The short answer: A small, simple tenant improvement can go from first drawings to move-in in a matter of weeks, while a restaurant, medical space, or change-of-use project often takes several months. The construction itself is rarely the longest part. Design, landlord approval, plan check, health or fire review, and equipment deliveries usually decide when you can open, so the clock really starts the day you begin planning, not the day the crew shows up.
Almost every business owner about to sign a lease asks the same thing: “When can I open?”
It’s the right question. Rent, staffing, loan payments, and your grand-opening plans all hang on the answer. But most people try to answer it by asking how long construction will take, and that’s where schedules go sideways.
On a typical build-out, the framing-and-drywall part is often the most predictable piece. The surprises tend to live before it (drawings, approvals, permits) and around it (equipment, inspections, utility work). Let’s walk through each phase, what sets its pace, and what you can do to keep your opening date realistic.
What are the phases of a tenant improvement?
Every project is different, but most follow the same order. Some phases can overlap. Others can’t start until the one before is signed off.
| Phase | What happens | What sets the pace |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-lease homework | Confirm zoning, look at existing conditions and permit history, rough out scope and budget | How fast you get answers from planning, the landlord, and a contractor walk-through |
| 2. Design and drawings | Architect or designer prepares plans; engineers join if mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or structural work is involved | Scope, and how quickly you make decisions |
| 3. Landlord approval | Many leases require the landlord to approve plans and contractors | The lease work letter and the landlord’s response time |
| 4. Permits and plan check | Building department review, plus fire, planning, and health when they apply | Complexity, the review lane, agency workload, and correction rounds |
| 5. Bidding and ordering | Final pricing, contract, and ordering long-lead items | Equipment and material lead times |
| 6. Construction and inspections | Demolition, framing, rough-in, inspections, finishes | Scope, inspection scheduling, building work-hour rules |
| 7. Final sign-offs | Final inspections, certificate of occupancy where required, health permit, business license | Each agency’s final approval |
Want a rough sense of scale? One property management firm’s published guide to the TI process estimates about 2 to 3 weeks for plans, 3 to 8 weeks for permitting, and 4 to 8 weeks for construction including inspections. Treat that as a ballpark for simpler office-type work, not a promise. A restaurant or a change of use can take much longer. A paint-and-carpet refresh can take much less.
So where does the time really go? Mostly into phase 4.
Why does the permit stage take so long?
Because it isn’t one review. A building department sends tenant improvement plans to every discipline that applies. The City of Long Beach’s office permitting guidelines describe Building and Safety routing construction documents to departments such as building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire, and planning. Permits are issued once all approvals are received and fees are paid.
The good news: not every project waits in the same line. Many cities have faster lanes for simple work.
- City of Los Angeles (LADBS). Counter Plan Check reviews plans for simple projects the same day they’re submitted. Its eligible list includes tenant improvements with no change in use, and those with a change in use but no change in parking. Larger, complex projects go through Regular Plan Check, which LADBS says returns plans “within weeks depending on workload.” Paying 50% more of the plan check fee expedites that review.
- City of Long Beach. The city’s plan review service page lists Express Permit service for qualifying work, over-the-counter review for minor office or retail tenant improvements (as determined by staff), and submitted plan review for everything else, reviewed in the order received.
Notice what’s missing: a guaranteed number of days. Neither city lists a fixed turnaround for full plan review on those pages, and workload changes through the year. Other cities run their own systems, so ask your building department which lane your project likely fits, and plan for at least one round of corrections.
Opening a restaurant or food business? Add the health department
If you’ll serve food, the health department reviews your plans too, and that approval comes before construction. In Los Angeles County’s Environmental Health plan check program, standard review is completed within 20 working days after payment, or within 10 working days for a paid expedited review when staff are available.
At the other end, you schedule a final health inspection with at least three working days’ notice and must receive your Public Health Operating Permit before opening. Some cities, including Long Beach, run their own health plan check, so confirm which agency covers your address.
Food projects also tend to bring fire review of hood suppression, possible grease interceptor work, and utility upgrades. Our guide to turning a retail space into a restaurant walks through those in detail.
What usually delays a tenant improvement?
Most schedule slips trace back to a short list. Use this as a checklist while you plan:
- Signing the lease before checking zoning, parking, and existing conditions
- Changing the layout or finishes after plans are submitted
- Slow landlord review of plans, contractor insurance, or paperwork
- Plan check corrections that take more than one round
- Long-lead items such as electrical gear, HVAC units, storefront glass, or kitchen and medical equipment
- Utility work (a bigger electrical service or new gas line runs on the utility’s schedule, not yours)
- Unpermitted work from a past tenant that has to be legalized or removed
- Accessibility upgrades triggered by the alteration
- Failed inspections or inspection dates that are hard to get
- Building rules that limit noisy work to certain hours
None of these is unusual. The projects that open on time are usually the ones that spotted them early.
How do I protect my opening date?
- Get a contractor walk-through before you sign. Roofs, electrical capacity, restrooms, and past permits are much cheaper to learn about during negotiation than after.
- Tie rent to reality. A National Law Review article on lease letters of intent recommends tying rent commencement to delivery of the space and completion of required build-out, rather than a fixed date. Ask your broker and attorney how your lease handles permit or construction delays.
- Decide early and stick with it. Finish your layout, equipment list, and finish choices before plans go in. Changes during plan check often restart part of the review.
- Order long-lead items as soon as it’s safe. Ask your contractor which items to release first once plans are approved.
- Ask about the fastest legitimate review lane. Some scopes can be adjusted to qualify for counter or express review.
- Build in float. Plan your opening, hiring, and marketing around a realistic date, with a cushion for one correction round and one late delivery.
Can I start building before the permit is issued?
For work that needs a permit, plan on no. In Long Beach, construction permits are issued only after all approvals are received. For food facilities, LA County Environmental Health says plan approval comes before construction begins, and opening before you have the health permit is a misdemeanor. Starting early risks stop-work orders, tear-outs, and a harder road at final inspection. If you’re unsure whether a task needs a permit, ask the building department before anyone starts.
When can I handle this myself, and when do I need a pro?
A lot of the early homework is yours, and it saves real time:
- Visit or call the planning counter to confirm your use is allowed at the address
- Pull the suite’s permit history
- Ask the landlord for the work letter, building rules, and plan-approval process
- Finalize your equipment list and operating needs
Then bring in the professionals. A designer or architect prepares the plans. Engineers handle mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or structural design when needed. A licensed commercial general contractor prices the work, sequences it, schedules inspections, and builds it.
That’s the work our commercial tenant improvement team does every day. DCI is a Signal Hill general contractor in business since 2001, and we guide permitting, inspections, and code-compliance coordination with step-by-step outlines and line-item costing. You can see the range of office, retail, restaurant, and other commercial projects we take on.
FAQ
How long does a commercial tenant improvement take? It depends on scope. Simple office or retail work can take weeks from drawings to move-in. Restaurants, medical spaces, and change-of-use projects often take several months, mostly because of design and agency reviews.
How long does plan check take for a tenant improvement? It varies by city, lane, and workload. LADBS reviews eligible simple projects the same day through Counter Plan Check, while Regular Plan Check returns plans “within weeks depending on workload.”
Can a small tenant improvement get an over-the-counter permit? Sometimes. LADBS lists qualifying tenant improvements for Counter Plan Check, and Long Beach offers over-the-counter review for minor office or retail tenant improvements as determined by staff.
How long does health department plan review take for a restaurant in LA County? LA County Environmental Health completes standard review within 20 working days after payment, or 10 working days with paid expedited review when staff are available. Some cities, like Long Beach, run their own health review.
When should rent start during a build-out? That’s a lease negotiation point. Many tenants ask to tie rent commencement to delivery of the space and completion of the build-out rather than a fixed date. Review it with your broker and attorney.
What is the biggest cause of tenant improvement delays? Usually decisions and approvals, not construction: late layout changes, landlord review, plan check corrections, and long-lead equipment.
Planning a build-out? Let’s map your timeline before you sign
If you’re weighing a space and wondering when you could realistically open, the best next step is a walk-through and a phase-by-phase schedule before the lease is final. We’ll look at the space, flag what’s likely to need review, identify long-lead items, and give you a line-item picture of the work so your lease and your opening plan are built on real dates.
Give us a call at 562-425-1050 or email us at info@desistogc.com (dcidirect.net)