Designing a Hair Salon - Part 2
Opening a new business is a big investment and undertaking. In my previous blog post, I outlined important elements to consider when looking for the right space for your hair salon. In this post, I will review the importance of having the right team in your corner.
WHO SHOULD YOU HIRE?
Whether you are renovating an existing space or planning on opening a new salon, you will need an experienced team to navigate the design and construction process. Here are some professionals typically engaged:
Registered Interior Designer (can independently design interiors with non-structural alterations or additions)
General Contractor
Architect (required if alterations or additions are beyond an Interior Designer’s scope of work)
Structural Engineer (required if there is structural work only)
Mechanical Engineer (mandatory in Ontario to obtain building permit)
Electrical Engineer (mandatory in Ontario to obtain building permit)
Graphic Designer (required for any branding, signage, and wayfinding)
For most projects, either the Designer or General Contractor is your first and main point of contact. A Designer may refer General Contractors they have worked with in the past. And if you already have a trusted General Contractor, they may refer you to some Designers they have worked with in the past. The rule of thumb is to get three referrals for each, if possible.
Further, your Designer and/or General Contractor will have a team of Engineers and Consultants they’ve worked with and so you do not have to spend time researching Engineers and Architects. Some Designers or General Contractors will hire the Consultants and then invoice you but, in most cases, you will be asked to enter a service agreement directly with outside Consultants (meaning you pay them directly). No worries though – your Designer and/or General Contractor will typically take care of most of the coordination of drawings, details and information required by these outside Consultants.
WHEN SHOULD YOU HIRE YOUR DESIGNER AND GENERAL CONTRACTOR?
I recommend starting your search for a General Contractor and Designer as soon as possible during the start-up phase, even if on a paid hourly basis at the start, as they may be able to provide feedback on a space you are considering. They may also be able to suggest a minimum budget allowance (which may consist of a typical construction cost per square foot which may help with your financial planning). NOTE: a completed, full set of construction drawings, millwork drawings and specifications are required to get an accurate project cost. You should not start construction until you know what it will cost you.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Both the General Contractor and Designer should have experience with commercial (as opposed to solely residential) projects – this may include other hair salons/spas, retail, or hospitality interiors, etc.
You will need an Interior Designer * or Architect to design your space and develop Building Permit and construction drawings. Building Permit drawings are prepared by the Designer and submitted to the City or Municipality where the project is located for review and approval. Permit drawings are mandatory to ensure the proposed interior meets all Building Code requirements. In Ontario, to submit for permit, your Interior Designer must be qualified with a Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) for commercial interiors and must have proper insurance. A licensed Architect or Professional Engineer do not require a BCIN to apply for permits. There are Permit Expeditors who may be hired to prepare permit drawings if your Designer does not have their BCIN. This is an additional cost that will be billed back to you or included in the Designer’s fee.
LOOKING FOR A QUALIFIED INTERIOR DESIGNER
It is important that you and your Designer are a good fit for each other since, depending on the scope and scale of your project, you may be working with your Designer/Design Team for a minimum of 6 months to over one year+.
Referrals are a great starting point. Before I hire someone for a particular project or task, I first reach out to people I know and trust for their recommendations. I try to find projects with a similar scope of work as well.
If you do not have any referrals, I recommend beginning your research for experts in the field of hair salon design. You can Google key words such as “salon designer + your city”, check with your salon association, look through current and past salon industry magazines, look up hashtags on social media, read Google reviews or testimonials, etc.
Once you’ve found some consultants, visit their website and social media sites. Their website should indicate the company’s approach and philosophy, their portfolio, and their experience. And their social media posts may provide information on work in progress. Things to consider:
Does their approach or philosophy resonate with you?
Does their portfolio show examples of commercial projects and more specifically, hair salon or retail projects?
Have they won any awards, or have they been published, showing a level of expertise in your industry?
Do you like their style?
Do they service your area?
Now that you’ve done some preliminary research into 3 potential Design studios, you should reach out to them via an initial phone call or email to discuss your project. Some calls may lead to in-person meetings either at your salon or at the design studio. Whether in-person, via a phone call or virtual video call, use this opportunity to further your discussion about the project and to gauge their qualifications, personality fit, availability, and interest. The next step would be to request a fee proposal that describes the scope of work, the designer fees, terms of contract, etc. Once you have this information, you can compare the proposals from the different firms. You can now award the project to the studio you feel will best meet your project requirements.
LOOKING FOR A QUALIFIED GENERAL CONTRACTOR
The General Contractor is responsible for overseeing the construction/renovation of your project. Some General Contractors may do some of the work themselves, but most will hire and coordinate the subtrades for some or all the work. Your General Contractor should be experienced in commercial design, and ideally in salon renovations.
As with your Designer, it is equally important that you and your General Contractor are a good fit for each other. Again, this relationship will typically last a minimum of 6 months to over one year+.
As with finding the right Designer, seek referrals and then ask these contractors for 3 client references.
Questions you should ask the references of the General Contractor may include the following:
Did they communicate properly?
Were they quick to respond?
Were they organised?
Did they show up when they said they would/were they reliable?
Were they good at problem solving if an unexpected situation came up?
Did they provide a schedule or timeline, so you knew, generally, what was happening and when?
Did you like the quality of their workmanship?
Did they leave the job site clean and safe, free of hazards?
Were they on budget? (This can be circumstantial – for instance, did the owner/client change the scope of work or were there unforeseen circumstances?)
Did they finish the job on time? (Again, this can be circumstantial – for instance, during the early stages of the pandemic, many projects were halted by the Ontario government and supply chain issues continue to cause issues in the construction and design industry)
General Contractors must have proper insurance coverage. Landlords will want to see proof of insurance and may often require a certain liability coverage before allowing work to proceed on their site.
In addition to requiring proper insurance, construction bonds, WSIB coverage, General Contractors may also require proper licensing to carry out work in your City, Province or State. Always check with your municipality before proceeding and request documentation from the General Contractor.
WHEN IS AN ARCHITECT OR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER NEEDED?
In Ontario, an Interior Designer is limited in their scope of work should there be structural requirements in your space. An Architect and/or Structural Engineer is required if the space requires certain alterations or additions. This may include some of the following: any structural changes; addition of a floor or mezzanine; changes to exits; changes to openings in load bearing partitions or openings in the floor plate; changes to fire rated partitions; etc. You may still hire an Interior Designer but know that an Architect or Structural Engineer will also need to be involved in the design and permit process.
TEAM WORK DOES MAKE THE DREAM WORK
It is important to do your due diligence. Having consultants and contractors experienced in hair salon design and construction is important. There are a lot of requirements specific to salons that if missed, may affect the proper functioning of the space.
*In Ontario, someone cannot legally call themselves an Interior Designer without being a Registered ARIDO member. ARIDO is the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario. Generally, a Registered Member is someone who has met ARIDO’s educational requirements (graduated from an approved interior design program at a college or university), has worked a minimum number of hours completing specific tasks in the industry before successfully taking and passing the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification) exam, is insured and keeps their skills and knowledge up to date by taking continuing education units.
ARE YOU READY TO START THE PROCESS?
Proggetti Inc. has the experience and passion to help you successfully realise your project. We have designed many salons and spas over the past 20 years. If you are in Toronto or the GTA, contact Proggetti Inc. for an initial discovery call so we can discuss your project!
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