What “turnkey” actually means

A “turnkey” contract means that a single general contractor takes responsibility for the entire process: design, permits, fabrication, construction, building services and handover. The client has a single point of contact, a single budget and a clear deadline. To evaluate bids properly and monitor the work, it helps to know the main stages.

1. Defining the requirements and surveying the site

Everything starts with the design brief: what activity the building will house, what floor area and clear height are needed, and what equipment, overhead cranes, loading docks or temperature regimes are planned. At the same time, the site is analyzed: geotechnical survey, topographic survey, checking access and available utilities – electricity, water, sewerage, gas.

2. Planning documentation and permits

The zoning certificate establishes the siting conditions and the list of required approvals. This stage can take longer than expected, so it is best to start it as early as possible, in parallel with the conceptual design.

3. Design

Design typically proceeds in several phases:

  • Concept design – the overall solution, dimensions, structural system, cost estimate.
  • Detailed design – structural calculations, architecture, building services, foundations, review of the design by certified checkers.
  • Shop drawings – details of each steel element, connections and parts lists needed for fabrication.

4. Fabricating the steel structure

Once the drawings are approved, cutting, drilling, welding and corrosion protection of the elements begin. A contractor with its own workshop directly controls quality and deadlines, and fabrication runs in parallel with the work on site, which shortens the overall schedule.

5. Earthworks and foundations

This covers site setup, topsoil stripping, grading, excavation and pouring the foundations. Accurate positioning of the anchor bolts is essential: errors of just a few millimeters seriously complicate erection.

6. Erecting the structure and the envelope

Columns, beams, bracing and purlins are erected with cranes, then plumbness is checked and connections are tightened. Next come the roof, walls made of sandwich panels or sheet metal, sectional doors, windows and skylights.

7. Building services and floors

In this phase, the industrial floor, electrical networks, lighting, ventilation, heating or cooling, plumbing and fire safety systems are installed. For cold storage facilities, refrigeration equipment and special floor insulation are added.

8. Testing, acceptance and handover

Before acceptance, the building services are tested, compliance with the design is verified and the building’s technical record is compiled. The client receives the as-built documentation, material certificates and operating instructions.

Tip: set out in the contract a payment schedule tied to verifiable physical milestones – foundations completed, structure erected, envelope installed – not just to calendar dates.

What the client should monitor along the way

  • Adherence to the schedule and periodic progress reporting.
  • Inspection reports for concealed work – reinforcement, foundations, waterproofing.
  • Quality certificates for steel, panels and protective materials.
  • Any change from the design, approved in writing.

How long it takes, roughly

The total duration depends on complexity, permits and the season. For a medium-sized storage or production building, it usually takes a few months from the start of design to handover. The hardest stage to predict is usually obtaining permits and utility connections, not the construction itself. That is why an experienced contractor plans the work so that fabrication of the structure starts as soon as the drawings are approved and erection is scheduled for periods of favorable weather.

The advantage of a single partner

When design, fabrication and erection are in the same hands, the risk of mismatches between design and execution drops, and responsibility does not get lost among subcontractors. S.A. COLASS builds turnkey industrial buildings, warehouses and agro-industrial complexes, with in-house design and production.

Want to see what the schedule for your building would look like? Call +373 78 30 40 40 and set up a meeting with our engineers.