Cost Guide · Office
Office Tenant Finish Cost Per Square Foot (2026)
Directional, May 2026: an office tenant finish runs ~$50–$150/SF ($80–$150/SF for Class A); a 12,000 SF Class-A buildout lands roughly $1.0M–$1.8M. The landlord's TI allowance offsets part of it — the tenant pays the gap.
Directional, May 2026 · subject to preconstruction review
Office tenant finish cost — DFW, 2026 (directional)
Directional ranges — always a range, never a single number.
| Scope | Directional range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Office TI — standard finish | $50–$100/SF | Open plan, standard materials, modest density. |
| Office TI — Class A finish | $80–$150/SF | Premium millwork, glass fronts, amenity spaces. |
| 12,000 SF Class-A buildout, total | $1.0M–$1.8M | Shell separate if ground-up; allowance offsets part of it. |
| Office core & shell (ground-up, Class A) | $240–$300/SF | The base building before any tenant finish. |
| Landlord TI allowance (office) | ~$10–$100/SF | Contributed by the landlord; tenant pays the gap to actual cost. |
Directional, May 2026 — not a quote. Always a range, subject to final preconstruction review. [DFW office cost benchmarks, May 2026]
What office tenant finish costs per square foot
Office tenant finish is the most predictable of the commercial cost types, because it carries the least specialty MEP — no operatories, no commercial kitchens, no shielding. The number is driven by two things: the finish tier and the density. A standard open-plan finish with modest materials sits at the bottom of the range; a Class-A buildout with premium millwork, glass fronts, conference build-outs, and amenity space sits at the top.
Directional, May 2026: an office tenant finish in DFW runs about $50–$150 per square foot, with Class-A finishes in the $80–$150/SF range. A 12,000 SF Class-A buildout lands roughly $1.0M to $1.8M for the tenant improvement. If the project is ground-up, the core and shell (about $240–$300/SF for Class A) is separate and on top. These are directional planning ranges subject to final preconstruction review. [DFW office cost benchmarks, May 2026]
What drives office TI cost
The drivers are finish tier and density first, then mechanical and electrical capacity, then the existing condition of the space. A vanilla shell with utilities stubbed costs less to finish than a renovation that has to demo an existing buildout. High-density occupancy or specialized areas (labs, IT, trading floors) push HVAC and power well above a standard open plan.
- Finish tier — standard vs. Class-A millwork, glass fronts, and amenity spaces.
- Density and program — open plan vs. private offices, conference, huddle rooms, and any labs/IT.
- Mechanical and electrical capacity — high-density cooling, raised floor, redundant power.
- Existing condition — vanilla shell vs. a renovation that must demo a prior buildout.
- Phased occupancy and after-hours work in an occupied building (a real premium).
The TI allowance is half the math
Office cost questions are incomplete without the landlord's tenant-improvement allowance. The landlord typically contributes an allowance (office allowances commonly run ~$10–$100/SF), and the tenant pays the gap between that allowance and the actual cost of the buildout. A $120/SF Class-A finish against a $60/SF allowance means the tenant funds $60/SF out of pocket — and that gap should be modeled into effective rent, not treated as a free upgrade.
This is why the smartest move on an office deal is to get a real construction budget before the lease is signed, not after. Knowing the actual finish cost lets a tenant negotiate the allowance, the free-rent period, and the term against a real number — and lets the landlord and tenant agree on who builds what. Pereff routinely produces these preconstruction budgets so the lease negotiation runs on facts.
Where Pereff fits
Pereff delivers office tenant finishes across the DFW office corridors — the Telecom Corridor in Richardson, Legacy and Granite Park in Plano, and the Uptown and Harwood submarkets in Dallas — including the phased-occupancy and after-hours work that occupied-building TIs require. Zeeco HQ is a real example of Pereff's office and corporate work at scale.
On a tenant finish, Pereff's design-build approach pays off in fewer change orders and a faster schedule, and the early preconstruction budget gives the tenant the number they need to negotiate the lease and the TI allowance. For qualifying projects, Pereff facilitates bank relationships (Pereff is not a lender) based on the tenant's or developer's financials and project viability.
Frequently asked
Straight, directional answers — every figure a range, dated, and subject to preconstruction review.
What is the cost per square foot for office tenant finish in DFW?
Directional, May 2026: office TI in DFW runs ~$50–$150/SF, with Class-A finishes in the $80–$150/SF range. A 12,000 SF Class-A buildout lands roughly $1.0M–$1.8M for the improvement. On ground-up, the Class-A core and shell (~$240–$300/SF) is separate. Subject to final preconstruction review. [DFW office cost benchmarks, May 2026]
What's the difference between standard and Class A office finish cost?
Finish tier is the biggest office cost driver. Standard open-plan finish with modest materials sits near $50–$100/SF; Class A — premium millwork, glass fronts, conference and amenity build-outs, higher-density mechanical — runs $80–$150/SF. The same square footage can nearly double depending purely on the finish and density program.
How does the landlord TI allowance affect my cost?
The landlord typically contributes a tenant-improvement allowance (office allowances commonly ~$10–$100/SF) and the tenant pays the gap to actual cost. A $120/SF finish against a $60/SF allowance means $60/SF out of pocket. Model that gap into effective rent and get a real construction budget before signing the lease, so the allowance and term can be negotiated against a real number.
Does it cost more to build out office space in an occupied building?
Yes. Phased occupancy and after-hours work — common when a tenant expands within an occupied building or a floor stays in use during construction — carry a real premium for overtime, dust and noise control, and sequencing. It is budgetable, but it should be flagged early rather than discovered mid-project.
Related cost guides & pages
A benchmark is a starting point — not your budget.
The fastest way past a directional range is a real preconstruction budget for your specific project, city, and finish level. Stephen Pereff is personally involved from preconstruction through certificate of occupancy.