Buildout Planning Tool

Commercial Buildout Cost Calculator – Houston & Texas

Explore an illustrative budget for your office, retail, medical, restaurant or franchise buildout. See how project assumptions and a landlord tenant improvement allowance affect the owner funding gap, then review the scope with Epex before making a commitment.

Explore Your Buildout Budget

Get a preliminary budget range for your Texas commercial buildout, including construction, soft costs, contingency, tenant improvement allowance and estimated owner funding.

Gymboree planning reference: $225,000 upper estimate for 2,244 SF. The first- and second-generation reference is a standard-finish Houston space with extensive plumbing, new HVAC, heavy electrical and major fire-protection work, with drawings not started. Its central budget is $90/SF including construction, soft costs and contingency; its planning range is $181,764–$225,000. System selections adjust the included scope instead of adding full allowances again. Size, finish, location and unknown conditions can change the range. This is an illustrative planning benchmark, not a guaranteed price.

Illustrative planning assumptions: The base rates are working inputs informed by published cost guides listed below. The exact inputs have not been verified as current market averages or project-specific estimates. They are not Epex prices, quotes or permit commitments. Your project will be priced from your plans, lease and site conditions. Schedule ranges are planning estimates, not opening-date commitments.

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Project Details

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MEP & Construction Complexity

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Tenant Improvement Allowance

Illustrative Project Budget
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Construction —
Soft Costs —
Contingency —
Landlord TI —
Owner Funding Gap After TI Allowance —

Buildout Risk

Incomplete

    Illustrative Timeline

    Design / Engineering –
    Permitting –
    Construction –
    Sequential Total –

    The total adds design, permitting and construction in sequence. Stages may overlap; revisions, utilities, equipment and inspections may add time. These prototype ranges are not an opening-date commitment.

    Before You Commit to the Space

    A calculator cannot see your plans, lease, existing MEP systems, landlord requirements or actual site conditions. Have Epex review the project assumptions before you commit.

    Discuss Your Buildout Assumptions
    View all cost, risk and timeline assumptions

    Published cost references (not validation of the exact inputs):

    These prototype assumptions require project-specific verification. Construction, soft-cost and contingency amounts are central assumptions; the displayed budget range applies the low/high factors to their total.

    Planning disclaimer: This calculator provides an early planning range only. It is not a construction bid, contractor proposal, appraisal, guaranteed maximum price or professional cost estimate. Actual costs and schedules depend on drawings, jurisdiction, site conditions, utilities, landlord requirements, MEP capacity, finishes, bids, inspections and current market conditions.

    How the Commercial Buildout Cost Calculator Works

    The calculator starts from a base construction cost per square foot for your project type, then adjusts for the Texas market, the condition of the space (cold shell, warm shell, second-generation or occupied), finish level and the MEP scope: plumbing, HVAC, electrical and fire protection. It adds soft costs (design, engineering, permits, fees) and a contingency that grows when drawings are incomplete or key conditions are still unknown. Finally it subtracts the entered landlord tenant improvement (TI) allowance from each end of the range and floors the result at zero. An unknown allowance is deducted as zero. This funding gap does not account for other financing, owner cash or reimbursement timing.

    For a step-by-step funding example, see our office buildout budget and TI allowance walkthrough. Its invented example amounts are separate from the calculator inputs.

    What Drives Commercial Buildout Costs in Houston

    • Existing condition. Verify which systems and finishes are present and suitable for reuse before assuming a second-generation space needs less work.
    • MEP scope. New rooftop units, electrical service upgrades, transformers and fire sprinkler/alarm work need scope and capacity checks in commercial tenant improvement projects.
    • Use type. Restaurants, medical and dental offices and children’s facilities carry heavier code, ventilation and licensing requirements.
    • Drawings and permitting. Incomplete plans widen the range and extend the schedule; City of Houston and surrounding jurisdictions each have their own review timelines.
    • TI allowance. Compare the confirmed allowance with your budget and check eligible costs, reimbursement timing and landlord conditions.

    Planning a Buildout? Review the Project Assumptions

    Epex Construction is a general contractor serving Houston, Cypress, Spring, Katy and the greater Texas market. Before you commit to a space, we review the lease, existing conditions, MEP capacity and landlord requirements so your budget reflects the real project, not just the square footage.

    Commercial BuildoutsTenant improvement and office, retail and medical buildouts across Houston. Franchise BuildoutsReview brand requirements, construction scope and approval dependencies. Residential Cost CalculatorPlanning a kitchen, bathroom, renovation, addition or new home instead? Explore a market-based home project budget.