A commercial build-out in DFW runs from $10 to $25/SF for a paint and flooring refresh to $265 to $380/SF for a full-service restaurant built from a shell, on the rate card i30 Builders publishes. A light office TI runs $35 to $65/SF and a standard retail build-out $65 to $105/SF, and none of it has a starting price: every job is scoped and priced per project after a site walk. Where you fall is set by three things: what the business needs the space to do, the condition the landlord delivers it in, and a short list of items that do not scale with floor area at all, like a kitchen hood.
In Texas this work is usually called a finish-out; nationally it is a build-out or a tenant improvement (TI). They mean the same thing: turning a leased shell into a space a business can open in.
What does a build-out cost per square foot in DFW?
These are the published budgeting ranges, by the kind of space. Each one is a range rather than a single rate because scope moves the number more than square footage does. Every range excludes FF&E and equipment, design and engineering, landlord fees, and the named adders further down.
| Space and scope | Published range | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Paint and flooring refresh | $10 to $25/SF | See the cost page |
| Light office TI | $35 to $65/SF | See the cost page |
| Standard office TI | $65 to $95/SF | See the cost page |
| Higher-end office TI | $95 to $140/SF | See the cost page |
| Retail refresh | $15 to $38/SF | See the cost page |
| Standard retail build-out | $65 to $105/SF | See the cost page |
| White box from cold shell | $55 to $85/SF | See the cost page |
| Salon or med-spa refresh | $40 to $80/SF | See the cost page |
| Salon or med-spa from cold shell | $110 to $160/SF | See the cost page |
| Basic clinic TI | $95 to $130/SF | See the cost page |
| Heavy medical and dental | $180 to $250/SF | See the cost page |
| Cafe refresh, second-generation | $45 to $90/SF | See the cost page |
| Full-service restaurant from shell | $265 to $380/SF | See the cost page |
| Fitness studio, open plan from shell | $60 to $110/SF | See the cost page |
| Standard coworking | $90 to $125/SF | See the cost page |
The table is a summary. Each cost page carries every tier in its vertical and what each one includes and excludes. No commercial work here has a starting price; every job is scoped and priced per project after a site walk. If you would rather start from your own square footage, the build-out budget calculator runs the same ranges against your size and use.
What do common suite sizes come to?
Multiply the range by the floor area. Worked for a few suites DFW tenants lease often:
| Suite | Scope | Budget at published ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 SF office | Light office TI | $87,500 to $162,500 |
| 2,500 SF office | Standard office TI | $162,500 to $237,500 |
| 1,500 SF retail bay | Standard retail build-out | $97,500 to $157,500 |
| 1,200 SF salon | Cold dark shell | $132,000 to $192,000 |
| 2,000 SF clinic | Basic clinic TI | $190,000 to $260,000 |
| 1,800 SF cafe | Vanilla shell, no Type I hood | $252,000 to $360,000 |
The salon row is not hypothetical at the bottom. The floor of the cold-shell salon range is a real contract: an 899 square foot salon in Mesquite, contracted as a full build-out from a cold dark shell, which is the measurement the whole rate card is pinned to.
Why does shell condition move the number so much?
Because a cold shell is a box with utilities at the door, and everything inside it is yours to build. Bringing a cold dark shell up to a leasable white box (demising walls, drywall, ceiling grid and lighting, HVAC distribution, a code restroom, an electrical panel) is its own tier at $55 to $85/SF, before any tenant-specific finish goes in. A landlord who delivers that white box, or a second-generation suite where the prior tenant's restrooms and HVAC distribution can stay, takes most of that layer off your number.
Second-generation space only saves money when the previous use is close to yours. A former salon is worth a great deal to the next salon and much less to an office, which pays to remove what it cannot use. The second-generation vs raw shell guide covers what to check on the walk, and the vanilla shell, gray shell and white box explainer covers what each label should mean in your lease.
Which costs do not scale with square footage?
A handful of items cost what they cost whatever the size of the suite. On the rate card they are priced as named adders rather than hidden inside a per-foot rate, because a reader told only that a hood is "not included" assumes the worst:
- Type I hood system, with fire suppression, grease duct, fan, curb and makeup air: $45,000 to $75,000
- Exterior grease interceptor, with the sawcut, trench and paving patch: $20,000 to $45,000
- Electrical service upgrade, when the panel cannot carry the equipment: $20,000 to $50,000
- New rooftop HVAC unit with curb and duct: $25,000 to $50,000
- Showers and locker rooms in a studio: $25,000 to $60,000
- A commercial restroom, priced per room: $8,000 to $12,000 each to refresh, $18,000 to $30,000 each for a full single-user ADA build
- Working after hours or in phases around an open business: typically 1.2x to 1.4x on the labor portion
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.
What is not in the per-square-foot number?
Budget these separately, because they are named as their own lines in a written scope rather than folded into the range: FF&E and equipment, design and engineering, landlord fees, health-department plan review fees where food is involved, and the adders above. Permits and standard city inspections are inside the range. Hidden conditions, like rot or code corrections unrelated to your scope, are excluded by default and surface as a written change order if they are found.
How does the TI allowance fit in?
Most DFW leases include a tenant improvement allowance, money the landlord contributes toward the finish-out, usually paid back to you against invoices and lien waivers rather than handed over up front. It rarely covers a full build-out, and the gap between the allowance and the real scope is what your lease negotiation is actually about. The TI allowance guide covers what an allowance pays for, and who pays for tenant improvements compares turnkey, allowance and abatement deals. If the build runs past the allowance, how tenants finance the gap is the next read.
How long does a DFW finish-out take?
A straightforward office or retail finish-out is typically 6 to 12 weeks of construction, and the permit is the part business owners underestimate. DFW jurisdictions vary widely, and Dallas in particular has run long on commercial review. Complete drawings the first time are what protect the date, because incorrect formats and missing code references are the most common cause of lost weeks. The build-out timeline guide breaks the calendar down by phase.
How do you get an accurate quote?
- Walk the space with the contractor before you sign, and confirm the real shell condition rather than the listing's label
- Get a written lump-sum scope that names what is included and what is excluded, so two bids can be compared line for line
- Ask which adders apply to your use, priced, rather than discovering the hood or the panel after demo
- Confirm what the TI allowance covers and what reimbursement paperwork the landlord requires
- Ask who carries the permit, the inspections and any certificate of occupancy change
The bid comparison checklist shows how to read three bids side by side, and the tenant improvement cost page carries the full ladder in one place.
Get a written scope before you sign
Tell us the space, the use and your opening date. We walk it, confirm the shell condition, and hand you a written lump-sum scope you can take into your lease negotiation. Call (469) 721-0146. Response within 1 business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this topic from DFW tenants, landlords, and business owners.
How much does a commercial build-out cost in DFW?
On i30 Builders' published rate card, from $10 to $25/SF for a paint and flooring refresh to $265 to $380/SF for a full-service restaurant from shell. A standard office TI is $65 to $95/SF, a standard retail build-out $65 to $105/SF, a basic clinic TI $95 to $130/SF, and a salon from a cold shell $110 to $160/SF. Shell condition and use drive most of the spread.
What is the difference between a finish-out and a build-out?
They mean the same thing: turning a leased commercial space into one your business can operate in. Finish-out is the common term in Texas; build-out and tenant improvement (TI) are used nationally. All of them cover partitions, MEP, finishes and code work.
Does the landlord pay for the build-out?
Usually in part, through a tenant improvement allowance paid back against invoices and lien waivers. It rarely covers a full build, so price the scope before you sign and negotiate the allowance against a real number. The TI allowance guide covers how it pays out.
What does it cost to build out 2,500 square feet of office?
At the published ranges, $87,500 to $162,500 for a light office TI where the systems mostly stay, and $162,500 to $237,500 for a standard fit-out with private offices, a conference room and a break area. Both are before FF&E, design and landlord fees.
How can I lower my DFW build-out cost?
Lease a second-generation space whose prior use matches yours, keep a layout that already works, choose a refresh over a gut where the systems allow, and settle your equipment list before design so no adder is discovered late. Then compare bids on a written scope, not on a total.
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.