What We Build
Restaurant and bar construction in Los Angeles
The health department plan check, industrial waste approval, kitchen hood and fire alarm coordination, and hitting a fixed opening date.
Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President 
Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President 
Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President
What decides the job
What we plan around on a restaurant or bar
In a restaurant the kitchen decides the job, and the opening date sets the schedule that everything else is worked back from.
- 01
The health department
The county plan check runs beside the building permit, and its final inspection is one of the last things between you and opening.
- 02
Path to gas
We track the gas service from the utility application to the meter set, so the kitchen has gas in time to fire its equipment for burn-in.
- 03
Under the slab
The grease interceptor and the sewer connection are the items most likely to need an investigation before finalizing pricing.
Before you start
The pre-mobilization checklist
We believe most of what goes wrong on a construction project can be prevented with detailed planning up front and alignment across the full team. This is the list we work through with an owner before mobilization, so that on the first day of construction we have a clear path forward.
Who provides what
- Every owner-furnished item is on a delivery log in the schedule, with who buys, receives, stores, installs and connects it, and the date it is needed on site.
- Furniture, equipment, signage, audiovisual, security and data are each assigned to the owner or the contractor, down to who provides the conduit, the cable and the devices.
- For each owner-furnished item, the backing, power, conduit and final connection our trades still owe it are assigned and priced.
- The owner’s own vendors are named, with their insurance, the site rules and the date their in-wall requirements are due before walls close.
- Utility accounts for power, gas, water and data are open in the right name, and each provider has confirmed its account in writing.
Design and decisions
- The set issued for construction includes every agreed value engineering change and bid answer, in every discipline.
- Every finish is tagged to one product, color and finish, and each open selection has a decision date worked back from its lead time.
- Each allowance names what it stands in for, who answers it and the date it becomes a firm price.
- The construction plans include layout dimensions for all partitions and relate back to grid lines.
- A consolidated RCP has been issued, showing the ceiling finishes with all MEP systems overlaid.
- The owner’s equipment list, with each item’s power, heat and weight, is with the engineers, so the service, the cooling and the structure are sized from it.
- The CUP has been reviewed and incorporated by the design team.
Permits and approvals
- The building permit is issued, and its description names every scope that will be inspected.
- Whoever controls the building, the landlord or the operator, has approved the drawings and the construction rules in writing.
- Approvals outside the building department are tracked with the agency, who holds each one and its date: public works, each utility, the fire department, the air quality district, the health department and industrial waste.
- Every deferred submittal, such as fire sprinkler, fire alarm or storefront, has its own plan check time on the schedule.
- The special inspector has been hired by ownership, and their contact information has been shared with the team.
Procurement
- Long lead items are identified, and drop-dead dates have been established from each item’s required-on-job date and estimated lead time.
- Items that wait on an outside approval are logged with that approval as their trigger, such as switchgear, which waits on the utility.
- The submittal schedule has been reviewed and confirmed with all reviewers, using their real review times, with a resubmission round carried for millwork and steel.
- The trade partners for the first eight weeks are under contract, and every other trade has a planned award date.
The site
- Existing conditions, including neighboring properties and shared areas, are photographed and video recorded with dates before work starts.
- Hours for loud work, quiet work and deliveries are confirmed in writing, with loading, parking and elevator use.
- A site logistics plan covering deliveries, hoisting and laydown is issued to every trade and named in each subcontract.
- Every existing utility and meter is confirmed active, and every new service has its application filed and dated back from when it is needed.
- The site safety plan and the emergency plan are posted, with the muster point identified.
- Neighbors and other tenants know the schedule and who to call, and the calendars of noise-sensitive neighbors are in hand before demolition.
Financials and reporting
- The schedule of values for invoicing is established, and the payment calendar has been reviewed and confirmed between ownership and the lender.
- The weekly owner report has a confirmed format and a scheduled weekly distribution time.
- Additional insured endorsements are confirmed, and approved insurance certificates are on file.
- The weekly meeting schedule is set for the owner, the design team and the trades.
For a restaurant or bar
- Health department plan check is approved, and the kitchen equipment schedule matches it.
- Kitchen equipment is assigned line by line: who buys, who sets, who connects.
- The hood, the grease duct route and the roof equipment are approved by the landlord.
- Gas and electrical service are confirmed against the equipment loads.
- The liquor license timeline is known and sits on the schedule beside the opening date.
The PDF of this checklist is on its way. Email hello@macdougallbuilders.com and we will send it when it is ready.
How a job runs
- Chapter 1PreconstructionWe treat every bid and preconstruction engagement as if we are already responsible for building the job.
- Chapter 2During the buildDecisions get made while there is still time to act on them.
- Chapter 3Closeout and afterCommissioning, training and inspections planned months ahead, so the delivery date holds.
Questions
Restaurants and bars, asked plainly
When should the kitchen designer be involved?
Before the mechanical and plumbing drawings are finished. The equipment schedule sets the hood, the gas, the power and the floor sinks, so it needs to exist while those drawings can still follow it.
How long does the health department take?
It depends on the jurisdiction and the completeness of the submittal, so we cannot provide an exact number here. We recommend holding a pre-inspection with the health inspector to identify any corrections early. If the kitchen equipment contractor is by the owner, we will work with your subcontractor on overall coordination and final health approvals.
Can you work to a fixed opening date?
Yes, we track the project schedule transparently with weekly progress updates. This requires obtaining all approvals to order long lead materials early and tracking procurement closely. We help guide the team on necessary decisions and timelines to keep the schedule on track.
Start with a conversation
Let’s talk about your project
Tell us what you are planning, where the design stands and the date you are working toward. We will call to talk it through.