Restaurant TI electrical: the highest-stakes commercial scope.
Restaurant tenant improvement electrical combines commercial kitchen complexity with fire/life-safety interlock requirements and multi-inspection coordination. Here's the full scope.
By Steven Lockhart · Reviewed by Alex Towery, C-10 #989290
Updated 2026-06-16
Restaurant TI electrical in Marin runs $80,000-$220,000 typical for the electrical portion of a TI buildout. Scope includes 35-60 dedicated circuits (every major piece of cooking and refrigeration gets its own), hood-fire interlock integration, walk-in cooler electrical, dining area lighting and outlets, POS/bar electrical, fire alarm integration. Three inspection layers (building, fire, health) require coordination. Active electrical work spans 4-8 weeks across the project; total TI calendar 14-22 weeks.
01What restaurant TI electrical actually includes.
A typical 2,500 sq ft restaurant TI has 35-60 dedicated circuits — vs ~15-20 for comparable office TI. Each cooking appliance (range, oven, fryer, char-broiler, salamander, griddle) on its own circuit; commercial refrigeration (walk-in cooler/freezer, prep tables, reach-ins, ice machine, beverage refrigeration) each on dedicated circuits; dishwashing equipment (commercial dishwasher, booster heater) dedicated; ventilation systems integrated with hood interlock; dining-area lighting and outlets; bar electrical with beverage equipment; POS systems with surge protection.
On top of the circuit count, hood-fire interlock integration adds specialized labor — NFPA 96 requires fire suppression system activation to shut down all cooking equipment power within specific timing. Implementation via shunt-trip breakers controlled by suppression panel. Hood interlock testing with fire marshal as witness is required before occupancy. Walk-in cooler installations involve specialty wiring through insulated walls with sealed penetrations. Customer-facing scope (dining lighting, ambiance, bar) integrates with restaurant's interior design vision.
02Three areas where restaurant TI most commonly goes wrong.
Equipment list lock-in timing
Electrical scope can't finalize until kitchen equipment is selected. Premature electrical design forces rework when equipment selection differs from assumed. Best practice: equipment list locked before rough-in begins. Coordination with kitchen equipment supplier is essential.
Hood interlock integration
Most common restaurant TI failure point. Suppression system must shut down cooking-equipment power on activation within required timing. Installation by qualified contractor and verification testing with fire marshal as witness — both required for inspection passage.
Health Department electrical adjacencies
Marin County Environmental Health inspects electrical alongside food safety: GFCI on wet-area outlets, equipment grounding (green-wire, not neutral bonding), hand sink clearances from electrical fixtures. Health inspection rejection requires corrective work delaying restaurant opening.
03Coordination with other restaurant TI trades.
Restaurant TI involves more trade coordination than any other commercial scope. Kitchen equipment supplier (specifications, delivery, installation), hood/suppression vendor (NFPA 96 system, integration with electrical), refrigeration contractor (walk-in installation, equipment commissioning), HVAC contractor (kitchen exhaust coordination), plumbing (drain locations affecting kitchen layout), GC (overall schedule and inspection coordination), AHJ (multiple inspections: building, fire, health). Restaurant electrical contractor coordinates the electrical-touching scope across all of these.
We've completed 40+ Marin restaurant TI electrical projects since 2020. Process: pre-construction coordination meeting with GC + kitchen supplier + hood vendor (typically 2-3 hours), equipment list freeze before rough-in, rough-in execution to equipment specifications, mid-project coordination meetings as needed, hood interlock testing with fire marshal, multi-inspection coordination through health/fire/building, final commissioning. The coordination work is as important as the install execution.
Common questions.
How long does restaurant TI electrical take?
Active electrical work 4-8 weeks distributed across the project; total restaurant TI calendar 14-22 weeks. Electrical critical path: rough-in (2-3 weeks once framing complete), equipment-arrival-dependent connections (timing varies with equipment delivery, often the project bottleneck), hood interlock testing (1 week before fire inspection), final connections during finishes (1-2 weeks). Longest non-electrical constraint usually health department inspection scheduling.
Why does restaurant TI cost so much more per sq ft?
Three reasons. Circuit count: 35-60 dedicated circuits vs 15-20 for office TI. Specialized labor: hood-fire interlock integration, walk-in cooler specialty wiring. Inspection coordination: three layers (building, fire, health) vs office TI's one. Combined: restaurant electrical runs $32-$85/sq ft vs office $12-$22/sq ft. Reflects fundamental scope difference, not premium pricing for similar work.
Can you start before equipment is selected?
Limited preliminary work possible: panel install, main service work, structural rough-in for known fixed locations (hood roughout, walk-in locations). But branch circuit rough-in for kitchen equipment can't proceed until equipment specs are confirmed — circuit specifications depend on equipment ratings. Push for early equipment selection to keep timeline efficient. Most successful restaurant TIs have equipment locked 1-2 weeks before rough-in begins.
Do you handle the hood interlock?
Yes — hood-fire suppression interlock is integral to restaurant TI electrical scope. Includes shunt-trip breaker installation, control wiring between suppression panel and breakers, physical testing with suppression actuation, fire marshal witness coordination. We've completed this work on 40+ Marin restaurants with 100% first-inspection pass rate.
How do you handle pricing — flat fee or hourly?
Both, depending on scope. Routine service calls and predictable scope (panel replacement, EV charger install, transfer switch install, fixture replacement) are flat-fee quoted up front. Diagnostic visits and emergency scope are hourly because we don't know what we'll find. Either way, you get a written quote before work starts on anything significant, and we don't proceed beyond the quote without your sign-off.
How quickly can you schedule?
Depends on scope and season. Emergency dispatch: same-day across Marin County (1-3 hours business hours, 1-4 hours after-hours). Same-day standard service: 3-6 hours from call when capacity allows; otherwise next business day. Scheduled service work: 1-3 weeks typical. Larger projects requiring permits and PG&E coordination: 4-12 weeks depending on scope. We're upfront about timeline at the quote stage.
What warranty do you offer on work?
Our standard residential warranty: 2 years on labor, manufacturer warranty on parts (varies by product — typically 1-10 years). Major installs (panels, generators, EV chargers) often have longer manufacturer warranties (5-10 years). If there's an issue with our work in the warranty period, we come back and fix it at no cost. We also stand behind work past warranty — repeat customers and referrals matter more than a transactional fix.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. California State License Board C-10 Electrical Contractor #989290, in good standing. Carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance as required by California law. Bondable on projects requiring it. Happy to provide proof of insurance to clients or property managers on request. License lookup: cslb.ca.gov.
Talk to a licensed electrician in Marin.
Family-run, C-10 #989290, 20+ years in the trade. Honest scoping, fair pricing, work that lasts.