Week 1 — Discovery, not demo.
Before any work, finalize:
- Lease language on landlord tenant-improvement allowance
- Scope-of-work split between tenant and landlord
- MEP (mechanical / electrical / plumbing) survey of the existing space
- ADA compliance assessment of the path of travel
Discovery week saves four weeks of mid-job surprises. Skipping it is the #1 reason TIs go over schedule.
Weeks 2–3 — Permit, demo, MEP rough-in (in parallel).
File the TI permit application Day 1 of Week 2. While the permit is in plan check (10–15 days in most CA cities), start demo — which usually doesn't require a permit if it's non-structural.
MEP rough-in happens in the second half of demo. Running permit, demo, and rough-in in parallel saves 2–3 weeks vs. running them sequentially. This single sequencing decision is the difference between hitting opening day and missing by a month.
Weeks 4–5 — Framing, MEP inspections, drywall.
New walls go up first. Then electrical/plumbing inspections happen on the rough-in before drywall closes it up. Drywall follows immediately after inspections pass.
Don't drywall before MEP final — failing an inspection then means tearing it out. Sounds obvious, gets ignored constantly under schedule pressure.
Week 6 — Finishes (paint, floor, ceiling).
Order matters:
- Paint first
- Floor second
- Ceiling tile install third
Painting on a finished floor means floor protection ($) and surface damage risk. Floor before ceiling means ceiling tile dust on new flooring. Get the order wrong and you'll be re-cleaning or re-doing on Week 9.
Week 7 — Fixtures, FF&E, signage.
Light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, millwork, displays, point-of-sale. Coordinate with the equipment vendor on delivery dates so they hit Week 7 — not earlier (no place to put them) or later (you're past opening).
Weeks 8–9 — Final inspections, ADA verification, staging.
TI final inspection from the City. Health and Fire inspections if applicable. ADA path-of-travel sign-off. Tenant moves merchandise in. Staff training in the space.
Week 10 — Soft open / grand open buffer.
Always build in 1 week of buffer for the inevitable inspection delay or vendor backorder. If you don't need it, you opened a week early and that's worth far more than the schedule comfort.
The contingency math.
Budget 15% contingency on any TI over 60 days, broken down:
- 5% demo unforeseens (asbestos, old plumbing, dead electrical)
- 5% MEP unforeseens (existing not as-drawn)
- 5% city/inspection delays + correction items
The "10% contingency" budget that's industry standard is industry standard wrong. Most TIs blow past 10% before drywall.
The ADA trigger to watch for.
TI scopes over a certain percentage of the building's total value (varies by city, typically 20%) can trigger ADA upgrades to the entire path of travel — bathrooms, entry doors, parking lot striping, signage, etc.
A $40K TI can accidentally trigger $80K in ADA work. Get the threshold confirmed in writing from the City's Building Department before signing the construction contract. If you're near the trigger, scope your TI to stay under it — or budget for the full ADA upgrade up front.
The two biggest sequencing mistakes: (1) Demo before scope alignment with the landlord — you'll demo something the landlord required you to leave, and now you're paying to restore it. (2) Ordering long-lead-time items (custom millwork, signage, specialty lighting) on Week 4 instead of Week 1 — they arrive after the open date.
What success looks like.
Opening day hits within 1 week of the lease commencement date. Landlord allowance paid out cleanly per the lease schedule. ADA path-of-travel signed off without surprises. Punch list under 20 items on final walk.
Done badly: lease commencement passes with the space half-built. Rent starts accumulating before sales do. Tenant burns through working capital chasing the open date. Most retailers fail in the first year because of bad TI execution — not bad product.
Skip the DIY?
FXR has handled retail TI scopes across San Jose, Modesto, and the Bay including Santana Row, Bath & Body Works, Ross, and Old Navy projects. End-to-end project management.
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