Tenant Improvement Cost Calculator

Inputs

Use suggested rates, or switch to manual for custom pricing.

Area

Enter usable area for the tenant buildout.

Area unit

sqm is converted to sqft for calculations.

Currency

Symbols are displayed for common currencies.

Space type

Used for suggested rates and allocation mix.

Finish level

Affects suggested $/sf baseline.

Region multiplier

Adjust for local labor and material markets.

Rate mode

Suggested rate uses type, level, and region multiplier.

Manual rate (per sqft)

Used only when rate mode is manual.

Materials share of hard costs (%)

Used to estimate tax if your jurisdiction applies it.

Sales tax on materials (%)

Set to 0 if tax is embedded or not applicable.

Design fee (%)

Architecture, engineering, and coordination.

Permit & code fees (%)

Plan review, permits, inspections, and closeout.

Project management fee (%)

Owner rep, GC fee, or internal management.

General conditions (%)

Temp utilities, supervision, cleanup, safety, mobilization.

Contingency (%)

Risk buffer for scope development and unknowns.

Duration (months)

Used with escalation to model schedule impacts.

Escalation per month (%)

Compounded monthly over the project duration.

Optional allowances

Include common scope items that are often excluded from base pricing.

Include furniture allowance

Allowance per sqft for desks, seating, and storage.

Include IT / low-voltage

Cabling, access points, racks, and commissioning.

Include signage allowance

Typical for retail storefront and wayfinding.

Include sustainability allowance

Efficiency upgrades, controls, and low-VOC finishes.

Results appear above after submission.

Formula used

This calculator combines hard costs, allowances, soft costs, tax, contingency, and escalation.

Area conversion: sqft = sqm × 10.7639 (when sqm is selected).
Hard construction base: HardBase = Area(sqft) × Rate($/sqft).
Allowances: AddOns = Σ(Area × Allowance$/sqft) + fixed allowances.
Hard subtotal: HardSubtotal = HardBase + AddOns.
Sales tax estimate: SalesTax = HardSubtotal × MaterialShare × TaxRate.
Soft costs: SoftTotal = HardSubtotal × (Design% + Permit% + PM% + GC%).
Contingency: Contingency = (HardSubtotal + SoftTotal + SalesTax) × Contingency%.
Subtotal: Subtotal = HardSubtotal + SoftTotal + SalesTax + Contingency.
Escalation: Factor = (1 + MonthlyEscalation%)^Months; GrandTotal = Subtotal × Factor.

How to use this calculator

Enter the tenant area and select the correct unit.
Choose space type and finish level for a suggested rate.
Adjust the region multiplier if your market is higher.
Switch to manual rate when you have contractor pricing.
Set fee percentages for design, permits, and management.
Add contingency and escalation to reflect risk and schedule.
Enable optional allowances for furniture, IT, or signage.
Press Calculate, then export a CSV or PDF summary.

Example data table

Scenario	Area (sqft)	Type	Level	Rate ($/sqft)	Estimated total (USD)
Small office refresh	2,000	Office	Basic	68	≈ 180,000
Mid retail fit-out	3,500	Retail	Standard	120	≈ 520,000
Restaurant buildout	2,800	Restaurant	Premium	221	≈ 790,000
Medical clinic	5,000	Medical	Standard	190	≈ 1,220,000

Examples are illustrative and will vary by scope, region, and landlord conditions.

Inputs

Optional allowances

Formula used

How to use this calculator

Example data table

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