Tenant Improvements in Boulder, Gunbarrel and Longmont

Suites near Boulder Junction, a 160 acre redevelopment area around 30th Street, Pearl Street, Valmont Road and Foothills Parkway, change hands often, and the first phase there added a regional bus station and mixed uses. Each new tenant needs the shell turned into a place they can work. That is the job of a tenant improvement: taking an empty or outdated suite and making it fit the business that will run in it, on a date the lease already fixed.

We build office suites, lab and R&D conversions, retail and restaurant storefronts, clinics, showrooms and light industrial fit-outs. The scope usually covers demolition, framing and drywall, ceilings, finishes, millwork, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection modifications, low voltage coordination, and the permits and inspections that let the tenant open.

Our clients are tenants with a lease clock, developers turning over space and landlords bringing a vacancy back to market. The common thread is time, and the main work is planning around everything that can eat it.

Spaces that suit different users

Boulder Junction is an urban setting, but the metro offers a range of space types. In Gunbarrel, a 2016 sale of parcels on Lookout Road and Spine Road included a 51,082 square foot single-story building and vacant parcels zoned general industrial, a reminder that Gunbarrel holds single-story research and light industrial buildings that tenants often convert. That report is old, so ownership and availability may have changed, and we verify current conditions before pricing any space.

Longmont's retail and flex corridors work the same way. A broker listing for a strip center at Ken Pratt Boulevard and Main Street showed several small suites offered on a triple net basis, with figures that varied between sources. For tenants on the Ken Pratt corridor, the main cost questions are what the landlord provides, what the tenant must build and who pays for upgrades the code now demands.

What we build inside the lease line

We start by reading the lease exhibit that divides landlord work from tenant work, then walk the space with the tenant's designer to confirm what is there: ceiling height, structure, existing mechanical systems, electrical capacity and fire protection. Demolition removes what does not belong, rough-in follows, then inspections and closing up. Finishes, millwork and equipment installation come last, and the sequence is arranged so inspectors can see rough work before it is covered.

Lab and R&D conversions add exhaust, specialty gas, process water and sometimes backup power. Food and beverage tenants need grease interceptors, hoods and makeup air. Medical suites need plumbing and electrical in nearly every room. We bring the right specialty subcontractors in at design stage so the builder's questions are answered before the construction documents are final.

Building to the lease date

Most tenant improvements are controlled by three dates: lease signing, rent commencement and the tenant's opening. We build the schedule backward from the opening, subtract the inspection and move-in time, and see what it implies for permit submission and equipment orders. Where the numbers do not work, we say so at the start and propose options: phased permits, early procurement or a split opening.

Long-lead items on a small project can dominate. A rooftop unit, a storefront system or electrical gear may take longer to arrive than the entire construction. We identify those items at the first meeting and, where the lease allows, release them before the permit is issued. The long-lead procurement habits we use on large projects shrink schedule risk on a small buildout too.

Energy code and permit points for a buildout

In the City of Boulder, the 2024 Energy Conservation Code requires new commercial projects to be all-electric or use other non-fossil sources, with exceptions for commercial cooking, hospitals, labs, large S-1 occupancies and emergency generators. The rule is written for new construction, so we confirm with the building department how it treats a renovation of an existing space before we assume gas equipment can stay or be replaced.

Tenant projects generally still trigger permits for building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire. Some towns allow an expedited process for small work, and others do not. We confirm the path in the first week, prepare the application package with the designer and submit complete drawings, since a complete submittal is the only reliable way to a short review.

Where tenant budgets go

The largest swings are in mechanical and electrical work, because existing capacity and distribution decide whether you are modifying or replacing. A suite with enough power and ductwork is a simple buildout, and one without it can double the cost. We open ceilings and test panels during the pricing walk so allowances reflect what is actually there.

Finishes and millwork are the second driver, and also the most flexible. We offer alternatives that give a similar look at a different cost, and we keep a running estimate as the design develops, so the tenant sees the cost of each decision before it is made. Landlord work letters, tenant allowances and what happens to the improvements at the end of the lease belong in the budget conversation too.

Work that overlaps with a buildout

Many tenant projects blend into renovation and adaptive reuse when a suite has been vacant for years or a building changes use, and we plan the structure, egress and accessibility upgrades together. When the neighbors stay open, the work follows the same rules as phased construction on occupied sites, with dust barriers, quiet hours and protected routes.

Offices and labs we build for office tenants still need commissioning at the end, so we keep the closeout list short and current from the first week. The tenant gets keys, manuals and a contact for warranty questions.

Send the lease exhibit and the plan

Share the landlord work letter, the floor plan and your opening date and we will return a scope, a budget range and a schedule that works backward from the date that matters.

Questions Owners Ask

How long does a typical tenant improvement take?

It depends on size, complexity and the permit path, so we work from your opening date instead of quoting a standard number. Design, permitting, procurement and construction each have their own durations, and we show how they overlap. Long-lead equipment is usually the item that sets the pace.

What is the difference between landlord work and tenant work?

The lease exhibit usually lists items the landlord delivers, such as the shell, base utilities and sometimes HVAC, and items the tenant builds. We read it first and mark every gray area before pricing, because disputes over scope are the most common source of delays and change orders.

Do we need permits for a small buildout?

Almost always, for any work that touches structure, egress, fire protection or the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Some towns have faster review for small projects. We confirm the process with the building department and prepare the submittal so it is complete on the first try.

Can the space be built while neighboring tenants stay open?

Yes. We use dust barriers, protected entries, quiet-hour scheduling and cleaning routines, and coordinate noisy work with the landlord and neighbors. We tell them in advance, and we keep corridors and shared systems working.

What about the energy code?

Boulder's energy code sets all-electric requirements with exceptions for new commercial projects, so we confirm how it applies to an existing space with the building department. Elsewhere in the metro the edition varies by town. We check the code before the design is final so the equipment choices do not change after permit.

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