Find out what your build-out costs — before you negotiate the allowance

Before the lease or LOI is signed. The highest-value work — pricing the build-out and shaping the work-letter language — has to happen while the allowance is still negotiable. We’re often engaged during site selection, comparing the true build-out cost of two or three spaces.

It varies entirely by lease. Most allowances cover hard construction costs and permits; many exclude furniture, data cabling, security, signage, design fees and moving costs. Some can be applied to those “soft costs” up to a sub-cap. The work letter is the only source of truth — we read yours.

You have choices, and it’s better to make them early. Overages can be paid in cash at closing, amortized into the rent at a stated interest rate, or designed out. We price the alternates so the decision is yours, not the low bid’s.

Both models. We can act as your build-out contractor directly, or as the owner’s representative managing a separately bid general contractor. Either way the allowance tracking and draw documentation is ours to run.

Almost always documentation: a missing lien waiver from a lower-tier sub, a pay application that doesn’t tie to the approved budget, no proof of permit sign-off, or a submission after the lease deadline. We build the package to the lease’s checklist so there’s nothing to reject.