Do you handle plan check comments if our TI submittal gets rejected?

Yes. Permit revisions and plan check comment responses are included as part of our tenant improvement drawing engagement.

What information do you need to start a tenant improvement drawing package?

An existing floor plan or field survey of the space, the prior tenant's use and the new tenant's intended use, and any equipment or fixture requirements specific to the new business.

Tenant Improvement Drawings Services

Commercial Tenant Improvement Drawings & Permit Plans Services

Every commercial space has a past life. A shell that used to be a shoe store is about to become a taqueria. An accounting office is being carved into three smaller suites. None of that happens on the strength of a landlord’s handshake; it happens on the strength of a drawing set that tells a contractor exactly where the new walls go, what the old occupancy classification was, and what it has to become before an inspector signs off.

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What Our Tenant Improvement Plans Services Actually Cover

CAD Drafter drafts the TI drawing set and coordinates the code research behind it; we coordinate seal and signature through our licensed architect and engineer partners for jurisdictions that require a stamped submittal. Landlords, tenants, and general contractors send us an existing floor plan and a new use; we return the space plan, the permit set, and the change of occupancy documentation a building department checks it against.

Commercial Tenant Improvement Drawings
Office Renovation Drawings
Retail Buildout Drawings
Restaurant Buildout Drawings
Space Planning & Interior Layout
Change of Occupancy Documentation
Commercial Permit Drawings
Commercial Construction Drawings & MEP Coordination

Sample Upload Plan

Why TI Projects Move Faster With A Dedicated Drafting Team

A tenant improvement almost always runs on a lease clock. Rent starts whether or not the buildout is finished, and every week a permit sits in review is a week the tenant is paying for a space they can’t use. Outsourcing tenant improvement drawings to a team that already knows how to document a change of occupancy correctly the first time tends to be the difference between a four-week plan check and a twelve-week one.

Space Planning & Change of Occupancy

Two things happen on almost every TI project, and both of them get missed by drawing sets that treat a buildout like a simple interior remodel.

Space planning comes first: fitting the tenant’s program, seating, workstations, fixtures, storage, into a shell that was built for someone else’s business, while keeping exit paths, corridor widths, and accessible routes intact. Then comes the question landlords rarely think to ask upfront: does the new use trigger a change of occupancy? Converting a retail space to a restaurant, or an office to a medical clinic, moves the project into a different occupancy classification under the building code, which can trigger accessibility upgrades, fire-rated separation requirements, and a recalculated occupant load that the prior tenant never had to meet.

We flag that question at the start of every TI project, not after a plan checker flags it for us.

Office Renovation Drawings

Office TI work is rarely a blank shell. It’s a demolition plan for the last tenant’s layout, followed by a new one: private offices swapped for open workstations, a break room relocated, a conference room added where a supply closet used to be. Office renovation drawings document both halves, existing conditions and new construction, so a contractor knows exactly what comes out before anything goes in.

Retail Buildout Drawings

Retail TI has to solve a merchandising problem as much as a construction one. Retail buildout drawings lay out fitting rooms, point-of-sale counters, and stockroom access while keeping the storefront’s accessible path of travel clear from the sidewalk to the register, a detail that gets checked closely whenever a retail space changes hands.

Restaurant Buildout Drawings

Restaurant TI carries the heaviest documentation load of the three. Restaurant buildout drawings have to account for a commercial kitchen hood and grease duct layout, floor drains and grease interceptor coordination, and a health department review that runs alongside, not instead of, the standard building permit process. A restaurant moving into a former retail or office shell is almost always a change of occupancy in its own right.

Commercial Permit Drawings

A tenant improvement permit drawing set has to do two jobs the original building permit never had to: prove the existing structure and systems can support the new use, and document only the scope of work actually changing, without redrawing the entire building. We build TI permit sets around that distinction, so a plan checker can see exactly what’s new and what’s staying.

Commercial Construction Drawings

Floor plans are the backbone of a TI set, but they rarely stand alone. Commercial construction drawings for a tenant improvement typically bring architectural floor plans together with the MEP plans a mechanical, electrical, or plumbing scope change requires, since all touch systems the architectural plan alone can’t resolve.

Get Your Tenant Improvement Drawings Started

Call our team and get your tenant improvement drawings from the team without breaking the bank!

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Standard-Referenced Design

Every TI Drawing Checked Against The Code That Governs Existing Buildings

A tenant improvement doesn’t get evaluated against new-construction code alone. It gets evaluated against the rules for altering a building that’s already standing, which is a different section of the code book entirely.

International Existing Building Code (IEBC) / IBC Chapter 34

Provisions governing alterations, additions, and changes of occupancy in existing buildings, determining which code triggers apply based on the scope and classification change of the TI work.

2010 ADA Standards & ICC A117.1

Accessibility requirements triggered by alteration work, particularly the primary function area rule that can require accessible route upgrades even on a limited-scope TI project.

NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code)

Occupant load calculation and egress requirements recalculated whenever a change of occupancy shifts a space’s classification, such as retail converting to assembly or restaurant use.

Local Health Department Food Facility Regulations

Kitchen equipment, floor drain, and grease interceptor requirements reviewed alongside the building permit for any restaurant or food service tenant improvement.

Local Fire Marshal Review Standards

Fire-rated separation and suppression requirements coordinated with the building department’s review whenever occupancy classification or occupant load changes.

Deliverable Types

Tenant Improvement Deliverables We Produce

Every TI package is broken into the sheets a plan reviewer needs and the sheets a contractor needs, coordinated from one existing conditions survey.

All

Existing Conditions & Demolition Plan

Documentation of the space as it stands today, with a demolition plan marking what’s being removed before new construction starts.

Space Plan & Interior Layout

The new floor plan showing walls, fixtures, and furniture layout fitted to the tenant’s program.

Change of Occupancy Analysis

Code comparison documenting the prior and proposed occupancy classification, and every requirement the change triggers.

Commercial Permit Drawing Set

The complete TI construction document package formatted for the jurisdiction’s plan check submittal.

Reflected Ceiling & Finish Plans

Ceiling layout and finish schedules coordinated with the new space plan and any MEP scope.

Door & Window Schedules

Opening schedules referenced to the new floor plan for material procurement and permit review.

Core Commercial TI

Office Renovations

Demising Walls, Workstations, Break Rooms
Low, Unless Use Changes

Retail Buildouts

Storefront, Fitting Rooms, POS Layout
Moderate If Converting From Office

Restaurants & Cafés

Kitchen, Dining Area, Health Dept. Coordination
High, Nearly Always Triggered

Coffee Shops

Compact Kitchen & Service Counter Layout
Moderate to High

Medical & Dental Offices

Exam Rooms, ADA Clearances, MEP Coordination
High If Converting From Retail/Office

Mixed-Use Ground Floor Retail

Storefront & Shared Corridor Coordination
Moderate

Specialty Commercial TI

Warehouses & Industrial Buildings

Office Build-Out Within Shell
Low

Auto Repair Shops

Bay Layout & Equipment Coordination
Moderate

Hotels & Hospitality

Guest Room & Common Area Renovation
Low to Moderate

Schools & Daycare Facilities

Classroom Layout & Life Safety Coordination
High

Religious Buildings

Assembly Space Renovation
Moderate to High

Commercial Interior Renovations (General)

Scope-Dependent Layout Changes
Varies by Scope

Our Process

How CAD Drafter Delivers Tenant Improvement Drawings

A TI project runs on a shorter clock than new construction, so our process is built to compress without cutting the code research corners that cause plan check delays. Here’s the sequence:

Existing Conditions & Use Review

We review the existing floor plan or field-verify the space, and confirm the prior and proposed occupancy classification before drafting starts.

Package Quote & Timeline

You receive a scoped price and a release date, broken down by space plan, permit set, and any change of occupancy documentation required.

Drafting & Internal QC

Our team drafts the space plan and permit set, then passes every sheet through an internal code and dimension check before it reaches your desk.

Release & Plan Check Support

You receive editable drawing files, with permit revisions and plan check comment responses included per your project’s agreement.

3,600+

Tenant Improvement Drawing Sets Released

1,400+

Restaurant & Retail Buildouts Drafted

850+

Change of Occupancy Packages Prepared

24-48 Hrs

Standard Package Release

Landlords & Contractors Choose CAD Drafter For Tenant Improvement Drawings

98%
Permit Approval
First Time

Why Choose Us

Why Landlords & Contractors Choose CAD Drafter For Tenant Improvement Drawings

Property owners, tenants, and general contractors keep sending us their TI drafting scope for a specific reason. Unlike firms that draft a floor plan and leave the occupancy question for the plan checker to raise, our team catches a change of occupancy trigger before it turns into a second round of comments.

We Draft, Your Architect Confirms

We never alter design intent. Every TI drawing carries the space program and code analysis your architect or designer of record established, ready for their review and stamp where required.

Code-Referenced TI Drafting

Sheets reference the IEBC/IBC Chapter 34, the 2010 ADA Standards, ICC A117.1, and NFPA 101 as each applies to your project’s scope and occupancy change.

Office, Retail & Restaurant Range

Office renovation drawings for corporate tenants, alongside retail buildouts and restaurant TI packages with the health department coordination they require.

Scalable Drafting Capacity

Take on a single suite renovation or a multi-tenant retail center buildout without adding a drafting seat to your own office.

Software Our Tenant Improvement Drafting Team Works In

AutoCAD Architecture

Revit

SketchUp

Chief Architect

Bluebeam Revu

Benefits Of Outsourcing To The Team

Why Firms Outsource Tenant Improvement Drawing Services

Keeping a drafter on staff who can move between office layouts, retail storefronts, and restaurant kitchen coordination, plus track every jurisdiction’s change of occupancy triggers, is a broad skill set to hire against a leasing pipeline that never repeats the same tenant twice. Outsourced tenant improvement drawings let landlords and contractors flex capacity without carrying that overhead.

Lower Drafting Overhead: A per-project rate instead of a salaried TI drafter on staff.

Faster Plan Release: A dedicated TI team means your drawing set isn’t queued behind someone else’s lease deadline. Standard packages release in 24-48 hours.

Built-In QC Review: Every drawing passes an internal code and occupancy cross-check before it reaches your desk for approval.

Technologies Our TI Drafting Team Works With

Existing Conditions Field Verification & As-Built Modeling
Change of Occupancy Code Comparison
Space Planning & Program Fit Analysis
ADA Path of Travel & Alteration Trigger Review
MEP Scope Coordination for Kitchen & Equipment Loads
Cloud-Based Plan Review & Markup

Sample contact Us

Our Certificate

1 2 3

Client Feedback To Our Tenant Improvement Drawings Services

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

They flagged the change of occupancy issue on our retail-to-restaurant conversion before we’d even signed the lease amendment, which saved the incoming tenant a month of surprise delays.

Bianca TorresCommercial Property Manager

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Office TI drawings had the demolition plan and new layout on separate, clearly marked sheets, so our crew never had to guess what was coming out versus what was staying.

Andre WhitfieldGeneral Contractor

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Our buildout drawings coordinated the hood and grease duct layout with the health department’s checklist item for item, and we passed that inspection on the first try.

Priya ChandrasekaranRestaurant Owner

Frequently Asked Question

What’s the difference between a tenant improvement and a full renovation?

A tenant improvement typically modifies an existing commercial shell to fit a new or updated tenant’s needs within the building’s existing structure, while a full renovation can involve more extensive structural, envelope, or systems changes beyond a single tenant’s space.

Does every tenant improvement project trigger a change of occupancy review?

No, only when the new use falls under a different occupancy classification than the prior tenant, such as retail converting to restaurant or office converting to medical use. We review this at the start of every project to confirm whether it applies.

Do restaurant buildouts need separate health department approval?

Yes, in addition to the standard building permit, restaurant tenant improvements typically require separate health department review covering kitchen equipment, floor drains, grease interceptors, and food service layout.

How does ADA compliance factor into a tenant improvement project?

Alteration work can trigger accessibility upgrade requirements even on a limited-scope project, particularly under the primary function area rule, which is why we review ADA triggers as part of every TI scope review.

Can you provide MEP coordination for a restaurant or medical office buildout?

Yes. Where a project’s mechanical, electrical, or plumbing scope changes, we coordinate directly with the engineering disciplines involved as part of our broader architectural drafting services.

Commercial Tenant Improvement Drawings & Permit Plans Services

What Our Tenant Improvement Plans Services Actually Cover

Why TI Projects Move Faster With A Dedicated Drafting Team

Space Planning & Change of Occupancy

Office Renovation Drawings

Retail Buildout Drawings

Restaurant Buildout Drawings

Commercial Permit Drawings

Commercial Construction Drawings

Get Your Tenant Improvement Drawings Started

Every TI Drawing Checked Against The Code That Governs Existing Buildings

Tenant Improvement Deliverables We Produce

Existing Conditions & Demolition Plan

Space Plan & Interior Layout

Change of Occupancy Analysis

Commercial Permit Drawing Set

Reflected Ceiling & Finish Plans

Door & Window Schedules

How CAD Drafter Delivers Tenant Improvement Drawings

Existing Conditions & Use Review

Package Quote & Timeline

Drafting & Internal QC

Release & Plan Check Support

Why Landlords & Contractors Choose CAD Drafter For Tenant Improvement Drawings

Software Our Tenant Improvement Drafting Team Works In

Why Firms Outsource Tenant Improvement Drawing Services

Technologies Our TI Drafting Team Works With

Our Certificate

Client Feedback To Our Tenant Improvement Drawings Services

Frequently Asked Question

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