TI electrical cost: by space type.
Commercial TI electrical cost per square foot varies dramatically by space type — from $12/sq ft for standard office to $85/sq ft for full-service restaurant. Here's the actual landscape.
By Steven Lockhart · Reviewed by Alex Towery, C-10 #989290
Updated 2026-06-16
Marin commercial TI electrical cost ranges by space type (2026): Office (standard) $12-$22/sq ft; Office (premium with smart features) $22-$35/sq ft; Retail (small footprint) $15-$28/sq ft; Retail (premium boutique) $25-$45/sq ft; Salon/Spa $22-$38/sq ft; Medical/Dental $28-$48/sq ft; Restaurant (small/casual) $32-$55/sq ft; Restaurant (full service) $45-$85/sq ft. Variance within space type driven by equipment count, lighting design sophistication, code-compliance scope, and existing conditions.
01Why space type drives such different cost.
Office TI has the lowest per-sq-ft cost because the electrical scope is most standardized — workstations, conference rooms, general lighting, kitchenette, restrooms, network closet. Limited specialty equipment. Limited specialty trades to coordinate. Typical office TI completes in 6-10 weeks. Retail TI runs higher because lighting design becomes the dominant scope element (40-60% of electrical cost in retail) plus POS infrastructure, signage, and specialty fixtures.
Medical and restaurant TI run highest because they combine multiple complexity factors: large equipment counts requiring dedicated circuits (30-60 dedicated circuits typical for restaurants, 20-40 for medical), specialty code requirements (NEC 517 for medical, NFPA 96 for restaurants), specialty trades coordination (medical equipment vendors, hood/suppression vendors, refrigeration), and multiple inspection layers (medical has standard inspection sequence; restaurant adds fire and health department inspections).
02What drives variance within space type.
Equipment count and complexity
Higher equipment count = more dedicated circuits = higher cost. Restaurant TI with 50 dedicated circuits costs more than restaurant with 35. Medical office with 4 imaging machines costs more than with 1. Equipment-driven scope is the largest single variable within space types.
Existing conditions
Existing electrical infrastructure quality affects scope: older buildings with outdated panels or inadequate service capacity require panel upgrades or sub-panel additions before TI work. Adds $5,000-$25,000+ depending on scope. Modern building with adequate infrastructure: minimal pre-existing scope.
Design sophistication
Retail premium boutique with elaborate lighting design vs basic retail with standard fixtures: 2-3x cost difference for similar square footage. Office with smart features (Lutron, automated shades, sophisticated AV) vs basic office: 30-50% higher cost. Design ambition drives meaningful variance.
03How to budget realistically for TI electrical.
Use cost-per-sq-ft ranges as starting point, adjusted for space-specific factors. Identify equipment list early in design — equipment count is the biggest variable. Allow contingency: 15-20% above mid-range estimate for unknowns. Existing building condition is meaningful uncertainty — older Marin commercial buildings often have surprises that require corrective work integrated with TI scope.
Multi-quote process helps validate budget. 2-3 quotes from qualified commercial contractors typically fall within 10-25% of each other when scope is well-defined. Larger variance signals scope definition issues — either tenant didn't define scope clearly enough or contractors have different assumptions about scope. Resolve scope before committing to contractor; bid on clearly-defined scope to enable apples-to-apples comparison.
Common questions.
How accurate are these ranges?
For typical Marin commercial TI projects in 2026, ranges reflect actual recent project data within Towery's project history and informally-collected industry data from other Marin commercial contractors. Outliers exist in both directions; ranges describe typical 70-80% of projects. Premium scope, unusual code requirements, or significant existing condition issues can push projects outside ranges.
What's included in 'electrical scope'?
Standard inclusions: panel work, branch circuits and distribution, lighting design and installation, dedicated equipment circuits, structured cabling for data (sometimes scoped separately), AV electrical infrastructure (cabling and outlets, not active equipment), code-compliance scope (AFCI, GFCI, emergency lighting), permits, inspections, commissioning. Exclusions typically: active network/AV equipment (handled by IT contractor), specialty equipment from vendors (kitchen equipment, medical equipment, etc.).
How do I get an accurate quote?
Provide architectural drawings, equipment list (especially for medical/restaurant), lighting design intent, scope definition documents. Quality input documents enable quality quote response. For early-stage projects without complete documentation, quotes are estimates not commitments — refine to fixed-price after scope is defined. Multi-quote process helps validate accuracy and uncovers scope assumptions.
Why is restaurant so much more than office?
Three factors: 2-3x circuit count (35-60 dedicated circuits for restaurant vs 15-20 for office), specialty trades coordination (hood/suppression, kitchen equipment), and multiple inspection layers (building + fire + health for restaurant vs building only for office). Reflects fundamentally different scope complexity, not pricing markup. Restaurant TI is inherently more complex work.
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.
Get a real quote for your install.
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