Commercial construction company in NYC

Commercial construction covers spaces used for business — offices, stores, restaurants, hotels, warehouses, medical facilities, schools, and mixed-use buildings. Residential covers where people live. Commercial buildings are governed by different sections of the NYC Building Code, require different DOB permit types, mandate more rigorous fire protection and egress, and often involve FDNY approvals in addition to DOB. Commercial projects usually involve larger crews, more complex MEP coordination, and sometimes union labor depending on size and location.

A standard office fit-out typically takes 8–14 weeks from permit approval to occupancy. A restaurant build-out with a full commercial kitchen runs 10–18 weeks. A commercial gut renovation is typically 14–24 weeks. Ground-up construction is 14–24 months depending on DOB plan review and scope. The permit review phase adds time before construction begins and is the variable most owners underestimate. We give you a realistic timeline in the proposal, including estimated permit processing time.

Commercial build-outs typically require a DOB alteration permit — Type 1 for changes affecting the certificate of occupancy, Type 2 for other significant work. Specialty permits are required separately for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and fire suppression. Restaurants require additional FDNY approvals and DOH review; medical facilities may require DOH approvals depending on services. We identify all applicable permits during pre-construction and handle all filing and follow-up.

For partial renovations where only one section is worked on, operating during construction is often possible with careful phasing. For gut renovations or work involving major MEP changes, staying operational is usually not practical or safe for staff or customers. We discuss phasing options during the initial consultation and design the sequence to minimize downtime wherever achievable without compromising safety or schedule.

A tenant improvement (TI) allowance is money provided by a commercial landlord to help a tenant build out leased space, usually expressed as a dollar amount per square foot (e.g., $80/sq ft on a 2,000 sq ft space = $160,000). The tenant typically oversees construction, the landlord approves the plans, and the allowance is paid against receipts as work is completed. Some landlords require DOB permit numbers before releasing funds. We work within TI frameworks and advise on scope decisions to stay within budget.

Yes. NYC Local Law 97 sets greenhouse-gas emission caps for most buildings over 25,000 sq ft, with penalties for exceeding limits. For new construction and major renovations in qualifying buildings, this means planning around energy-efficient HVAC, LED lighting, improved building envelopes, and sometimes electrification. We factor Local Law 97 into the planning phase so compliance is built into the design rather than retrofitted after the fact.

Restaurant construction involves several agency requirements beyond the standard DOB permit. FDNY approval is required for commercial kitchen hood and fire-suppression systems. NYC DOH reviews the layout and equipment plan for new food-service operations. Grease traps must be sized and installed to DEP specs. Gas service upgrades require coordination with Con Edison or National Grid. These approvals run in parallel with DOB review, and a delay in any one can push your opening — we coordinate all submissions simultaneously to compress the timeline as much as the agencies allow.

Ask for their NYC DOB general contractor license number and verify it through DCWP. Ask for proof of current general liability and workers-compensation insurance. Ask for references from commercial projects of similar type and scale completed in NYC specifically. Ask how they handle permit filing and whether they have in-house experience with the permit types your project requires. Ask how proposals are structured and whether pricing is fixed or subject to change orders. Ask who your day-to-day contact will be and how often you will receive updates. We welcome all of these questions and answer them directly before any contract is signed.

We do not provide architectural design services, since commercial work requiring DOB permits needs architect- or engineer-stamped drawings. We work closely with your architect, or connect you with licensed NYC architects and engineers we work with regularly. For well-defined scopes that do not require stamped drawings, we can prepare scope-of-work documents and specifications directly. We review all plans before construction to flag constructability issues and provide accurate pricing based on the actual design.

Call (718) 281-6000 or email Sajjawalbaig@gmail.com to schedule a free site visit. We come to the property, walk the space with you, review your requirements and any existing plans, and follow up with a detailed written proposal within 3–5 business days. There is no obligation after the site visit, and no charge for the estimate.