Commercial Construction in Los Angeles
- CA Licensed General Contractor
- License #1113493
Commercial construction in LA carries stakes that residential work doesn't. Every day of delay is lost revenue. Every dollar of cost overrun comes directly from your business. Get it right the first time.
The Los Angeles commercial construction market is one of the most complex in the country — dense regulatory requirements, a competitive labor market, seismic compliance demands, and a design-forward culture that means your space needs to look like it belongs in this city.
Getting this right requires a contractor with deep local experience, a fully in-house team, and a track record of delivering. Precise Building & Restoration has been building commercial spaces across Los Angeles for over 35 years.
We handle retail, office, restaurant, mixed-use, and light industrial projects with the same precision and integrity we bring to every residential build.
Commercial construction costs in LA run significantly higher than national averages, driven by union labor requirements, California's strict code compliance, premium material markets, and LADBS's complex permitting process.
| Building Type | LA Cost Range / Sq Ft | Key Cost Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Office Space — Standard | $200 – $400 | MEP, flooring, lighting, ceiling, HVAC zones |
| Office Space — Class A | $400 – $700+ | Premium finishes, smart systems, high-end lobby |
| Retail / Storefront | $180 – $350 | Storefront systems, signage, display lighting, flooring |
| Restaurant | $300 – $600+ | Commercial kitchen, ventilation, grease traps, ADA |
| Medical / Healthcare | $400 – $800+ | Specialized MEP, ADA, infection control, equipment |
| Warehouse / Light Industrial | $120 – $280 | Structural, loading, electrical, minimal finish |
| Mixed-Use Development | $350 – $700 | Multiple systems, parking, fire suppression, MEP |
| Ground-Up Commercial Build | $400 – $900+ | All systems, full structure, permits, site work |
Converting raw shell space or updating existing office to current standards. We specialize in flexible, open-plan offices with private conference and collaboration zones, designed for the hybrid work reality of 2026 Los Angeles.
Commercial kitchen ventilation, grease trap systems, specialized plumbing, food-safe surfaces, fire suppression, and ADA compliance — all while delivering a design environment that functions under intense daily use. We've built restaurants from Silver Lake to West Hollywood.
We build retail environments designed to convert — strategic lighting, optimized traffic flow, immaculate finish quality, and storefront systems that frame your brand identity. From boutique retail on Abbott Kinney to showrooms in the Design District.
Infection control standards, specialized HVAC with HEPA filtration, dedicated medical gas systems, sharps disposal infrastructure, clinical-level ADA compliance, and finishes that meet infection control protocols. Our team works with medical tenants and healthcare developers throughout LA.
Los Angeles's zoning environment increasingly favors mixed-use development — ground-floor commercial with residential above. We manage two distinct construction typologies simultaneously, coordinating commercial and residential mechanical systems and separate code requirements.
Production studios, fabrication spaces, creative warehouses, and tech manufacturing — Los Angeles has a significant light industrial market, particularly in East LA, Vernon, and the Arts District. Functional, code-compliant industrial spaces with the attention to detail this market demands.
Every commercial project we build gets the same in-house team approach as our residential work: permits, engineering, design, and construction under one roof. No finger-pointing between subcontractors. One team accountable for delivery. 35+ years of proving it works.
LA's commercial construction regulatory environment is significantly more complex than residential — and significantly more consequential when things go wrong.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety processes commercial permits through separate specialized divisions from residential projects. Commercial plan check timelines for ground-up builds run 9–18 months. Tenant improvements typically run 3–8 months. The key: submitting a complete, code-compliant package on the first submission.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires all commercial facilities to provide accessible entry, restrooms, paths of travel, and service areas. For tenant improvements or change of use, triggering ADA upgrades is often required — even when the work itself is unrelated to accessibility. Our team identifies and budgets ADA requirements during the estimate phase.
Commercial buildings in Los Angeles are subject to strict fire suppression requirements. Sprinkler systems are mandatory for most commercial buildings above certain square footage thresholds, and the fire department reviews plans independently of the building department — adding an additional review cycle.
Commercial buildings carry higher occupant loads and therefore more stringent seismic design requirements than residential. Steel moment frames, reinforced concrete shear walls, and special inspection requirements add complexity and cost. Our in-house structural engineers design all seismic systems to current code.
California's Title 24 energy standards for commercial buildings are more stringent than residential. Lighting power density limits, HVAC efficiency requirements, building envelope performance, and energy monitoring systems are required and must be documented in a compliance calculation.
Most construction companies navigate residential code. Commercial is a different discipline entirely. One missed requirement during plan check doesn't just delay your project — it can set your timeline back by months, cost tens of thousands in rework, and affect your lease commencement date. We've seen it. We prevent it.
One team. One point of contact. Six disciplined phases from discovery to Certificate of Occupancy.
We meet with you, understand your business, space requirements, timeline, and budget. We review the property, assess existing conditions, and identify any code compliance gaps before a dollar is committed to design.
Our architects create commercial designs that balance your vision with code requirements, construction efficiency, and long-term operational functionality. We value-engineer from the design stage — before specs are locked, not after they've driven up the budget.
We prepare and submit complete commercial permit packages to LADBS, coordinate with the fire department and other reviewing agencies, and manage the entire approval process. We respond to correction letters with the urgency your timeline demands.
Before breaking ground, we finalize subcontractor selection, procure long-lead items, establish a construction schedule, and set up site logistics. Commercial projects run on schedules — we build them at the start, not adjust them continuously later.
Daily site management, weekly owner progress meetings, photo documentation, and proactive communication on any conditions that affect schedule or cost. Our commercial project managers have managed complex multi-trade projects for decades.
We coordinate all required inspections — building, fire, health department if applicable, elevator if applicable — and manage the punch list and close-out documentation required to receive your Certificate of Occupancy.
Free project consultation. 35+ years of commercial construction experience. One team accountable for every phase from design through Certificate of Occupancy.