McKinney · Restaurant & Café Build-Out
Restaurant & Café Build-Out Contractor in McKinney, TX
Written scope and locked price before any deposit. Permits and inspections handled.
$25,000 project minimum · One-year workmanship warranty
McKinney runs two restaurant markets at once. The historic downtown square is older building stock with review requirements attached, and the corridor inventory along US-75 and around Stonebridge Ranch is newer shell and second-generation space. Which one you are signing changes the budget more than the concept does.
Historic downtown McKinney space carries review requirements and building-age conditions that corridor space does not, and on a restaurant those land hardest on the things that are most expensive to change late: grease waste routing, make-up air, and how much of the existing kitchen infrastructure you can actually keep. We confirm which one you are signing before you budget, because the difference is routinely larger than the finish package.
Published Rates
Restaurant & Café Build-Out pricing in McKinney
All-in pricing covering labor, materials, permits, inspections, and project management. Brand signage, FF&E, and IT/AV cabling are separate line items called out in the written scope.
| Scope band | Rate | Project minimum | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light second-generation refresh | $225/SF | $75,000 minimum | Cosmetic and finish refresh where the core systems already exist. |
| Second-generation remodel | $325/SF | $125,000 minimum | Remodel of existing restaurant infrastructure. |
| Standard restaurant build-out | $475/SF | $200,000 minimum | Restaurant TI baseline, front and back of house. |
| Heavy restaurant build-out | $650/SF | $300,000 minimum | Heavy kitchen, MEP, and finish build-out. |
Final number depends on the specifics of your McKinney space. See the full restaurant & café build-out scope across DFW.
Permitting in McKinney
Commercial tenant improvements in McKinney permit through the City of McKinney, plus mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits depending on scope. Design to permit approval averages three to four weeks, and we pre-file so review runs in parallel with finalizing your scope rather than after it.
What the price includes
- Exterior grease interceptor with excavation, $8K to $18K depending on city and dig
- Type I versus Type II hood confirmed before design, not after
- Health-department and city inspections sequenced together
- One-year workmanship warranty
Restaurant & Café Build-Out in McKinney: common questions
What does a restaurant build-out cost in McKinney?
A light second-generation refresh, where the core systems already exist, runs $225 per square foot with a $75,000 project minimum. A second-generation remodel runs $325 per square foot with a $125,000 minimum. A standard restaurant build-out runs $475 per square foot with a $200,000 minimum, and a heavy kitchen and MEP build-out runs $650 per square foot with a $300,000 minimum. Final number depends on kitchen scope, hood type, and finish package.
Is downtown McKinney more expensive than the US-75 corridor?
Usually, and the gap is normally larger than the finish package. Downtown square space is older stock with review requirements attached, so grease waste routing, make-up air, and how much existing kitchen infrastructure you can keep all become open questions. Corridor space near US-75 and Stonebridge Ranch is more often newer shell or second-generation, where those answers are already settled. We confirm which one you are signing before you budget.
Do I need a grease interceptor?
Most DFW municipalities require an exterior grease interceptor, typically 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, for any cooking restaurant, and interior grease traps do not pass current code. Cost runs $8,000 to $18,000 depending on excavation needs and the city. We scope-lock it before mobilizing so it is not a surprise at health-department inspection.
Can I avoid a Type I hood?
Sometimes, and it is worth checking early because it is one of the largest single swings in a restaurant budget. A Type II hood suits light prep with no fryers or grease-producing equipment. If the menu genuinely allows it, that decision saves real money, but it has to be settled before design rather than after the equipment schedule is set.
Everything we do in McKinney
Get a written quote for your McKinney restaurant & café build-out
Tell us the space, scope, and target start date. We'll visit your McKinney, TX site and send back a written scope within 5 business days, no deposit until you approve it.
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