Cost Guide
What Does a Commercial Build-Out Cost in Central Texas?
Signing a lease on shell space is the easy part — the build-out is where opening day is won or lost. In Central Texas, tenant finish-outs generally run $40–$250+ per square foot depending on use, with office and retail at the low end and restaurants and medical at the top.
The number that actually matters is the gap between your build-out cost and the landlord's TI allowance — that gap is your capital. We price it before you finalize the lease whenever possible, because the cheapest change order is the one made on paper.
Get My Instant Estimate →The Numbers
Cost by Finish Level
| Finish Level | Typical Range | What That Buys |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Office / Vanilla Box | $40 – $75 / sq ft | Open office or simple retail: demising walls, ceiling grid, lighting, HVAC distribution, restrooms to code, standard flooring and paint. |
| Standard Retail / Office | $75 – $140 / sq ft | Customer-facing finish: storefront work, feature walls and millwork, upgraded lighting and flooring, break rooms, multiple offices or fitting rooms. |
| Restaurant / Medical | $140 – $250+ / sq ft | Heavy mechanical: commercial kitchens with hoods and grease systems, medical plumbing and gas, dense HVAC, specialty finishes, and demanding inspections. |
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Per-square-foot ranges for interior finish-out of shell or second-generation space, including permits; site work and structural shell excluded.
Budget Reality
What Drives the Cost Up
The use type
A hood over a cook line or med-gas behind an exam wall each carry their own trades, inspections, and schedule — use drives cost more than size.
First versus second generation
Second-generation space with reusable HVAC, plumbing, and walls can cut the budget dramatically. We evaluate what's truly reusable before you sign.
HVAC tonnage
Restaurants and clinics need far more cooling than the shell usually provides. New rooftop units are five-figure line items that belong in the lease negotiation.
ADA and code triggers
Renovation can trigger accessibility upgrades to restrooms and entries. Better to know at lease review than at inspection.
Permit timeline
Commercial permits in Central Texas cities run weeks, not days. We submit early and sequence long-lead equipment so the schedule survives review.
Timeline
How Long It Takes
Plan 4–8 weeks for design and permitting and 8–16 weeks of construction depending on scope — a vanilla office finish-out lands near the bottom, restaurants and medical near the top. We build the schedule backward from your opening date and tie every trade to it.
See where your project lands →FAQ
Questions, Answered
What is a TI allowance and what does it cover?
Tenant improvement allowance — money the landlord contributes to your build-out, quoted per square foot. It rarely covers a full finish-out for restaurants or medical; the gap is your capital, and we price that gap before you commit.
Who pulls the permits — landlord or tenant?
Almost always the tenant's contractor. We handle permitting, inspections, and the certificate of occupancy as part of the job — opening day is our deliverable.
Can you work while the shopping center stays open?
Yes. Occupied-center work means dust control, protected walkways, and coordinated hours — standard practice for us, and we plan it with your neighbors in mind.
How accurate can a pre-lease estimate be?
Good enough to negotiate with. From a floor plan and a walk of the space we'll give you a realistic range and flag the big unknowns — HVAC condition, panel capacity, plumbing runs — before you're locked in.
Do you handle ground-up commercial too?
Yes — small-footprint commercial buildings from site work through finish-out. See our commercial construction page for scope.
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