Tenant Improvement Checklist for GTA Offices: 12 Things to Lock Down Before Construction Starts

A tenant improvement, or TI, is the work that takes a space from base-building condition to move-in ready. It usually happens under a lease and is often partly funded by a landlord’s TI allowance. Most TI problems are not construction problems. They are things nobody pinned down at the start: who does what, who pays, and by when. Use this list before you sign the work letter or hire anyone.

The checklist

1. Read the work letter line by line. Which items are landlord’s work, which are yours, and who owns base-building items such as mechanical, sprinklers and ceilings?
2. Know your allowance and how it is paid. Check the amount, what is eligible, and the draw schedule in your lease. Open-book, line-item pricing makes draws easy to document.
3. Pin your dates. Possession or early access, lease commencement and rent commencement can all differ. Build the schedule backwards from commencement.
4. Get landlord approvals moving early. Drawings, contractor approval, insurance requirements and building rules all take time.
5. Confirm permit scope. Moving walls, plumbing, heating, ceilings or life-safety systems generally needs a municipal permit. Check your municipality. (See do you need a building permit?)
6. Check existing conditions before you price. Ceilings, HVAC, sprinklers, fire alarm and floors hide surprises. A proper walkthrough finds them before they turn into change orders.
7. Plan around the building. Freight elevator hours and bookings, loading dock rules, after-hours access, noise windows and hoarding requirements all affect cost and schedule.
8. Order long-lead items early. Glazing, custom millwork, door hardware, specialty lighting and flooring can drive the whole schedule.
9. Collect insurance and compliance paperwork. Buildings usually require contractor insurance certificates and may ask for WSIB clearance. Ask what yours needs.
10. Agree how changes work. Change orders should be priced and approved before the work proceeds, never discovered on an invoice.
11. Line up the other vendors. IT and telecom, security and access control, furniture, and signage all need dates that match the construction schedule.
12. Define closeout up front. Deficiency walk, operation and maintenance manuals, warranties and as-built documents. Ask for them in writing.

Where the price usually moves

Price changes tend to come from two places: conditions nobody checked, and scope that grows during the job. Items 1, 6 and 10 on this list deal with both. That is also why we do the scoping work before we quote. Unless the scope of work or plans change, your final price will not move by more than 10%.

If you have a lease coming up, send us the work letter and we will walk the space with you: contact@squareinch.info, 647.394.6385.

General information only. Your lease and your building’s rules govern your project.