1 · Walkthrough & lease/scope review
We walk the space, review your lease requirements and scope, and define the real work before anyone quotes a number.
Tenant improvement in Austin
Austin Tenant Improvement Contractor for Finish-Outs on the Lease Clock
Rent starts whether or not the space is ready. Real 2026 finish-out cost ranges and how TI allowances actually work are published below.
As commercial tenant improvement contractors in Austin, TX, Bailey & Bear Construction helps tenants, landlords, and property teams plan tenant improvements, commercial finish-outs, punch lists, and ready-for-use spaces with clear scope and handoff details. We handle large-scope tenant improvements too — multi-suite, full-floor, and whole-building finish-outs — where MEP coordination, permitting, and a hard open date drive the plan.
★ 5.0 · 56 Google reviews · 11 years in Austin (since 2015) · Insured · licensed trade subcontractors · One accountable contractor, first call to final walkthrough
A documented method
How we run your tenant improvement
One accountable team owns the whole sequence — approvals, trades, and inspections — so nothing stalls between hands, and you always know what happens next.
2 · Line-item estimate
You get a written, line-item estimate you can plan around — not a phone guess.
3 · Landlord approvals + permits
We handle landlord approvals and permitting together and keep the paperwork documented throughout.
4 · Sequenced build with updates
Trades are sequenced and you get regular updates, so the buildout moves without gaps or surprise downtime.
5 · Occupancy-ready documented handoff
Final punch and a documented walkthrough before we call it done — so you take occupancy without a to-do list.
2026 Austin price guide
What tenant improvement costs in Austin (2026)
A tenant improvement is priced the same way as any Austin commercial renovation — per square foot, driven by how much of the space you actually touch. A light finish-out of an already-conditioned suite lands around $30–$75/sq ft. A standard finish-out with new walls, lighting, and partial MEP runs $75–$150/sq ft. A shell or down-to-studs finish-out with full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing or high-end materials runs $150–$250+/sq ft. These are the same honest planning ranges we publish on our commercial renovation cost page — not a quote. Your space gets a firm number after a walkthrough.
Light finish-out
$30–$75/sq ft
Paint, flooring, lighting, ceiling tile, and finish updates in a suite whose layout and systems already work. Common for a second-generation space where the previous tenant left it in usable shape.
Standard finish-out
$75–$150/sq ft
New demising or interior walls, reconfigured offices and conference rooms, added lighting and power, partial HVAC and plumbing changes, and a full finish package. The most common office and retail TI band.
Shell or high-end finish-out
$150–$250+/sq ft
Cold or warm shell taken to occupancy with new MEP, restrooms, structural work, and premium materials. Typical for restaurants, medical suites, and flagship retail with heavy permitting.
Want the line-item breakdown — what share goes to MEP, finishes, framing, permits, and demolition? The full budget table is on our commercial renovation cost page.
TI allowance
Understanding your TI allowance
A tenant improvement allowance is the amount your landlord contributes toward building out the space, usually quoted as a dollar figure per square foot in the lease or the TI exhibit. It is not the same as what the finish-out costs. When the build comes in above the allowance, the overage is yours; when it comes in below, many leases let the balance simply go unused. Knowing which side of that line you are on before you sign is worth more than any negotiating tactic afterward.
What allowances usually cover
Allowances typically go toward permanent improvements — walls, doors, ceilings, flooring, lighting, HVAC distribution, and restrooms. Furniture, equipment, signage, cabling, and moving costs are often excluded or capped. Every lease words this differently, so the TI exhibit is the document that decides it.
Where overage comes from
The overruns we see most are MEP work in a shell space, accessibility and code upgrades triggered at permit, long-lead equipment, and scope added after drawings were priced. Each one is predictable at walkthrough. None of them are pleasant to discover at framing.
How we scope to the allowance
Send us the lease or TI exhibit before you finalize the design. We price the finish-out against the allowance figure, show you which line items push past it, and identify what can be re-specified or phased so the number lands where you need it.
Lease clock
How long an Austin finish-out takes
Work backward from your occupancy date, not forward from today. Permitting is the stage that most often breaks a schedule, so we start it as early as the drawings allow and keep landlord approvals moving in parallel rather than in sequence.
Design & scope
3–6 weeks to settle layout, finishes, and MEP needs before anything gets priced. Landlord design review runs alongside this.
Permitting & approvals
4–12 weeks through the City of Austin for commercial permits and any code or ADA review, plus landlord sign-off on the construction documents.
Construction & handoff
6–16 weeks on site depending on size and MEP scope, ending in punch, inspections, and a documented occupancy-ready walkthrough.
Featured commercial work: Academia
Academia is a real Austin bar and restaurant Bailey & Bear renovated end to end — a commercial hospitality space taken through scope, trades, permitting, and closeout. It is the same team and the same process behind a tenant finish-out. See the full write-up on our Academia commercial case study. Our commercial work also includes interior finish work, and more finished projects are in the project gallery.
Our work
Review the Bailey & Bear project gallery for real Austin construction work, scopes, and project imagery.
Need finish-out support?
Who this helps
Austin tenants, landlords, brokers, and property teams preparing a space for occupancy, handoff, or business use.
Useful request details
Send the lease or handoff milestone, scope notes, finish expectations, photos, access windows, and any landlord requirements.
Recent work
Our Academia commercial renovation shows finish details, hospitality scope, and handoff-ready work. Browse the full project gallery.
Trusted by Austin clients
Rated 5.0 across 56 Google reviews. Bailey & Bear coordinates trades, permits, and punch work as one contractor.
What clients say
“Professional team, solid workmanship, and everything completed on time.” — Zain S.
Get a finish-out number for your space
Send the address, square footage, your target occupancy date, and the lease or TI exhibit if you have it. We walk the space and come back with a written, line-item finish-out scope priced against your allowance. Rated 5.0 across 56 Google reviews, building in Austin since 2015.
Tenant improvement lead path
Turn a lease requirement into a clear Austin tenant improvement plan
For tenant improvements, the fastest path is a clean scope: what the space needs, what the landlord requires, what must be coordinated with existing utilities, and what deadline the business is trying to hit.
Our work
Useful for office updates, light commercial remodels, make-ready work, finish refreshes, punch lists, and business spaces that need a practical opening path.
Before we start
Before work begins, clarify scope, exclusions, applicable license/insurance documentation, warranty or guarantee terms, landlord coordination, cleanup expectations, and timeline windows.
Next step
Send the lease deadline, address, known landlord notes, and photos. We will help identify whether the first move is a walkthrough, scope review, or bid.
Request a tenant improvement walkthrough Compare Austin commercial contractor support
Tenant improvement contractors near me — where we work in Austin
Bailey & Bear works as tenant improvement contractors across the full Austin metro — Central Austin, the Domain, East Austin, South Congress, the Arboretum, Round Rock, and Cedar Park. The same owner scopes and runs every tenant improvement project, so “near me” means the same accountable point of contact whether the space is downtown or in the suburbs.