Starting a commercial furniture project can be a daunting prospect. You’re outfitting a new office, renovating an existing space, or simply getting some necessities, but understanding how long a project could take is critical to an effortless and successful outcome. At Freeform, we’ve been guiding clients through furniture projects of all sizes and providing commercial furniture dealer in Richland, Spokane, Boise, and the Tri-Cities for over 40 years. Here’s an insider’s look at the average phases and timelines, so you know you can plan your project confidently.
Initial Consultation and Needs Assessment
The first step in any commercial furniture project is understanding your specific needs and goals. This involves an in-depth consultation where we discuss your:
- Space: Dimensions, layout, and any physical constraints
- Functionality: How the space will be used and the specific needs of different teams or individuals
- Aesthetics: Your brand identity, the look and feel of your space, the style you’re looking to reflect
- Budget: A clear vision of your financial resources
- Timeline: Your preferred move-in-date and significant deadlines
During this step, we will also take the time to discuss your company culture and how you would like your workplace environment to reflect it. The initial consultation is key in laying down the foundations for a successful project. For instance, if your organization is outfitting a brand new space that’s still under construction, your project timelines and process will be different than if you’re re-doing an existing space or just needing to replace or add a few items. We’ll discuss all of these details to create a project timeline that fits your needs.
Typical Duration: 1-2 weeks, depending on the complexity of the project and the speed of communication.
Design and Product Selection
With a clear understanding of your goals, we move into the design phase — where your workspace begins to take shape. Our team thoughtfully develops a comprehensive space plan, selects products and finishes, and creates immersive 3D renderings to help you visualize how every element will work together.
We refine each detail through collaboration, balancing aesthetics, ergonomics, and your investment — because thoughtful workspace design is about more than furniture; it’s about creating environments where people thrive. We leverage our trusted network of established manufacturers to offer a curated selection of high-quality furniture solutions, thoughtfully chosen to align with your style, functionality needs, and budget.
Precision matters, so our process often includes a site visit to confirm measurements and assess the space in person. We’ll typically round out the design phase with a Live Design Session to finalize product selections, make updates in real-time, and select final finishes for all of the elements of the space.
Typical Duration: 4-6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design and the number of revisions required.
Procurement and Planning
Once we’ve finalized the design, product selections, and finishes, our team moves forward with placing orders with each of the manufacturers on the project. Through our internal project system, we track orders, lead times, and ship dates to ensure every item arrives on time for installation. Our project management team will also coordinate with any other trades that are involved in the project to ensure your construction schedule is on track, and work through any delays or schedule changes.
Typical Duration: 2-8 weeks, depending on lead times and production schedules
Installation and Project Management
The final phase brings your space to life with our expert installation team and project closeout process. Our LEAN process means the team begins prepping for your installation 1-2 weeks out, pre-building and staging as much as possible in our warehouse. This process cuts down our on-site time by nearly 50%, meaning fewer disruptions to your team and less coordination with other trades.
Once installation is complete, our team will do a final “punch walk” of the space, making note of any warranty issues or final details needed to complete the space. We handle all warranties on our end, and leave your space clean, organized, and ready for use.
Typical Duration: 1-5 days, depending on the size and complexity of the project.
Factors That Can Impact the Timeline
Whilst the above is a rough guide, there are several factors that will influence the overall length of a commercial furniture project:
- Project Size: The scale of your project can have the largest impact on the timeline – an entirely new office takes much longer than a few offices or workstations.
- Product Availability: Lead times can vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer and product to product – we’ll always work with your team to find the best solution for your project that meets your desired timeline.
- Customization: Custom finishes or furniture designs will add to production and lead times.
- Communication: Ensuring prompt and effective communication throughout the project is key to keeping it on track; our team often schedules all project meetings at the beginning of the process to make sure we’re hitting deadlines and keeping communication flowing.
- Unexpected Delays: Delays in the construction schedule or issues in production or shipping can occur occasionally.
Knowing these potential factors will help you better prepare for your project, know when to reach out to our team, and avoid any potential setbacks.
Working through a commercial furniture project doesn’t have to be intimidating. At Freeform, we’re here to be your expert furniture partner so you don’t have to be an expert on all the details. We’re dedicated to helping you create a space that meets your needs, reflects your culture, and enhances your employees’ productivity and satisfaction. Whether you’re looking for a commercial furniture partner in Kennewick, Spokane, or Boise, our team is here to help. Contact Freeform today to start planning your next project.
