps developers and builders:
- Understand the current utility infrastructure’s capacity and make informed decisions about it before simply adding the new project’s load
- Eliminating risks of breakdowns
- Give the clients more choice and therefore be a value-added service on your end.
- Deliver better cost estimates and more.
The whole idea behind having a cohesive utility strategy is to ensure that critical project and client potential is realized, not to mention the cost opportunities and risk mitigation that it helps with. Additionally, key issues about water, electricity, gas, telecommunications, and sewage can be addressed beforehand where large-scale solutions are possible, such as trenching and drilling or extensive pipeline construction.
If you’d like to get your utility service strategy or the infrastructure analyzed, get in contact with us today and see how Americom can help you streamline processes and add more value to your services.