The Business Unit Had a Project. The Capital Plan Didn’t.
The request sounded simple until someone priced everything required to make it work. “We just need to move a few walls.” The business unit wanted…
Tenant Improvements
Most Workplace Pantries Don’t Fail at Design. They Fail in Operation.
Workplace Pantries Are Designed.They’re Rarely Defined. That assumption doesn’t hold up once the space is in use. The issue isn’t that these spaces lack design—it’s…
What Did We Miss in the Work Letter? Project Experts Weigh In
Experienced project professionals share the overlooked requirements that can become expensive after the lease is signed. Originally published May 2015. Updated October 2026 with current…
Top 5.5 Consultants You Should Hire For Your Office Buildout
The architect and engineers may design the project, but several other specialists can make the buildout considerably easier to plan, coordinate and operate. Originally published…
I’m Renovating My Office. Does the Existing Bathroom Need to Be ADA Compliant?
An office renovation can trigger accessibility work beyond the construction area. The answer depends on what is being altered, what the restroom serves, and the…
Tenant Improvements vs. Landlord’s Work Letter
The tenant improvement allowance tells you how much money may be available. The work letter tells you what actually gets built, by whom, and under…
Landlord or Tenant Build-Out, Which is Right for You?
Who manages the build-out determines more than who hires the contractor. It affects control, responsibility, risk, schedule and the decisions the tenant will have to…
Depreciating Tenant Improvements: What Project Teams Should Know
How a build-out is documented can matter long after construction is complete. Originally published September 2011. Updated September 2026 to reflect current owner-side project practices….
Controlling the Construction of Tenant Improvements in Office Leases: A Tenant’s Perspective – Part 3 of 3
Continued from Part 1 and Part 2 V. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS in a tenant build work letter In a tenant-controlled construction project, it is critical that…
Controlling the Construction of Tenant Improvements in Office Leases: A Tenant’s Perspective – Part 2 of 3
Continued from Part 1 III. FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS A. Landlord’s Motives Typically, both the tenant and the landlord will seek to control the expenditure of the tenant…
Controlling the Construction of Tenant Improvements in Office Leases: A Tenant’s Perspective – Part 1 of 3
I. OVERVIEWThe tenant work letter, is an agreement that is entered into concurrently with the execution of a lease and sets forth the terms upon…
Hire an Attorney Who Knows Commercial Real Estate Leases
Your business attorney may know your company well. Make sure the attorney reviewing your office lease knows commercial leasing just as well. Would you hire…
Your Broker Found the Space. Has the Project Team Looked at It?
The lease may work. The economics may work. That doesn’t mean the space will. A commercial real estate broker and a project manager bring different…
The Tenant’s Post Move Office Maintenance Checklist
The move may be complete, but the transition from project delivery to operating the space has just begun. After months of planning and construction, the…