Construction Insights
Plain-English guides on commercial construction, tenant improvements, and build-out costs across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
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Planning a build-out? These six guides cover the cost, the lease, the timeline and the permits.
- What Are Tenant Improvements? A Complete Guide for Business Owners and Property Managers
- Tenant Improvement Cost per Square Foot: $50 to $300 by Finish Level (2026)
- Tenant Improvement Allowance: 2026 Ranges, What It Covers, and How to Get More
- How Long Does Commercial Construction Take? Real Timelines From Lease to Keys
- Who Is Responsible for Pulling Permits? Contractor vs. Owner in Portland, Beaverton & Vancouver WA
- How Much Does a Dental Office Build-Out Cost? (2026 Per-Square-Foot Guide)
Tenant improvements and leasing
What Are Tenant Improvements? A Complete Guide for Business Owners and Property Managers
Tenant improvements are the permanent construction changes that turn a leased shell into a space you can open in. What counts, who pays for what, how the process runs, and how long it takes, from a Portland commercial contractor.
Read the guideSeptember 14, 2026Tenant Improvement Cost per Square Foot: $50 to $300 by Finish Level (2026)
Basic office build-outs run about $50 to $100 per square foot, mid-range $100 to $175, high-end $175 to $300 or more (Bowser Construction Group, Dec 2025). What each tier includes, how shell condition adds up to $130, and what the allowance usually leaves you to fund.
Read the guideJune 19, 2026Tenant Improvement Allowance: 2026 Ranges, What It Covers, and How to Get More
What a TI allowance is, typical per-square-foot ranges, what it covers, and how to negotiate more, explained by a Portland commercial contractor.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Warm Shell vs Cold Shell vs Vanilla Shell: What You Get With Each
Cold, gray, warm, white box and vanilla shell, side by side: what the landlord delivers, what you still build, and how to choose.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Does Full Build-Out Mean in Commercial Real Estate?
A full build-out vs a fully built-out space, what each includes, who pays, how long it takes, and real jobs at each stage.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Spec Suite? A Builder's Guide for Landlords and Tenants
An office suite finished before any tenant signs. Why owners build them, why tenants lease them, what goes into one, and two we built.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Demising Wall? When It Must Be Fire Rated, and Who Builds It
The wall between tenants or units: when the code requires a fire rating, how it differs from a party wall or fire wall, and what to put in the lease.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Rentable vs Usable Square Feet: How the Load Factor Works
Usable is the space you occupy, rentable adds your share of common areas, and the load factor links them. The formula, a worked example, and why it matters for a build-out.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Build to Suit? How a Build-to-Suit Lease Works, From the Builder's Side
A custom building for one tenant, funded by a developer, with a long lease signed first. How it compares to spec and owner-user, and what to lock in.
Read the guideOctober 13, 2026How to Plan an Office Renovation in Portland: 6 Steps Before You Build
The six things to settle before an office renovation starts, including two Oregon rules most owners miss: the required asbestos survey and the 25 percent accessibility rule.
Read the guideJuly 15, 2026How Big Should Your Office Be? A Square-Footage Planning Guide
Square feet per employee, private office sizing by role, conference room capacity, and ADA clearances, the real numbers behind office space planning, from a Portland commercial contractor.
Read the guideNovember 9, 2026What Does a Tenant Improvement Contractor Actually Do?
Pricing, trades, product approvals, field questions, permits, inspections and closeout, with real counts from our own jobs, plus what a contractor does not handle.
Read the guideNovember 9, 2026How to Choose a Commercial General Contractor in Portland: 8 Checks
Check the license on the state record, see finished jobs with addresses, learn who runs the job, and get a budget and schedule first. Eight checks, and how to run them.
Read the guideHealthcare, dental and veterinary
How Much Does a Dental Office Build-Out Cost? (2026 Per-Square-Foot Guide)
Published 2026 guides put a dental build-out at about $150 to $250 per square foot in a second-generation space and $250 to $375 from raw space, with equipment on top. Sourced ranges, what drives the price, and how to budget.
Read the guideSeptember 25, 2026What a Dental Office TI Allowance Actually Covers
Walls, HVAC and general plumbing are in; chairs, X-ray and sterilizers are out; the dedicated plumbing, vacuum and imaging circuits are the negotiation. Plus section 110, QIP and ASC 842.
Read the guideSeptember 25, 2026Dental Office Build-Out Timeline: From Lease Signing to Opening Day
The construction clock and the clocks that are not construction: Portland review targets, X-ray registration and shielding, occupancy, and the DEA, NPI and Board filings after you open.
Read the guideSeptember 22, 2026What Permits Does a Dental Office Build-Out Need? The 6 Approvals
Six approvals from three authorities: the building permit, separate plumbing, mechanical and electrical trade permits, state X-ray registration, and the EPA amalgam separator compliance report. Plus Portland review timelines.
Read the guideSeptember 25, 2026Dental Office Plumbing and Utility Rough-In: What Each Operatory Needs
Compressed air, vacuum, power and data at every chair, water and drain only with a cuspidor, a ventilated mechanical room, and certified medical gas piping. From the equipment maker's own specs.
Read the guideJuly 15, 2026Dental Office Design: Operatory Sizes, ADA Clearances and Code Specs
How much space an operatory needs, the four zones around the chair, ADA clearances, sterilization flow, imaging rooms and HVAC, from a Portland commercial contractor who builds these spaces.
Read the guideSeptember 25, 2026Converting a Retail Space Into a Dental or Medical Clinic: Change of Occupancy
A store becoming a clinic is a change of occupancy from Group M to Group B. The permit, restroom counts, zoning limits, ventilation, accessibility and sedation rules it brings.
Read the guideJuly 20, 2026Cost to Add an Exam Room to a Veterinary Clinic: Room Sizes, Surgery Room Requirements and What Drives the Renovation Budget
What it costs to add an exam room to a veterinary clinic or renovate one: exam room and surgical suite sizing, the rough-in that drives the budget, ADA, kennel noise and real cost ranges, from a Portland commercial contractor.
Read the guideRetail, restaurants and mixed-use
Retail Build-Out: The Layout, Lighting, and ADA Rules That Actually Matter
What a retail build-out covers, plus ADA aisle widths, sales-floor lighting standards, loss-prevention sightlines, and backroom space, from a Portland retail construction company.
Read the guideJuly 20, 2026Restaurant Construction: The Kitchen Code Requirements and Build-Out Costs That Actually Matter
Real restaurant build-out cost ranges, NFPA 96 kitchen ventilation and fire code, grease trap sizing, and health code handwashing rules, from a Portland restaurant construction company.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Mixed-Use Construction? How a Shops-Below, Homes-Above Building Gets Built
One building, two sets of code rules: the rated floor between them, sprinklers everywhere, Fair Housing for the homes, the street out front, and our 4-story building on NE Alberta.
Read the guidePermits and inspections
Who Is Responsible for Pulling Permits? Contractor vs. Owner in Portland, Beaverton & Vancouver WA
Who pulls the building permit on a commercial project, the contractor or the owner? How it actually works in Portland, Multnomah County, Washington County, and Vancouver, WA.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026City of Portland Commercial Building Permits: The Process, Step by Step
How Portland Permitting & Development handles commercial permits: research, shell and TI rules, the DevHub submittal, three review phases, review goals and inspections.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Washington County, Oregon Building Permits for Commercial Projects
Which office permits your Washington County address, the county's published permit timeline, the ProjectDox process, and what commercial owners run into.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Clark County Commercial Building Permits: Categories, Requirements and Fees
How unincorporated Clark County, WA permits commercial work: the three permit categories, published fees, tenant improvement submittals and ePlan Review.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Change of Use Permit: What Happens When a Commercial Space Changes What It Is
Why a new use needs a permit even with no construction, what it can trigger in Portland (accessibility, sprinklers, seismic, SDCs), and three conversions we built.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Certificate of Occupancy: What It Is, How to Get One, and When a Temporary CO Helps
What the certificate says, when you need one, the steps to get it in Oregon and Vancouver WA, and how a temporary certificate lets you move in early.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Notice to Proceed in Construction? When the Clock Starts
How a notice to proceed starts the contract time, what to have in place before sending one, what goes in the letter, and when a limited notice makes sense.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Substantial Completion and the Punch List: How a Commercial Job Actually Finishes
Substantial vs final completion, what the punch list is, and what changes on the date: warranties, retainage, insurance and late penalties.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Notice of Completion? Oregon and Washington Rules, Plus the Closeout Documents
How an Oregon notice of completion fixes the 75-day lien window, why Washington works differently, and the closeout documents to collect before final payment.
Read the guideCosts, budgets and contracts
Soft Costs vs Hard Costs in Construction: What Goes in Each Budget
What counts as a hard cost and a soft cost, the items that blur the line, and how to budget a tenant build-out beyond the construction bid.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Allowance vs Contingency in Construction: What Each Covers and Who Keeps the Leftover
Allowances cover items not yet chosen; contingencies cover problems nobody has found. The AIA allowance math, owner vs contractor contingency, and the TI allowance mix-up.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Cost-Plus vs Lump Sum vs GMP: Which Construction Contract Fits Your Project?
Fixed price, cost-plus and cost-plus with a guaranteed maximum price, side by side: who carries the risk, who keeps the savings, and which fits your job.
Read the guideNovember 3, 2026Design-Build vs Design-Bid-Build: Which One Fits a Commercial Build-Out?
One contract or two, when the builder joins, how the price is set, and the Oregon rule on when an architect has to draw it. Plus CMAR, and how we ran recent jobs.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is CMAR? Construction Manager at Risk and the Guaranteed Maximum Price, Explained
The builder joins during design, then commits to a guaranteed maximum price. How CMAR works, what the GMP does and does not cover, and two CMAR jobs we ran.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is the AIA A101? The Owner-Contractor Agreement, Article by Article
The AIA A101-2017 fixed-price agreement explained: what each article covers, the blanks an owner fills in, Exhibit A insurance and bonds, and when to use another form.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Bid Leveling? How to Compare Construction Bids Apples to Apples
How to line up construction bids on the same scope, plug missing work, spot gaps at trade boundaries, and why the lowest number is often not the best bid.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Value Engineering in Construction? (And What It Is Not)
The same function for less over the building's life, not just a cheaper bid. How it works, when it pays, and what is never up for value engineering.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026General Conditions in Construction: The Contract Terms and the Jobsite Costs
The two meanings of general conditions, what AIA A201 covers, supplementary conditions, general conditions vs general requirements, and what to check in a bid.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Schedule of Values? How It Drives Every Payment on a Construction Job
The contract price split into lines of work, billed by percent complete each month. The G703 columns, a real trade breakdown, and what an owner should check.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Pay Application? The AIA G702 and G703, Line by Line
How a monthly pay application is built from the schedule of values, every line on the G702, who certifies it, and what an owner should check before paying.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Retainage in Construction? Oregon and Washington Rules, Explained
The 5 percent cap, interest on late final payments and how release works, straight from the Oregon and Washington statutes, for private and public jobs.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Lien Waiver? Types, and the Oregon and Washington Lien Rules Owners Should Know
Conditional vs unconditional waivers, Oregon's 75-day and Washington's 90-day lien deadlines, the notices, and how owners should collect waivers.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is a Change Order in Construction? How They Work and How to Keep Them Few
Change order vs construction change directive vs minor change, why changes happen on build-outs, how to keep them few, and what to check on one.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Are Liquidated Damages in Construction? How a Late-Finish Clause Works
The daily amount a contractor owes for finishing late: when courts enforce it, what starts and stops the clock, and how owners set a defensible rate.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Performance Bond vs Payment Bond vs Bid Bond: What Each One Covers
What each surety bond guarantees, when Oregon and Washington require them on public work, and how they differ from a contractor license bond.
Read the guideBuilding code, fire and ADA
Occupancy Classification: The Building Code Groups (A, B, E, M, R, S) Explained
What each occupancy group covers under the 2025 Oregon code, the 50-person assembly threshold, day care rules, mixed buildings, and how to find your group.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Types of Construction: Type I to Type V Explained
The five construction types in the 2025 Oregon code, A vs B ratings from Table 601, and how the type limits stories for offices, retail and apartments.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Means of Egress and Occupant Load: Commercial Exit Requirements in Oregon
How to calculate occupant load, when a space needs two exits, how far apart they go, travel distance, door width and panic hardware under the 2025 Oregon code.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Fire Wall vs Fire Barrier vs Fire Partition: What the Building Code Means by Each
Three rated walls, three jobs: splitting buildings, separating uses, and walls between units and corridors. Ratings and rules from the 2025 Oregon code.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Fire Door Ratings and Requirements: What the Code Requires by Wall
Which fire door rating each wall needs under the 2025 Oregon code, from 20 minutes to 3 hours, plus label, closer, latch and glass rules.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Firestopping: What It Is and What the Oregon Building Code Requires
Through and membrane penetrations, F and T ratings, the electrical box exception, joint systems, and when the Oregon code requires special inspection.
Read the guideAugust 3, 2026How Many Bathrooms Does a Commercial Building Need? (Oregon Code Guide)
One toilet per 25 occupants for offices, 1 per 500 for retail, 1 per 75 for restaurants, and when a single restroom is enough. The real Oregon code numbers, from a Portland commercial contractor.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026ADA Door Clearance and Width: Maneuvering Space, Thresholds and Hallways
The 32 inch ADA door width, the maneuvering clearance table, threshold height, hardware, closer and opening force rules, and 36 inch hallway width.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026ADA Ramp Requirements: Slope, Rise, Width, Landings and Handrails
The 1:12 ADA ramp slope, 30 inch rise limit, 36 inch width, landings, handrails and edge protection, the existing-building exception, and the Oregon egress ramp rule.
Read the guideSeptember 1, 2026ADA Parking Lot Requirements: How Many Spaces Does a Commercial Lot Need?
A 25 space lot needs 1 accessible space, 50 needs 2, 100 needs 4, and one in every six has to be van accessible. The full count table, plus the Oregon sizing rules that run bigger than the federal minimum.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is an ADA Unit? Accessible, Type A and Type B Units Explained
Apartments do not have ADA units. What Type A and Type B units are, the Fair Housing rules, and when a building needs each.
Read the guideDesign and the build process
How to Plan a Tenant Improvement in Portland: 9 Steps From Lease to Opening
Lease, building history, the right permit office, long-lead items, the build, the finals and the move-in, each step shown on one of our own jobs with proven dates.
Read the guideNovember 9, 2026How Long Does a Tenant Improvement Take? Real Dates From 8 Jobs
On 8 of our recent jobs with proven dates, construction ran from about 7 weeks to about 14 months. The real dates, job by job, and what they show about size and scope.
Read the guideAugust 3, 2026How Long Does Commercial Construction Take? Real Timelines From Lease to Keys
A small office TI runs 3 to 5 months from design to opening (Block Renovation, 2026), and ground-up runs 4 to 24+ months. Portland permit review goals and where the calendar actually goes.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Schematic Design? The 5 Design Phases, From SD to Construction
Schematic design, design development and construction documents explained: what each phase fixes, its usual share of the fee, and when to bring in a builder.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Are Construction Documents? What the Permit Set Has to Show in Oregon
The drawings, specifications, calculations and reports in a permit set, what the 2025 Oregon code requires them to show, and what happens when the building changes.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Shop Drawings and Submittals: What They Are and How the Review Works
Shop drawings vs product data vs samples, what the review stamps mean, how long review takes, and Portland deferred submittal rules.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is an RFI in Construction? How a Request for Information Works
What a request for information contains, how it moves through a job, RFI vs change order, and when an Oregon building department must approve it.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is MEP in Construction? Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing on a Commercial Build-Out
What mechanical, electrical and plumbing each cover, why MEP coordination matters, the separate trade permits Portland requires, and what owners should watch.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026What Is Commissioning in Construction? How Building Systems Get Tested Before Handover
What commissioning checks, the OPR and basis of design, who does what, how functional testing fits substantial completion, and when a build-out needs it.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026As-Built Drawings: What They Are, What They Show, and Who Makes Them
As-built vs record drawings, what belongs on a set, how contractors keep them current, and the as-built rules in Gresham and Oregon City.
Read the guideNovember 4, 2026Commercial Construction Terms: A Plain-English Glossary
Shells and build-outs, CMAR and GMP, change of use, path of travel, Type A and Type B units: the terms, in plain English, with links to the full guides.
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