Choose a tenant improvement contractor by what you can verify, not by the portfolio: whether they regularly build suites your size, whether they will put a lump-sum price on a written scope, who pulls the permit, who runs the job day to day, and whether they will show you what work like yours costs before you call. A contractor that specializes in tenant improvements should answer all of that without hesitating. The twelve questions below are the ones to put to every bidder.
What should "specializes in tenant improvements" actually mean?
- Suites your size are their normal work, not a favor between larger jobs
- They have built against a landlord work letter and know how allowance reimbursement paperwork works
- They work after hours in occupied buildings as a matter of course, under the building's rules
- They handle the city permit and, for a Texas project estimated at $50,000 or more, the accessibility registration and review that goes with it
- They know which DFW cities review slowly and plan the schedule around it
The 12 questions to ask every bidder
- 1.What size of suite do you build most often, and can you show me one like mine?
- 2.Is your price a lump sum for a written scope, or cost-plus? (A lump sum fixes the number for the scope; cost-plus passes your risk back to you.)
- 3.What is excluded, by name? Exclusions by omission are where change orders come from.
- 4.Which allowances are in the bid, and do they match the finishes we discussed?
- 5.Who pulls the permit, responds to plan review and books the inspections?
- 6.Who runs the job on site every day, and is that the person who priced it?
- 7.Which trades are yours or long-standing partners, and which are found per job?
- 8.How do you price and approve a change order, and does that happen before the work?
- 9.What does after-hours or phased work add, and is it a separate line or buried in the rate?
- 10.What insurance do you carry, with what limits, and can I see the certificate now?
- 11.What is the workmanship warranty, in writing, and how is a claim in month eleven handled?
- 12.What is the schedule from signature to certificate of occupancy, and what in it is outside your control?
Put the same questions to every bidder and line the answers up. The bid comparison checklist shows how to read the bids themselves line for line, and how a lump-sum contract protects a tenant covers question two in depth.
What does transparent pricing look like?
A published rate card you can check before anyone visits: per-square-foot ranges by type of work, and the items priced separately named rather than hinted at. Ours is public: office tenant improvement work from $35 to $65/SF for a light TI to $95 to $140/SF for a client-facing floor, retail from $15 to $38/SF to refresh up to $65 to $105/SF for a standard build-out, and after-hours work typically 1.2x to 1.4x on the labor portion. The tenant improvement cost page carries the full ladder and the build-out cost calculator runs it against your square footage. Ranges are not a quote, but a contractor who will not show you any number before a site visit is asking you to trust a black box.
What are the red flags?
Written Scope
Planning this type of project?
Tell us your space, city, and timeline. We return a written scope with lump-sum pricing, no obligation.
- A deposit requested before you have a written scope
- A single number with no scope behind it, or a scope with no named exclusions
- Allowances well below the finishes you described
- "We'll figure out the permit" with no answer to who submits it
- Reluctance about your project size, which usually shows up later as scheduling priority
- No certificate of insurance until after you sign
Insurance, permits and warranty: verify, don't assume
Ask for the insurance certificate and read the limits, not just the word insured; your landlord will very likely require minimums and ask for the certificate before anyone starts. Ours is $1M GL + $1M Umbrella. Permit submission, plan review response and inspection scheduling should belong to the contractor, because the review window is far easier to manage for someone who files weekly; the DFW permit timeline sets realistic expectations. A workmanship warranty is only as good as the business behind it: ours is one year, stated in the contract rather than implied.
Where i30 Builders fits, and where it doesn't
i30 Builders is a general contractor based in Royse City that builds tenant improvements, renovations and finish-outs in leased commercial space across Dallas-Fort Worth: offices, retail bays, medical and dental suites, salons and med-spas, and cafes. Projects generally run $7,500 to $150,000+, on a written lump-sum scope, with permits handled and the person who priced the job running it. Recent work includes a Mansfield medical office rebuilt after hours across multiple phases without the practice closing a business day, and a Rowlett office suite repainted with a new conference room inside a three-day window. We do not take ground-up construction, and we would rather say so than bid it badly. Tenant improvements in Dallas-Fort Worth describes the work, and commercial case studies show it.
Ask us the twelve questions
Free site walk, written scope, locked price, and no deposit until you approve the scope in writing. Call (469) 721-0146.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this topic from DFW tenants, landlords, and business owners.
Who specializes in office tenant improvements in Dallas?
Several firms do, at different sizes. i30 Builders, a Royse City general contractor, builds office tenant improvements across Dallas-Fort Worth from small refreshes to full finish-outs, generally $7,500 to $150,000+, on a written lump-sum scope with published per-square-foot ranges. Whoever you call, ask the twelve questions above.
Who are the best tenant improvement contractors in Dallas?
The best one is the one whose normal work matches your suite, who will put a lump sum on a written scope, owns the permit, and names who runs the job. Large general contractors are built for large floors; for a single suite, a contractor built around that size usually gives it more attention. Compare bidders on the same written scope.
How do I find build-out contractors in Dallas with transparent pricing?
Look for a published rate card with per-square-foot ranges and named adders you can check before a site visit, then confirm the bid is a lump sum for a written scope. Our ranges are on the tenant improvement cost page.
How do I choose a contractor for a DFW retail tenant build-out?
Ask the same twelve questions, and add two: who handles the storefront, signage and fixture install, and does the schedule protect the lease's required opening date. A standard retail build-out on our card is $65 to $105/SF, with storefront and signage priced separately.
Is my project too small for a commercial general contractor?
For a large one, probably, and they will tell you through scheduling rather than directly. The $7,500 to $150,000+ range needs a contractor built around it, which is what we are.
Should I pay a deposit before seeing a written scope?
No. A deposit before an approved written scope funds a project nobody has defined. We do not take one until you have approved the scope.
About the author
Yelp
General contractor, Royse City, TX
Commercial tenant improvement, build-out and renovation, and residential outdoor living, fencing, additions and high-end kitchens and baths across Dallas-Fort Worth and East Texas.