COST GUIDE
Commercial glazing tenant improvement cost per sq ft
WHY THE RANGE IS WIDE
Floor area is not what drives glass cost
Glazing cost follows the amount and type of glass, not the size of the suite. Two offices of the same area can differ enormously if one has a few glass-front offices and the other has a full glass conference suite and a new storefront.
The type of glass and system matters as much as the quantity. Framed storefront, frameless interior glass, demountable partitions, laminated security glass and automatic entrances each cost very differently.
For a full build-out, the glass is one part of a larger number that also depends on the shell condition, the level of finish and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. That is why any per-square-foot figure needs a use, a condition and a scope attached.
The biggest cost drivers
- Linear feet and height of glass walls and storefront
- Framed, frameless or demountable systems
- Glass type: tempered, laminated, insulated or specialty
- Number and type of doors and hardware
- Shell condition and level of interior finish
- After-hours work and access equipment
WHAT GOES INTO THE NUMBER
The cost components
Storefront
Framing, insulated glass and entrance, priced by the size of the opening and the system specified.
Interior glass
Glass walls and doors, priced by length, height and system type rather than floor area.
Doors and hardware
Each door carries its own hardware set, and automatic operators or access control add to it.
Specialty glass
Laminated, fire-rated, privacy or security glazing where the use or code requires it.
Build-out trades
Framing, drywall, ceilings, finishes and MEP coordination when the full interior is in scope.
Soft costs
Design, permits, landlord review, access equipment and after-hours premiums.
BUDGETING STEP BY STEP
How to budget before you have drawings
01
Count the glass
02
Pick a system level
03
Check the shell
04
Add the rest of the build-out
USING A RANGE HONESTLY
What a per-square-foot figure is good for
A per-square-foot rate has one legitimate use: a first-pass feasibility check, before there is a layout, to decide whether a space is worth pursuing. Used that way it is helpful.
It stops being helpful when it is used to set a budget you will be held to. The glass count and system choice move the number far more than area, and the difference surfaces later as a change order.
We will give you a planning range on a call if you need one — and tell you what it assumes — then replace it with a line-item estimate as soon as there is a layout.
Get a real number instead
- Send a rough layout, even a hand markup
- Mark the glass walls, doors and storefront
- Tell us the look you want: framed or frameless
- Give us the target occupancy date
- We return a line-item estimate with allowances marked
- Most estimates come back within three business days
COMMON QUESTIONS
Glazing cost questions
We can give a planning range once we know the glass scope and the shell condition, along with what it assumes.
Frameless systems use thicker glass, precise fabrication and specialized hardware, and they leave less tolerance for uneven floors and ceilings.
Not always. Existing storefronts can often be reused or modified, which can save a significant amount.
We list them separately so you can see them, rather than hiding them in the total.
Much better than a per-square-foot figure. We mark allowances for anything still undefined.