Tenant Improvement Contractor Checklist: What to Know Before Starting Your Project
A tenant improvement contractor checklist keeps a commercial build-out from starting on the wrong foot. Before demolition, the tenant, landlord, designer, and contractor should agree on scope, budget, schedule, and the items that carry the longest lead times.
Work through the list below with your contractor. It pairs with our guide to choosing a tenant improvement contractor.
The Pre-Construction Tenant Improvement Contractor Checklist
These items should be confirmed in writing before the contractor mobilizes:
- Executed lease with the tenant improvement allowance amount and disbursement terms
- Complete, permit-ready drawings and specifications
- Landlord approval of the contractor and required insurance certificates
- Building rules for hours of work, access, parking, and dust and noise control
- Line-item budget with clear inclusions and exclusions
- Permit application submitted, with a plan-check timeline
- Long-lead items identified and released: storefront, curtain wall, interior glass, doors, switchgear, HVAC units
- Realistic schedule with milestones and an agreed substantial-completion date
Budget and Allowance Items to Verify
Confirm who pays for permit fees, engineering, fire sprinkler modifications, landlord-mandated upgrades, after-hours labor, and the glazing package. Reconcile the contractor’s line items against the landlord allowance so you know your out-of-pocket number before work begins.
Glass and Glazing Items Often Missed
Glazing scope is where checklists usually fall short. Confirm the storefront and glass entry systems package, interior office-front glass, demountable partitions, glass doors and hardware, safety-glazing locations, and the film or frit needed for privacy or energy performance.
Our tenant improvement glass guide breaks down each of these.
Schedule and Access
Agree on the construction calendar, elevator and dock reservations, and any phasing needed to keep neighboring tenants operating. Put the substantial-completion date and liquidated-damages terms, if any, in the contract.
Documents to Collect for the Checklist
Before the tenant improvement contractor checklist can be completed, gather the executed lease and work letter, the full drawing set and specifications, the landlord’s construction rules, proof of the allowance amount, and any existing as-built drawings of the space.
Missing documents are the most common reason a build-out starts late. The contractor cannot price or schedule accurately without them.
Using the Checklist During Construction
The tenant improvement contractor checklist is not only a pre-construction tool. Revisit it at each milestone: after demolition, after rough-in inspections, before drywall closes, and before the glazing install. Each checkpoint confirms the project is still on scope, on budget, and on schedule.
Bottom Line for Commercial Property Owners
A well-managed tenant improvement contractor checklist decision protects three things at once: your construction schedule, your build-out budget, and the long-term performance of the space. Getting it right early, with a contractor who has done it many times, is far cheaper than correcting it later.
Every commercial building reaches these decision points. The owners and tenants who plan for them, document the scope, and work with an experienced team consistently open on time, stay on budget, and end up with space that leases and performs better for years.
Key Takeaways
- Confirm lease, allowance terms, and permit-ready drawings before mobilizing
- Get landlord approval and insurance certificates on file
- Reconcile the line-item budget against the allowance to know your net cost
- Release long-lead glass and equipment as early as possible
- Lock the schedule, access windows, and completion date in the contract
Frequently Asked Questions
When should the glazing package be ordered?
As soon as drawings are approved. Storefront and curtain wall commonly run six to ten weeks, which can dictate the whole schedule.
What is a substantial-completion date?
The contractual date the space is usable for its intended purpose, even if minor punch items remain.
Talk to a Commercial Glazing and Tenant Improvement Team
Want a second set of eyes on your build-out plan? contact our team and we will review the checklist with you, including the commercial glass services scope. For further reading, see how the tenant improvement allowance works.