What to Include in a Commercial Tenant Improvement Scope

Describe the business and the space

An office, restaurant, retail store, and medical facility can have very different construction needs. Provide the intended use, floor area, existing condition, and the latest architectural and consultant documents.

List the work you expect: demolition, partitions, ceilings, doors, finishes, cabinetry, equipment coordination, and building-system changes. A clear description helps contractors identify missing information before pricing.

Clarify landlord and tenant responsibilities

Ask the property team to identify landlord work, tenant work, required approvals, and the parties responsible for building systems and common areas. Give your contractor the applicable construction rules and access requirements.

Where responsibilities overlap, document the interface. For example, who provides equipment, who installs it, and who makes the electrical or plumbing connection? Resolving those questions reduces gaps between separate proposals.

Coordinate equipment and building systems

Equipment dimensions and service requirements can influence power, plumbing, ventilation, framing, and finishes. Share current equipment schedules and manufacturer information as they become available.

Identify what is existing, what is being reused, and what is new. Applicable accessibility, life-safety, and use-specific requirements need review by the appropriate project professionals and authorities rather than assumptions in a preliminary bid.

Account for the operating environment

Working in a shopping center, occupied office building, or shared commercial property creates practical constraints. Confirm work hours, delivery routes, parking, debris handling, protection, and any required shutdown coordination.

If part of the premises will remain in use, discuss the intended phasing and the limits of access. These conditions affect how the work can be organized and should be considered when comparing proposals.

Define the finish line

The scope should identify the expected closeout work, including punch-list coordination, cleanup, product documentation within scope, and the inspections or approvals relevant to the project. Distinguish the construction schedule from other business-opening dependencies.

EPIC focuses on coordinated commercial remodels and tenant improvements across Southern California. Share your property location, project documents, and intended use to start a scope discussion.

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