Quick answer: Commercial construction in Los Angeles runs $40–$350 per square foot depending on space type — basic office tenant improvements are the most affordable, restaurant construction the most expensive due to commercial kitchen requirements. APLA Construction (CA Lic #1136359) handles this throughout Greater Los Angeles.
APLA Construction is a licensed small commercial contractor in Los Angeles specializing in tenant improvements, retail build-outs, office renovations, and restaurant construction across Greater LA. As a licensed general contractor (CA Lic #1136359), we deliver commercial projects on time, on budget, and up to code.
| Project Type | Typical Cost per Sq Ft |
| Basic office tenant improvement | $40–$100 |
| Retail store build-out | $60–$150 |
| Restaurant construction | $150–$350 |
| Medical office build-out | $100–$200 |
Final costs depend on existing conditions, finish selections, MEP requirements, and ADA compliance scope. APLA provides detailed written estimates before any work begins.
Short answer: if your build-out changes what the space is legally used for, you are no longer doing a straightforward tenant improvement. You are doing a change of use, and that single reclassification is the most common reason a project quoted at $60 per square foot comes back at $150 per square foot.
LADBS draws the line clearly. In the department’s own words: “A Certificate of Occupancy is not required for a Tenant Improvement project unless the permit is for a Change of Use” (LADBS FAQ). A Certificate of Occupancy is the document that legally lets you open the doors. If your project triggers one, the whole permit path changes — and so does the budget.
It is not about how much you demolish. It is about which California Building Code occupancy group the space lands in when you are done. Signing a lease on a former retail space to open a cafe is a change of use even if you keep every wall. Repainting an office and moving cubicles is not, even if you gut the floor.
| Common LA Conversion | Occupancy Change | What It Commonly Brings Into Scope |
| Retail store to restaurant or cafe | M to A-2 | Occupant load and exiting, restroom fixture counts, grease interceptor, hood and make-up air, fire protection review, health department |
| Office to restaurant or bar | B to A-2 | Same as above, usually plus significant new plumbing and electrical service |
| Warehouse to office or showroom | S to B or M | Insulation and Title 24 envelope, HVAC where there was none, restrooms, accessible entry and path of travel |
| Office to medical or dental suite | B to B (often no change) | Usually stays a tenant improvement, but medical gas, dedicated circuits, and lead shielding still drive cost |
| Retail to fitness or yoga studio | M to A-3 | Occupant load and exiting, restrooms, acoustic and structural review for equipment loads |
Two things are worth understanding about that right-hand column. First, these are the items that commonly come into scope — the authoritative list for your specific space comes from plan check, not from any contractor’s guess. Second, they are not optional add-ons a builder talked you into. They are code consequences of the occupancy group you are moving into, and they get enforced at inspection whether or not anybody budgeted for them.
If you collect three bids on the same restaurant build-out and they come back at $180,000, $310,000, and $520,000, the spread is usually not markup. It is scope. The low bid often prices the visible work — finishes, fixtures, paint — and treats the accessibility upgrades, exiting corrections, restroom fixture counts, and fire protection as owner-supplied or simply leaves them out. Those items do not disappear. They surface at plan check or at inspection, as change orders, after you have already signed and started paying rent on a space you cannot open.
When you compare commercial bids in Los Angeles, ask each contractor three questions in writing:
APLA prices this scope up front rather than discovering it at inspection. If your project is a change of use, we will tell you at the site walk — before you sign a lease, when you can still negotiate a tenant improvement allowance or walk away. For deeper detail by space type, see our guides to restaurant and commercial kitchen build-outs, warehouse and light-industrial build-outs, medical and dental office build-outs, and commercial tenant improvements.
We visit your commercial space in Los Angeles, review existing conditions, understand your business needs, and deliver a complete written estimate.
Our team coordinates with architects and engineers to prepare permit drawings and submit to LADBS or the relevant city building department.
We handle all demolition, framing, MEP rough-in, drywall, flooring, painting, and finish work – with minimal disruption to your business operations.
We close out the permit, complete final punch list items, and hand over your finished commercial space ready for business.
Not usually. LADBS states that a Certificate of Occupancy is not required for a tenant improvement project unless the permit is for a change of use. So a straight office refresh or retail refit generally does not need one — but converting a retail space to a restaurant, or a warehouse to offices, does. That change of use is also what pulls exiting, restroom counts, accessibility, and fire protection into your scope, and it is the single biggest reason commercial bids on the same space vary so widely.
We specialize in commercial construction projects ranging from $50,000 to $2,000,000 – tenant improvements, small retail build-outs, office renovations, and restaurant construction throughout Greater Los Angeles.
Yes. APLA Construction manages all permit applications through LADBS and relevant city departments. We coordinate with architects and engineers to ensure compliant permit drawings.
Yes. We offer flexible scheduling including evenings and weekends. For tenant improvements in occupied buildings, we plan work phases to keep disruption to a minimum.
You can verify CA License #1136359 at the CSLB website (cslb.ca.gov). APLA Construction is fully licensed and bonded, and carries $2M general liability insurance.
APLA Construction serves commercial clients throughout Greater Los Angeles – West LA, the San Fernando Valley, South Bay, Pasadena, Long Beach, and beyond. Learn more about our commercial construction services.
Call: (818) 818-4419
Email: info@aplaconstruction.com
CA General Contractor License #1136359