Cost per Square Foot of Commercial Construction by Region
We get this question all the time: How much does it cost to build a commercial building? There is no quick answer and without more information about the project and its location, is essentially akin to asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. However, there is some guidance provided we know where you are located and what kind of building you are looking to build. Local economy is a very important factor in construction cost as well as the type of construction you intend to build.
We subscribe to RSMeans', researchers of construction cost data nationwide, and have come across some important current data on the cost of commercial construction for four different commercial project types as a function of their location. Note, that not all types of construction cost the same per square foot, and even more importantly, the cost of construction per square foot varies significantly with location.
Below are four different types of commercial construction and the varying cost per square foot to expect for each in different regions. All graph images are courtesy of RSMeans Construction Cost Data. Data source: Reed Construction Data – RSMeans/Charts: Reed Construction Data – CanaData
One Story Office Building
Convenience Store
Fast Food
Day Care
- Construction Types V-A and V-B in the International Building Code
- How Much Does it Cost to Build a Home?
- Residential or Commercial
- C-1 Commercial Property For Sale in Clear Creek County
- Construction Materials Prices Likely to Begin Rising by Mid Year 2009
- Setting Trusses at the Diamond Office and Retail Building in Evergreen Colorado
- Commercial Stair Design – Guidelines, Criteria and Dimensions
150 Responses »
Trackbacks
- Cost Per Square Foot of Educational Facilities by Region | Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog
- Construction Cost per Square Foot of Community Centers in Major US Cities | Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog
- The Dark Side of Mankato’s Downtown Revitalization | Nathaniel M Hood
- The Dangerous Game of Subsidy « Thoughts on the Urban Environment
Leave a Response
Entries(RSS)
Carl,
Thank you for your comment. A couple of questions for you first - what will the use of the building be - office, retail, medical, etc.? Each use has its own parameters for construction cost. Then, what level of finish would you be looking for - High-end luxury or sparse urban studio? If you could share your thoughts on that, we could certainly help arrive at a good starting point. At that point, we would be happy to discuss the project in more detail and see how we may be able to assist you with your programming and design needs. EVstudio is licensed in multiple states, and we regularly do projects across the country. We can provide architectural and engineering services for a wide variety of projects and locations. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing from you.
-Dean
Dean,
Appreciate your input.
Am a physician looking at 2 prospects.
1. A 11300 sq foot 1 floor building with appropriate parking plus a large municipal lot across the street that needs renovation...we would need about 6K and would rent the rest. Building has good street visualization
2) A .6 acre area to build a 10-12K building, parking on the ground, with building on levels 2 and 3. Buidling is next to another medical building.
Trying to guesstimate...
Price per foot to renovate vs. build from scratch...
Other factors....time, stress etc....
anything would be appreciated.
Hi Niel,
Happy to help out. First, a very important question: Where is the location? Regional variations in construction costs can be staggering. If you could let me know a bit more about site location, that would help inform the discussion. Look forward to hearing form you.
-Dean
>>
teaneck,nj
>>
Thanks Niel,
While cost per square foot varies by both region as well as local economies, I would expect multi-story medical office space in your area to be in the range of $220-$250/square feet, depending on many factors, from design configuration and level of finish to site requirements and availability of local labor. simple medical office space on an open lot will be considerably less expensive, while specialty construction with tight site constraints could be more. In your location, and with the kind of new building that you described, a good place to start would be in the ballpark of $240/square foot. With that said, you would be looking at a project that is around $2.5M
For renovation, the cost is very much tied to what is currently there, what can be salvaged and what will be new. If you were starting with a core and shell space (demo costs to strip it down to that point would have to be considered), a medical office building tenant finish-out would cost anywhere from $60/sq.ft. to $100/sq.ft.. Again, many factors to consider here, not the least of which would be the kinds of amenities needed in the facility. Are these simple treatment rooms, or are there surgical rooms, med gas requirements, other technologies that affect the cost of the building? Assuming a typical professional office building, the renovation could run upwards of around $900k.
RSMeans provides the general index for construction costs to be used in developing a starting point for a project budget. However, the actual design will drive actual costs and the budget should be validated at all benchmarks throughout the design process. A line item budget should be developed as soon as schematic architectural drawings are developed.
If you would like to discuss the project in more detail, we can provide full scope architectural and engineering design services, and would be happy to help at any level from schematic design to permitting and contract administration.
I hope that helps and let me know if there is anything else we can help you with.
-Dean
>>
Mr. Dalvit: Thank you for responding so quickly. We are in the very early stages of pricing a facility. The building we are interested in would be a three story office building, right about 30,000 feet, in a commercial area of Hollywood, FL. The building would be multiuse, occupied by a variety of tenants (insurance, doctors, therapy, etc.) – regular offices and a restaurant on the first floor.
>>
Thanks Carl,
While cost per square foot varies by both region as well as local economies, I would expect multi-story office space in your area to be in the range of $150-$180/square feet, depending on many factors, from design configuration and level of finish to site requirements and availability of local labor. Concrete block warehouse-type office space on an open lot will be considerably less expensive, while specialty construction with tight site constraints could be more. In your location, and with the kind of mixed-use building that you described, a good place to start would be in the ballpark of $170/square foot. With that said, you would be looking at a project that is right around $5M
RSMeans provides the general index for construction costs to be used in developing a starting point for a project budget. However, the actual design will drive actual costs and the budget should be validated at all benchmarks throughout the design process. A line item budget should be developed as soon as schematic architectural drawings are developed.
If you would like to discuss the project in more detail, we can provide full scope architectural and engineering design services, and would be happy to help at any level from schematic design to permitting and contract administration.
I hope that helps and let me know if there is anything else we can help you with.
-Dean
Hi,
this has been really helpful! It being the weekend and unable to call around for quotes, this has been exactly what i've been needing to see. Wondering if you would know , of course this is hypothetical, ball park costs, but planning to turn a retail space into restaurant and wondering what a 150-200 sq commercial kitchen construction costs would look like per sq ft
Hi Sara,
Thank you for your reply. Before I could reply with some meaningful information for you, I would need to know your location as well as a bit more about the building you are looking at as well as the kind of restaurant you are looking to build. A bakery has a different kitchen than a sports grill and a single story mixed use building is easier to retrofit a hood and exhaust for a commercial cooktop and fryer than a multistory building. And all costs will vary with location based on local availability of labor and materials. Let me know and hopefully we will be able to help you.
-Dean
Dean, we have a commercial client who wants to do a medical "build-out" in Fredericksburg, VA. It is approximately 5,000 sq. ft. on the 3rd floor of an existing building attached to the hospital. Can you tell me in our area, what is the going rate per sq. ft. for "build-out" in the medical industry. It is an OB-Gyn women's center. Thanks, and I have enjoyed reading your responses.
Maxine,
Thank you for your question. A simple medical build out in that area would be on the order of $40-$80 per square foot, depending on the existing conditions of the space and what you have to start with. An existing office building (particular medical office) may already be planned for interior spaces and all you have to do is update finishes while others may require a complete gutting. The former might be as low as $20 per square foot or even less while the latter could push that $80 barrier. Also, the level of finish and the cost of any specialty space (MRI, CAT scan rooms, etc.) will really drive the costs. Again though, if this is project is a typical medical office space with professional looking finishes, no specialty equipment or med gasses, I'd say you would be safe to consider a conceptual budget to be between $250,000 and $350,000 if you are starting from scratch. Incidentally, I have written a post about new construction medical office buildings you may find interesting: http://evstudio.info/cost-per-square-foot-for-construction-for-medical-office-buildings/
I hope that helps. If you would like to discuss this project in more detail, we would be happy to help.
-Dean
Hello I have a renovated Farmhouse in a suburban area of Indianapolis Indiana. The house dates to the 1880's and I renovated it for a dental office in 1997-1998, and have been practicing there since. I am interested in doing some remodeling/renovation, cosmetic updates ie. expanding the reception room onto the porch (very little outdoor work) My question is this: a bid came in at 43,000.00 just for the "construction" no interior finishings. That's about 177.per sq. ft. Seems high. What do you think. Thanks
Chuck Sukurs DDS
I inherited a single family row house in Flushing. The house is sandwiched in between a 3 family and a 6 family, that were originally like mine, but have been built up. I have the house gutted out now and am wondering if it would be wiser to convert it to a multi-family like the ones on either side. I believe the house measures 30 feet by 40 feet. Would it be better to convert or just rehab it as a single family? What would be the estimates for conversion to a multi-family in Flushing, NY?
Hi Chuck,
Without knowing too much about the design itself, or the details of the existing structure, I am assuming that contractor is expecting to get into some difficult situations with those numbers. We've done dentist offices before, and while there is a premium cost of construction for the type of construction necessary, $177/sq.ft. is too high to not include interior finishes. Every building can be an onion peel, and an 1880's house is more likely to have code issues for your use and occupancy. Be that as it may, while there will always be some padding in a contractor's budget for unknowns, he should be pricing based on the plans, not on his assumptions. Exclusions can be written into his proposal for unknowns. The number you mentioned might be appropriate for total costs, including finishes, but seems really high to me for core and shell (empty box) construction. I would push for more detail in his estimate in order to validate his numbers. Best of luck.
-Dean
Steve,
Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, your question sounds like it has more to do with real estate values in your area than design or construction advice may be able to inform. In general, higher density results in greater property values, and if your local jurisdiction allows for it, which I assume it does if the neighbors have done it, then it could make a sound investment. Construction costs to go vertical with residential space in that part of the country can easily push $200/square foot. This obviously depends heavily on the level of finish as well as any constraints with the lot or existing building that could drive costs. EVstudio does projects in many states across the country, so if you are in need of architectural or engineering services, we would be happy to discuss the project in more detail with you. Best of luck!
-Dean
Maybe you can help me as much as you have helped the others. I am looking at building out three room to host private parties in an indoor play facility. The building is located in the Tampabay Florida area. The total space is 7000square feet, and we are being told we need at least 3 bathroom stalls per gender and our total occupancy cannot exceed 300. I'm guessing the three pary rooms should not exceed 1000 square feet total? Do you know what construction costs for our buildout might run us? WE will be occupying an old warehouse space and will need HVAC as well.
Any help you give would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Quiana,
Thank you for your question. Building out a warehouse space for indoor play facilities / party spaces can be quite affordable, depending on the level of finish that you are looking for. The restroom and HVAC requirements will likely be the biggest expenditure - especially if existing utility stubs are not present. For existing space, I would estimate that the party rooms can be built out at a cost of $20-$40/square feet (again, very dependent on level of finish). The bathrooms are likely going to run closer to $30-$60/ sq.ft. and the remaining warehouse space as little as $5-10/sq.ft., again depending on finishes and FF&E for your operations. Assuming a facility along the lines of a Jumpstreet or Extreme Challenge type of operation (like we have in Colorado), I would expect construction costs to come in anywhere between $55,000-$110,000. I can't stress enough though that these numbers are ignorant of the level of finishes that you anticipate and are for a pretty low level of finish, typical of warehouse play facilities. If there are no utilities to the space, the cost of getting them in would be additive. A lot can be spent on lighting as well, if typical warehouse lighting is not sufficient. HVAC and egress requirements for the change in occupancy, among any other requirements for the change in occupancy that may be required, like ADA accessible ramps, exiting, etc. may require changes to the core and shell building. These would also carry their own costs and may be negotiated with the landlord. Regardless, they should be contemplated because warehouses are rarely designed for an assembly occupant load and often require some bigger picture changes (that could even affect the parking lot).
Hopefully that helps though to outline some general parameters. To get much closer, you would need a real as-built plan of the existing building, and at least a schematic plan for proposed work that a local contractor could develop a line item budget from. Best of luck!
-Dean
Thinking of building on a lot for a commercial consignment shop. I want a 8 to 10sq ft building. What would be the cheapest way to go? Metal or concrete building? Is there a way or program that could tell me what I would be looking at for a total package deal? I'm in Wilmington, NC
Hi Randy,
Thank you for your question. In general, metal buildings will be less expensive than concrete, however, there are trade-offs that you should consider in terms of the look and feel of the building. If the store can still be successful looking like it might belong in a warehouse district, then those concerns are less of an issue, and costs are lower. If, however, this is to be a boutique consignment shop in a retail zone, you could spend significantly more on the metal building to dress it up to meet that need. I didn't get a good read on the building size from your comment, but assuming you were talking about 8,000-10,000 square feet, you would be looking at about $100/sq.ft. in your region. This figure depends heavily on interior and exterior finishes, of course. We are licensed architects and engineers in North Carolina, and would be happy to discuss this in more detail with you. Let us know if you are in need of a design team and we could put a design and engineering proposal together for you for your project. Thanks!
-Dean
Hi Dean Dalvit,
I hope your day is off to a good start. I have obtained a church renovation and new construction Build /Designed tentative contract is for $350,000 location DeKalb County Georgia. I have a couple of questions for you if you know the answer to the following:
1. Price range per square foot on commercial new construction?
2. Price range per square foot on commercial renovation?
3. Overhead markup percent range relative to our current market?
I look for to hearing from you and Thank you for your help in advance.
Sincerely,
Cherie Fairfax, GC
Hi Cherie,
Thank you for your inquiry. We've done a number of church projects in various locations in the country, and while the costs are largely driven by the construction type and level of finish, you could reasonably expect a range of construction costs as follows:
New construction: $140/sq.ft.-$180/sq.ft.
Renovation: $40/sq.ft.-$80/sq.ft. (so heavily dependent on if the renovation is just a paint and paper project, or if it requires changes to structure, HVAC, electrical, etc.)
GC fees: These are really all over the place right now. I have recently seen it as low as 7% from very desperate contractors while others are still holding 15%-18% and a small group over 20%, however these are more specialty contractors. Of course, there are many ways that contracts are set up, and much of the general conditions costs are handled outside of the fee structures as well. Assessing the net GC fee from that can be a real labyrinth.
If you are in need of architectural or engineering design services for this project, please let us know. We have worked on projects across the country and would be interested in discussing how we may be able to offer a full scope of design services for you. Thanks!
-Dean
Hello Dean, please assist me on this if you can. We have a very small lot, 66 x 99, in a warehouse district. We would like to build a simple two story cmu building for storage and a few offices. Our area is Dallas. Can you provide me a construction cost range for this tyoe of building. We could consider metal, or a combination of the two
Hi Jeffrey,
Thanks for your inquiry. I would expect warehouse/office space in Dallas to be in the ballpark of $100 per square foot, depending on finishes of the office space of course. We do have a studio located in central Texas, and have architectural and engineering licensure in Texas if you would like to discuss putting together your design team. Let me know and we can arrange a conference call. Thanks!
-Dean
Hi Dean,
I am interested in a land in south west of Houston. It is about 1.5 arce. I am planning to build a two story building first floor will be my office which will be about 2000sf and the second floor will be 2000 sf house that I can live in. the rest of area will be parking lot. How much per sf in this case would be? Thank you very much for your input.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for contacting EVstudio! Combining office and residential space is a very popular and cost effective approach provided your local zoning allows. It is my understanding from one of our project architects from Houston, that there is no zoning code in Houston, and therefore, you would have the ability to build out a mixed use building like this. In Houston, the cost of construction for office space is in the low $140's while the cost for residential second story is in the low $150s.
So to ballpark your project, the blend of the two would land you right around $150/square foot, depending of course on level of finish. For a smaller building like this, $150 may be a high starting point because you won't be subject to some of the code requirements of larger commercial projects, but for the sake of being conservative, I would advise to start high, then qualify as you go. So, for a 4,000 sq.ft. building, your project should have an initial budget of $600k. From that point, you can program the project in more detail and put together an initial schematic design that would then serve to further inform that budget. Then, continue to refine until all of your design needs are met in the context of what you would like to spend on the project.
We do have an office in Central Texas and would love to speak with you more about your project. We can provide a full scope of services from architecture through engineering and get you where you need to go from initial conceptual design and feasibility studies to permit plans. Let me know if you would like to arrange a call or a meeting with our Texas principal and we can go from there. Thanks Mark, we hope to talk to you soon!
-Dean
Hi Dean
How would one determine a square foot renovation fit-up cost for an existing office building in Vermont? We have an under utilized large office building that is in great shape and have been trying to determine a budgetary cost to put up demising wall for a tenant or tenants with some light other light construction/modification.
Thanks - Dave
Dave,
Thanks for your question. The first thing to determine in trying to estimate a probable cost would be the scope of the project. If simply adding some demising walls and preserving most of the rest of the building in it's current condition is your program, then you would simply need to look at the unit costs for building specific walls and associated costs (electrical, mechanical changes for the units) and determine just how many walls you are building. On the other hand, if the building is undergoing a total renovation, then you would look at square footage costs for the entire building. Generally, renovating the core and shell of an existing building would run in the ballpark of $40-$60 per square foot., depending of course on the level of finish and assuming no exterior work or hazardous mitigation needs to be considered. We do have engineers licensed in Vermont, and would be happy to help you with your project if you are seeking a design team. Let me know and we can get some more information on your building and go from there. Thanks!
-Dean
90,000 sq ft. Tennis and Athletic facility.
Land is flat and in a commrecial developement with some already developed lots around it.
City services are present.
Janesville, Wisconsin is the location.
Looking for the least expensive yet most attractive steel or similar type building.
Must have solar and any possible green technologies incorporated into plan.
Building will house 8 tennis courts, Mens and Womens locker rooms, fitness center, pro shop, four offices,
lounge area, maintainence and storage.
Parking lot and 4 exterior tennis courts.
Bill,
Thanks for commenting. Are you looking for a proposal on this project? This project type is a specialty of Matt Svoboda, one of our project architects. Let me know and we would be happy to discuss. Thanks!
-Dean
Approx cost to renovate an existing warehouse exterior is in good shape as is roof,
inter. needs new conc. floor, refinish walls, second floor with 12 small enclosed rooms all sharing common walls each approx. 16' x 20' first floor also with 4 enclosed rooms, rest rooms on both floors, small kitchen.
'
Nick,
Where is your project located? Is there existing mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing? Do you have any existing or proposed plans?
From e-mail: Sorry Location Vero Beach Fl. Figure on no existing mech, elect, or plumbing, we have preliminary plans the footprint is 8000 s/f 36' high ceiling.
Thank you Dean
Nick,
If I am understanding you correctly, it sounds as if you have an existing stripped down single story warehouse and are planning on finishing it out to become a two level office building. It also sounds like you will need to build a structural second floor as well as replace the slab on the first floor. So, at the end of the day, you really have just a foundation, exterior walls and roof to start with. As a result, I think you would be wise to budget around $100/square foot in your region to cover the costs of the necessary structure, MEP improvements to the core and shell, and interior finishing of the entire facility. It could certainly be less than this, but that would be highly dependent on the level of finishes, amount of MEP necessary and any other issues that may creep up in converting a warehouse to an office building. Best of luck, and if you need any help with the design, let me know and we can look at how we can help you. Thanks!
Dean,
We are considering building a new public safety facility here in Georgetown. It will house our Police Department administrative offices. We anticipate constructing a building that will serve us for the next 25-30 years.
Initially, we planned to construct and finish-out a three story structure of about 70,000 s.f.
We now wonder if it might make sense to stage the construction process and erect the building, build-out two floors and then build-out the third as our needs demand. Do you have any idea if this si sound thinking and if so, what kinds of costs we could anticipate for doing it??
I'd apreciate any guidance you could provide.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your inquiry. There are a number of ways to phase your construction so that build out keeps pace with your needs for growth. However, there are a number of concerns about the final phase being above previous phases, unless you're thinking that the third floor would simply be unfinished, which would be the only way to do it, but will only save you about $20-$40/sq.ft. for finishes initially. To properly phase the project for growth, and reap the maximum budget savings, it is generally better to look at a smaller footprint that you would build out initially, then add onto horizontally later. This allows you to realize the full cost per square foot of savings of the final phase in the beginning, while also causing minimal disruption to business functions as the phases progress. In fact, we're looking at doing this very strategy for the Park County government in Fairplay Colorado. Our Central Texas studio in Copperas Cove is not far from you and it may be of value for our principal there, Gene Dane, to discuss the various options with you. So many variables are controlled by site logistics that would inform the overall strategy, and he could quickly assess what you have, what you need and the best approach to get there. I will have Gene contact you separately by e-mail and then you could strategize from there. Thanks!
-Dean
We just received an $800 per year insurance increase for a building we purchased last year in Burlington, NJ.
The building is two story, 4,700 sq. ft. we paid under $300K. The insurance company is stating the it will cost $129 sq ft. to rebuild if it was destroyed. ($600K ) How can I confirm that $129. sq. ft. is an accurate rate? thanks and glad I found your blog. Great info!
Dan
Dan,
What kind of building is it - Office, Retail, Warehouse...? Also, how would you describe the level of finish - Luxury, moderate, economy, unfinished? These are things that have a significant effect on how you would go about validating that cost per square foot. Let me know and I'm happy to help.
-Dean
From Dan (by e-mail):
Office Building, Moderate
Reply:
Thanks Dan,
Your figure of $129/square foot actually appears to be low with respect to the average cost for a 2-4 story office building in any region, much less in New Jersey. Based on the RSMeans data, I would budget somewhere between $170 a square foot and $200 a square foot if someone were to ask to build a new construction 2 story, 4,700 square foot office building (see the link: http://evstudio.info/price-per-square-foot-construction-cost-for-multi-story-office-buildings/ ).
For an insurance adjuster, there are things that would not actually be lost though in a "total loss". Like tap fees, underground utilities and other site improvements, for example. These are things that are built into the cost numbers that you would not have to pay additionally. However, I don't think that they alone would close the gap between $170 and $129.
I hope that helps. Best of luck!
-Dean
Dean,
I have commercial property in Greensburg, Kansas that consist of two separate buildings sitting adjacent to one another. The larger building, built in 1963, was an auto body repair shop in operation from 1963 to 2007. The other building has been used for many things since it was built in 1973, most recently an antiques store. I am prepping to list these for sale but I'm not sure what would b an appropriate price per square foot for this area. The first building, which.has been added on to over the years, has for its original support structure tubular steel framing with steel rafters. The areas added on are standard wood construction. The other building is a steel building, insulated, with a concrete floor, one large overhead door and two walk-in doors. The first building,has six overhead doors, two walk-in doors an office space of roughly 300 sq ft. I have the option of selling them simply as commercial property or as an auto body business opportunity. The amount of land with this is roughly one acre. Can you give me any help with a price per sq ft for the buildings?
Thanks -- Scott
Scott,
Well, I can't tell you much about the local real estate market, the local value of land and location, or what the market will bear for any particular project type in your area. However, we can discuss what new construction buildings of that type would cost. In that region, you could expect to pay anywhere between $80 and $110 per square foot for an industrial metal building with a nominal amount of finished square footage finished out for offices and bathrooms, etc.. Finished space would be anywhere from $20-$50 square foot depending on amenities and level of finish.
Now, whether or not these existing buildings could be compared to new square footage is entirely up to the market, but hopefully, it can at least help to inform the conversation. Interior renovations would run the above $20-$50 square foot and improvements to the site core and shell of the buildings, exteriors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing that may need to be made to bring them up to "new construction" status are all widely variable and would have to be looked at individually.
Best of luck.
-Dean
Hello Dean. I am the Senior Pastor of a ministry in Denton, Texas. Our congregation has outgrown the 3000 sq ft wooden church building we are in currently, however we are not yet financially in a position to build. I am in the process of looking for a store front or possible warehouse that is 7000-8000 sq ft. Looking for 5 offices, 4 classrooms, a Conference, Kitchen area, Nursery and Toddlers Room and 3 half bathes in various areas and a sanctuary that will seat about 150. I know with the warehouse the owners will have to add HVAC and ADA Bathrooms for city code, but my main objective is to get a price of what it will take to build out the ROOMS. (Offices, Conference Room, Nursery, etc....) Trying to plan the best strategy to negotiate finish out by the Owners we will be leasing from. Some places are willing to finish out completely, but some will not do any finish out. Prices are ranging from $4.95-$6.95 sq ft with for just the warehouse. Let me know your thoughts and your advice and wisdom is greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks
Pastor Elton
Pastor Elton,
Thank you for your inquiry. I have forwarded your question on to Gene Dane, our Texas studio Principal and he will contact you directly to discuss your questions. Best of luck and I hope that you will be able to find a new home for your congregation that meets all of your needs (budget included).
-Dean
Hi Dean,
We are currently seeing a restaurant space for our new Venture in Manhattan, NYC. There are more cost effective alternatives if we don't look for pre-exisiting restaurant space. Therefore It would be great if you could provide me balk park estimates on building a new small restaurant in NYC. I am interested in knowing the average hard cost per sqft of getting this italian/pizza restaurant build from scratch - meaning conversion from a retail store. And in comparison how much savings will we have if we actually took an existing restaurant? Finally if you could provide any insights on the commercial kitchen construction costs per sq ft for this type of Restaurant, I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Jake
Hello I am looking what the cost per square foot would be to replace a masonry block warehouse type building in PA. Aspahlt shingle roof. Thanks
Tracey,
Without much more information than that, I'd say you should start at a ballpark budget of $100/sq.ft.. To get any closer on a conceptual number, we should look at the size, design, finishes, mechanical, electrical and plumbing requirements, etc..
-Dean
Jake,
Thanks for your inquiry. Based on the index data, a new restaurant in NYC would run in excess of $250 per square foot. The type of restaurant you described could run quite a range of sizes, so we should discuss just how big of a space you would need. Small restaurants could be as small as 1,000 sq.ft., but at that size, it gets difficult to justify a stand-alone building and a tenant finish space would be more appropriate. At the same time, a "small" restaurant could also be described as a 3,000-5,000 sq.ft. stand alone building, which would be appropriate, but obviously much larger and therefore costlier. Also, commercial kitchen costs depend entirely on the equipment that you need for your specific operation. You could easily inventory this equipment in a schedule, and any kitchen equipment dealer could quickly price it for you with new or used equipment. These kinds of projects are often most cost effective by finding an existing space that had the same, or similar use in it. This way, you would capitalize on any of the existing finish out and would not have to incur the costs of a change of occupancy in an existing space with mechanical and electrical retrofit upgrades that would be required, or the cost of a new building in its entirety. Unless, of course, the new building is also intended to be a real estate investment, in which case, you would want to include that thinking into your pro forma and could easily justify that course of action if you have a good location.
If you need any help with the design of your project, please let me know and we would be happy to look at it with you. Thanks and best of luck!
-Dean
Dean Thank you for your detailed response. I really appreciate it. Just couple of quick follow up questions. Does the average cost that you provided ($250/per sq.ft.) include kitchen equipment, dining room interior designs, furniture, architect and contractor fees, construction permits etc? It will be great to know if some of or all of these items are included in the average number you provided. Btw, when I said a small restaurant, I was referring to size like 1,000 sq.ft. (pizza/Italian casual style restaurant) as you guessed.
We are still in search of a location in Manhattan, but once we lock to a deal, I will definitely contact you.
Hi again Jake,
Generally, those numbers would include anything built-in, including interior finishes. They also include General Contractor's costs, general conditions for construction, permitting, etc.. However, they would not include furniture (dining tables, chairs, artwork, etc.) and also not removable trade fixtures (like most of your kitchen equipment). Soft costs like design fees tend to be a much smaller component of the overall construction cost that at this ballpark level of budgeting, could be included in that number.
I hope that helps! Looking forward to speaking with you again when you have found a location and are ready to move forward.
-Dean
Dean, What would you think it would cost per sq ft to take a 20K square foot metal 100 x 300 clear span with 14' eaves good metal roof and sides and make it into middle of the line office space? would need all new HVAC , all new electrical and new bathrooms. Would like to spuce up the outside with some mountain stone a 3rd of the way up at least on one of the 300 ft sides and build a covered entrance that you could drive under to unload. I know this is a broad question although Im just looking for some rough numbers. It located central North Carolina about 20 miles east of Winston Salem. Do you have any ideas on how to run the electrical on the walls or floor as the are metal on the inside with insulation behind it and the concrete floors are in good shape. Would it be best to pull the metal of the walls? Looking to make a police dept in the building. Thanks
Todd,
Thanks for your question. So, it sounds like your core and shell for the building are there and you need to finish out the empty shell. We have actually done quite a few of these kinds of projects around the country and we have a pretty good handle on what they require.
In your area, construction costs per square foot are among the lowest in the country. A new office building would run between $120 and $130 per square foot, however, you mentioned that the use will be for a police station, which run a good bit higher due to security and detainment programming. In your area, new construction for this use is closer to between $170 and $180 per square foot (see my post on police stations here: http://evstudio.info/construction-cost-per-square-foot-for-a-police-station/).
The good news is that some of your major costs are already built. You describe moderate finishes, and all new Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing. I assume that by going to this new use, you will need new window penetrations and we would also have to look at egress for this new occupancy, which could require additional door penetrations for exiting. Security and detainment requirements could also require new structural requirements, but that would need to be vetted out in programming. Your questions about running electrical put the cart before the horse to some degree until we know what the wall layout becomes and how the exterior walls may need to be furred-in for other reasons. In that scenario, wiring simply runs overhead and down the new walls. But there is new plumbing that will disturb the slab, as well as HVAC runs that will make the electrical look easy by comparison.
With those additional items, along with an exterior facade, The best approach would be to start with the new construction cost index pricing, and then deduct for the value of the excavation, foundation and metal structure that is already constructed. For an existing 20,000 square foot building, I would expect the initial investment to be somewhere on the order of $1M for this infrastructure. So, to take it to a finished office building, you would need to budget $90-$110 per square foot for the finish-out of a police station. For a building of this size, it could easily be a $2M project.
Now, these ballpark numbers are for typical conditions, and actual site conditions may vary. The programming for a police station can also vary and would need to be taken into account. The best next step is to get a site survey and an as-built of the existing building so we can program the required functions to create an initial study with some space planning so you can know exactly what will be required. Also, it is highly advisable that you have someone speak with the local planning and zoning group to ensure that your proposed use is allowed on that property. They will likely require new site improvements like parking and landscaping if that is not already in place. The change in occupancy for the building shouldn't be too difficult, given the fact that everything is new, but we can look at that too.
EVstudio has architectural and engineering licenses in North Carolina and we would be happy to discuss this project in more detail with you. We can help from initial feasibility and design concepts to engineering and permit drawings and everything in between. If you are just getting started on this process, let me know if you would like to take the next steps and we could put some numbers together for you to work in whatever level of service you need.
Thanks Todd, and I hope to hear back from you on this project.
-Dean
please tell me construction charge for commercial building 45*90 feet 7 floor in mohali with basement
without material only labor cost for structure
thanks
Looking to build a 50,000 sqft Gymnasium and Pool in the Washington D.C. area. What is the cost difference between Gym space and Pool space. Gym 30,000 == Pool space 20,000)