Meta description: Choosing a dealership construction company is only half the equation. You also need an equipment consultant who coordinates with your GC before the concrete is poured. For comprehensive guidance, see our auto dealership construction resource.
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When a dealer decides to build a new facility or remodel an existing one, the first hire is usually a general contractor. That makes sense — the GC builds the building. But what most dealers do not realize until it is too late is that the GC builds the shell. They do not specify, source, or install the service department equipment that goes inside it. The assumption that hiring a dealership construction company handles everything is the most expensive misconception in the industry.
We have worked alongside general contractors on dealership projects for years. Auto Lift Services is not a GC — we are the equipment side of the equation. We design the service department layout, specify every piece of equipment, provide construction documents that the GC uses during the build, deliver and install the equipment, and warranty it for two years. The GC builds the box. We build what goes inside it. When both are coordinated from day one, the dealership opens on time with a service department that actually works.
What a General Contractor Does — and Does Not Do
A general contractor handles the physical building: sitework, foundation, structural steel or framing, roofing, exterior walls, interior finishes, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems, parking lots, and landscaping. They manage the construction schedule, coordinate subcontractors, and deliver a building that passes inspection and receives a certificate of occupancy.
What the GC typically does not handle:
- Lift selection and placement — the GC does not know which lifts go in which bays, what capacity each bay needs, or where the anchor bolts go in the concrete
- Alignment equipment — the GC does not know the floor flatness requirements for an alignment rack or the calibration distance for ADAS targets
- Paint booth installation — the GC may build the enclosure, but the booth itself (air handling, ductwork, filtration, burner, controls) is specialized equipment that requires manufacturer-trained installers
- Compressed air system design — the GC installs piping, but who sizes it? Who specifies the compressor, dryer, and regulator capacity based on the equipment in every bay?
- Fluid management — bulk oil systems, waste oil collection, DEF dispensing, coolant systems — these are equipment decisions, not construction decisions
- Exhaust extraction — hose reel locations, ductwork sizing, fan capacity, and roof penetrations for exhaust are driven by the number and type of bays, not by the building footprint
- Tire and wheel equipment, brake lathes, diagnostic tools, ADAS calibration systems — none of these are in the GC’s scope
This is not a criticism of general contractors. Building construction is their expertise, and a good GC is essential to a successful dealership project. But there is a gap between the building and the equipment inside it — and that gap creates real problems when nobody fills it.
The Gap That Costs Dealers Money
Here is what happens when a dealer hires a general contractor and assumes the equipment will work itself out later:
The concrete gets poured without lift anchor bolt patterns. The GC pours a slab to general commercial specifications — 4 to 5 inches thick, 3,000 PSI, standard reinforcement. The lift manufacturer’s specs call for 6 inches at 4,000 PSI with anchor bolt sleeves at precise locations. Now you are drilling into cured concrete, hoping the rebar is not in the way, and hoping the thinner slab holds the load. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it cracks.
The electrical panel is undersized. The engineer sized the panel for HVAC, lighting, and general outlets. Nobody told them about the seven lifts, the alignment machine, the paint booth blower motors, the compressor, the tire changers, and the wheel balancers. The panel is full before half the equipment is connected. The fix: a supplemental panel, new conduit runs through finished walls, and a change order that costs $15,000 to $40,000. (See also: dealership alignment bay.)
The air piping is wrong. The plumber ran 3/4-inch pipe to every bay because that is what the plan showed. The compressor needs a 2-inch main header to deliver adequate CFM to all bays simultaneously. Every drop needs to be resized, which means opening walls that are already drywalled and painted.
The paint booth location does not have gas, fire suppression, or adequate structural support for the rooftop air handling unit. The GC framed a room — but a paint booth is not a room. It is a mechanical system that requires specific infrastructure. Retrofitting that infrastructure after the building is enclosed costs three to five times what it would have cost to design it in from the start.
Every one of these problems is a change order. Change orders cost money and time. A dealership construction timeline that was supposed to be 14 months becomes 18 months. The budget that was supposed to be $8 million becomes $9.5 million. And the service department that was supposed to open efficiently starts its first day with compromises baked into the building.
The Better Approach: Hire Both Simultaneously
The solution is straightforward: bring the equipment consultant into the project at the same time as the general contractor — not after. We join the project during the planning phase, before architectural design begins, and we stay through commissioning.
Here is what we provide to the GC and architect during design:
Lift anchor bolt patterns — a dimensioned drawing for every lift position showing bolt locations, embedment depth, concrete thickness, and PSI requirements. This goes to the concrete contractor before the pour.
Electrical load calculations — a complete schedule showing every piece of powered equipment, its circuit requirements, startup current draw, and recommended panel location. This goes to the electrical engineer before the panel is sized.
Air piping layout — compressor location, main header routing and diameter, branch line sizing, drop locations, and regulator positions. This goes to the mechanical contractor before walls are framed.
Exhaust extraction routing — hose reel locations, ductwork diameter, fan capacity, and roof penetration points. This goes to the HVAC contractor.
Paint booth specifications — structural support requirements for rooftop units, gas connection location, fire suppression type and zoning, intake and exhaust duct routing, and electrical requirements. This is a multi-trade coordination document.
Equipment delivery schedule — a timeline showing when each piece of equipment arrives and what construction milestone must be complete before it can be installed. This goes to the GC’s project manager and becomes part of the master construction schedule.
All of this information exists before the first shovel hits the ground. The GC builds it into their plans. The subcontractors bid with full information. Nobody is guessing.
Our Construction Partners
We have established working relationships with general contractors who build automotive facilities in the Midwest. our partner construction companies are our primary partners — they have built dealerships with us before and they understand the coordination between the structure and the equipment.
When you work with one of our partner GCs, the coordination is seamless. They know our documents, they know our installation sequence, and they know our timeline requirements. There is no ramp-up period where the GC learns how to work with an equipment consultant — they have done it before.
If you already have a dealership construction company selected — or if your OEM program requires a specific builder — we work with them. We provide the same construction documents, the same coordination, and the same installation schedule. Most GCs appreciate having the equipment specifications handed to them rather than trying to figure it out on their own. The ones who push back on equipment coordination are the ones who have not built a dealership before and do not understand why it matters.
What to Look for in a Dealership Construction Company
Not every general contractor is qualified to build a dealership. The facility standards from OEM programs add requirements that standard commercial construction does not include. Here is what separates a qualified dealership builder from a general commercial contractor:
Automotive facility experience. Has the GC built a dealership before? Not a warehouse, not a retail store — a dealership with a service department, paint booth, and OEM branding requirements. The construction techniques are different, the coordination is more complex, and the inspection requirements are more demanding.
OEM program familiarity. Does the GC understand that GM, Ford, Toyota, and other manufacturers will review and approve the plans? Can they navigate the OEM approval process without stalling the schedule?
Multi-trade coordination ability. A dealership service department has more mechanical systems per square foot than almost any other commercial building type. The GC must coordinate structural, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire suppression, and specialty trades simultaneously. A GC who builds office buildings may not have the coordination capacity for a dealership.
Willingness to work with an equipment consultant. This is the test. A qualified dealership builder welcomes equipment specifications because those specs prevent change orders. A GC who says “we’ll figure out the equipment after the building is up” is telling you they have not done this before.
Track record of on-time delivery. Every dealership has a target opening date driven by manufacturer commitments, seasonal sales targets, or lease expirations. Ask the GC about their last three projects: did they deliver on time?
The 2-Year Warranty That Covers Both
When we partner with a general contractor on a dealership project, the dealer gets a 2-year warranty on the building and every piece of equipment inside it. The GC warranties the structure. We warranty the lifts, alignment machines, tire equipment, paint booths, air systems, fluid management, exhaust extraction, and every other piece of service department equipment we install.
This dual warranty is unusual in the industry. Most dealers end up with a 1-year structural warranty from the GC, a 1-year warranty from each equipment manufacturer, and no single point of contact when something goes wrong. Our 2-year warranty means one phone call resolves the issue — whether the problem is structural or equipment-related.
The warranty works because we coordinate with the GC from day one. When the building and the equipment are designed together, installed together, and commissioned together, the warranty makes sense. When they are done separately by companies that never talked to each other, warranty claims become finger-pointing sessions.
Starting the Conversation
If you are planning a dealership build — new construction or remodel — contact us before you finalize your dealership construction company selection. We will review the project scope, identify the equipment requirements, and either recommend a GC from our partner network or coordinate with the GC you have already chosen.
The worst time to call us is after the concrete is poured. The best time is right now.
Call 800-674-9302 | Email info@autoliftserv.com | Browse equipment at store.autoliftserv.com
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Josiah Ragsdale
Founder, Automotive Lift Services
Josiah has been installing, repairing, and inspecting automotive lifts since he was 18 years old. He founded Automotive Lift Services in 2019 after years of seeing lifts installed wrong, never inspected, and putting technicians at risk. His team now services all 50 states from their Iowa headquarters. Read more
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