Residential Above Commercial, Bristol
Residential Above Commercial Case Study
Project Brief
A developer in Bristol acquired a three-storey building with a ground-floor commercial unit and two upper floors of disused storage. The project involved converting the upper floors into four residential flats while retaining and refurbishing the ground-floor retail space.
A comprehensive estimate was needed to assess viability and secure planning approval. The developer required separate cost breakdowns for the residential and commercial elements to structure their finance package and demonstrate the project’s viability to both lender and planning authority.
The Challenge
The mixed-use nature meant differing building regulation standards for commercial and residential elements — fire separation, sound insulation, and separate means of escape all added cost and complexity. The upper floors had no existing services, requiring full M&E installation from scratch.
The commercial tenant needed to remain trading during the residential conversion above, demanding careful sequencing and noise management. Structural reinforcement was also required to accommodate the change in floor loading from storage to residential use.
Key challenge: Delivering separate cost plans for two distinct use classes within a single building, while addressing fire separation, acoustic compliance and structural reinforcement — all with a live commercial tenant operating on the ground floor throughout the works.
What We Delivered
- Separate estimates for residential conversion and commercial refurbishment, giving the developer clear cost visibility per use class
- Fire separation and acoustic insulation specification and pricing, ensuring compliance with Part B and Part E of the Building Regulations
- Independent M&E installation cost for upper floors, covering heating, plumbing, electrical distribution and ventilation for all four flats
- Structural assessment and reinforcement cost for floor load changes, with provisional sums for steel beam installation and floor build-up
- Viability appraisal summary for planning and finance applications, presenting costs in a format accepted by lenders and planning consultants
The Outcome
The separate estimates gave the developer clear visibility of costs per use class, helping them structure the finance package with distinct residential and commercial lending facilities. The residential units were completed in 6 months with the commercial tenant remaining operational throughout. All four flats were sold off-plan before practical completion, validating the project’s viability.
Client Testimonial
Having separate costings for the residential and commercial elements was crucial for our finance structure. First4Estimating understood the complexity of mixed-use development and delivered an estimate that our lender and planning consultant both praised for its clarity.