Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Permit Drawings: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before any design work starts, confirm what the landlord's shell actually provides — stubbed utilities, existing fire sprinkler coverage, ceiling height above the drop ceiling — and pull the base building's rules and regulations, since many landlords impose their own construction standards on top of code requirements. Skipping this step is one of the most common causes of a redesign mid-project.

The proposed use determines the occupancy classification the permit drawings need to satisfy — a retail space, office, and restaurant fall under different classifications with different egress, plumbing fixture count, and fire-rating requirements. If the classification is changing from the previous tenant's use, that change of occupancy can trigger a more extensive code review than a like-for-like TI would.

TI permit drawings typically include a demolition plan (what's being removed from the previous tenant's build-out), a new floor plan, reflected ceiling plan, and coordinated MEP sheets — mechanical, electrical, and plumbing all need to be drawn against the same architectural background to avoid clashes discovered during construction rather than on paper.

Every commercial TI needs an egress plan showing exit paths and occupant load calculations, plus ADA accessibility compliance for the accessible route, restrooms, and counter heights. These aren't separate submittals — they're layered directly into the same permit drawings and checked by the same plan reviewer.

Once submitted, most jurisdictions return plan check comments in rounds rather than all-or-nothing — responding quickly and completely to each round, rather than partially, is what keeps a TI on a lease-driven timeline. A team that tracks the review status daily and responds within the jurisdiction's turnaround window can often save one to two full review cycles compared to a slower back-and-forth.