The cost of construction has been rising steadily in the U.S. over the last several years, especially in Southern California. With the continued inflation and supply chain issues, that trend shows no signs of reversing.
For Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the Greater LA area this is even more true, due to the changes in both California building codes and in Medicare guidelines.
The cost of construction has been rising steadily in the U.S. over the last several years, especially in Southern California. With the continued inflation and supply chain issues, that trend shows no signs of reversing.
For Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the Greater LA area this is even more true, due to the changes in both California building codes and in Medicare guidelines.
People often ask “what is the cost per square foot of building an ASC?” but that’s actually the wrong question.
Surgery Center construction cost in and around LA can’t be accurately answered by a cost per sq ft. Regardless of whether it’s in Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Valencia or in the San Fernando Valley, the cost for building an ASC will depend more on the specific details and less on the square footage it takes up or the zip code it’s in.
The better question is “What is the cost for a small Medicare compliant Eye Surgery ASC on the ground floor with 1x OR + 2 recovery beds using portable med-gas?” or “What’s the cost for an Orthopedic Surgery Center on the 5th floor of a 7-story building with 3x OR’s + 10 Bed PACU with O2, Vac & N2O?”
Firstly, an ASC with one OR and three PACU beds is considered a “B” occupancy. Adding a 2nd OR would still be a “B” occupancy and adds little to the overall costs. In fact, a 2nd OR typically brings down the cost per sq ft. of the ASC significantly.
An ASC with two ORs plus four PACU beds or more becomes an I- 2.1 Occupancy, due to having 6 or more patients “incapable of self-preservation”. This occupancy has higher safety standards i.e. exiting and fire barriers. Some Buildings may not even be suitable by CA code for an I-2.1 ASC and other buildings may need significant upgrades in order to comply. Even if the building is suitable, the construction cost is higher for an I-2.1 ASC due to these extra requirements.
California Building Code mandates an “Emergency Electrical System” (EES) to provide backup power to critical items in an ASC regardless of your type of certification / accreditation or the Occupancy type. Of course, the size and cost of the backup power system for a smaller ASC will be a bit less than a larger surgery center, but the cost doesn’t scale up per sft or even per PACU bed due to the minimum requirements of any ASC. The cost for this EES system also varies depending on if you’re using general anesthesia in the Operating Rooms or local. This makes it hard to compare ASC construction costs regardless of your ASC size.
Most Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the LA area use a Battery UPS Backup system for the EES. These UPS systems run from $40k to $75k depending on the number of OR’s & patients in the PACU. A diesel generator might be preferable in some cases which typically costs from $75K to $100K but it often is not a practical choice due the site requirements, plus it comes with a much higher ongoing maintenance cost.
Another example of a cost that’s not related to the size of the surgery center or its occupancy is the Med gas system. It’s typically not legally required to have Med gas built-in and even when it is installed, the cost has little to do with the square footage of the facility. A built in Med-gas system adds from $40K to $70K or more, depending on the number of outlets needed and the gasses included.
There are numerous other items required for an ASC that can drive construction costs higher than medical office clinics, which have little or nothing to do with size or sq ft. This is just one of our areas of expertise to guide your decision process.
Of course, there are always choices and options which could potentially save a significant amount of money. It all comes down to what your needs are and which procedures you plan to perform in your facility.
We are always happy to help you with pre-planning, from initial site selection to preliminary plans and budgets, or even just to brainstorm on the various options, and keeping it less complicated for you.
We can help not only with the construction, but by bringing in the best ASC accreditation and surgery center design experts as well. Give us a call and let’s discuss your specific needs and how we can help you navigate this process best.
Madison Medical Construction Corp 818-714-0584 info@MadisonMedicalConstruction.com
The cost of construction has been rising steadily in the U.S. over the last several years, especially in Southern California. With the continued inflation and supply chain issues, that trend shows no signs of reversing.
For Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the Greater LA area this is even more true, due to the changes in both California building codes and in Medicare guidelines.
The cost of construction has been rising steadily in the U.S. over the last several years, especially in Southern California. With the continued inflation and supply chain issues, that trend shows no signs of reversing.
For Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the Greater LA area this is even more true, due to the changes in both California building codes and in Medicare guidelines.
People often ask “what is the cost per square foot of building an ASC?” but that’s actually the wrong question.
Surgery Center construction cost in and around LA can’t be accurately answered by a cost per sq ft. Regardless of whether it’s in Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Valencia or in the San Fernando Valley, the cost for building an ASC will depend more on the specific details and less on the square footage it takes up or the zip code it’s in.
The better question is “What is the cost for a small Medicare compliant Eye Surgery ASC on the ground floor with 1x OR + 2 recovery beds using portable med-gas?” or “What’s the cost for an Orthopedic Surgery Center on the 5th floor of a 7-story building with 3x OR’s + 10 Bed PACU with O2, Vac & N2O?”
Firstly, an ASC with one OR and three PACU beds is considered a “B” occupancy. Adding a 2nd OR would still be a “B” occupancy and adds little to the overall costs. In fact, a 2nd OR typically brings down the cost per sq ft. of the ASC significantly.
An ASC with two ORs plus four PACU beds or more becomes an I- 2.1 Occupancy, due to having 6 or more patients “incapable of self-preservation”. This occupancy has higher safety standards i.e. exiting and fire barriers. Some Buildings may not even be suitable by CA code for an I-2.1 ASC and other buildings may need significant upgrades in order to comply. Even if the building is suitable, the construction cost is higher for an I-2.1 ASC due to these extra requirements.
California Building Code mandates an “Emergency Electrical System” (EES) to provide backup power to critical items in an ASC regardless of your type of certification / accreditation or the Occupancy type. Of course, the size and cost of the backup power system for a smaller ASC will be a bit less than a larger surgery center, but the cost doesn’t scale up per sft or even per PACU bed due to the minimum requirements of any ASC. The cost for this EES system also varies depending on if you’re using general anesthesia in the Operating Rooms or local. This makes it hard to compare ASC construction costs regardless of your ASC size.
Most Ambulatory Surgery Centers in the LA area use a Battery UPS Backup system for the EES. These UPS systems run from $40k to $75k depending on the number of OR’s & patients in the PACU. A diesel generator might be preferable in some cases which typically costs from $75K to $100K but it often is not a practical choice due the site requirements, plus it comes with a much higher ongoing maintenance cost.
Another example of a cost that’s not related to the size of the surgery center or its occupancy is the Med gas system. It’s typically not legally required to have Med gas built-in and even when it is installed, the cost has little to do with the square footage of the facility. A built in Med-gas system adds from $40K to $70K or more, depending on the number of outlets needed and the gasses included.
There are numerous other items required for an ASC that can drive construction costs higher than medical office clinics, which have little or nothing to do with size or sq ft. This is just one of our areas of expertise to guide your decision process.
Of course, there are always choices and options which could potentially save a significant amount of money. It all comes down to what your needs are and which procedures you plan to perform in your facility.
We are always happy to help you with pre-planning, from initial site selection to preliminary plans and budgets, or even just to brainstorm on the various options, and keeping it less complicated for you.
We can help not only with the construction, but by bringing in the best ASC accreditation and surgery center design experts as well. Give us a call and let’s discuss your specific needs and how we can help you navigate this process best.
Madison Medical Construction Corp 818-714-0584 info@MadisonMedicalConstruction.com