Retail & Restaurant Construction Estimating in Florida

Estimates for Florida retail centers, outparcels, store build-outs and restaurants. We price shell buildings, tenant build-outs and full restaurant projects from your drawings, with sitework, storefront, kitchen systems and MEP broken out in CSI format. Flat fee, delivered in 24 to 48 hours.

New retail strip center with a restaurant end-cap under construction in Florida

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Retail and restaurant projects we estimate

Strip centers and neighborhood retail: shell buildings, end-caps, demising walls and site development.
Outparcels and pad sites: freestanding restaurants, quick-service with drive-thrus, banks, coffee shops and convenience stores.
Retail tenant build-outs: storefronts, sales floors, fitting rooms, stockrooms and national-brand prototypes.
Full-service and quick-service restaurants: new buildings, second-generation restaurant conversions and remodels.
Bars, breweries, cafes and food halls.

What drives restaurant construction cost

Kitchen exhaust and fire suppression

Grease hoods over cooking lines need dedicated grease duct, rooftop exhaust fans, make-up air units and a hood fire suppression system. These are often among the biggest single items in a restaurant budget. We price hood length, duct runs, fans, make-up air, suppression and roof curbs from the mechanical and kitchen drawings.

Grease interceptors and plumbing

Restaurants need a grease interceptor sized to the kitchen and approved by the local utility, plus floor sinks, floor drains, hand sinks, prep and dish sinks, and gas piping. We take off plumbing by fixture and rough-in, and price the interceptor and its sitework separately.

Kitchen equipment: who buys it

Kitchen equipment is often owner-furnished, contractor-installed, or bought through a separate equipment supplier. We follow your equipment schedule and show clearly what’s in the construction estimate and what isn’t, so the GC price and the equipment package don’t overlap or leave gaps.

Electrical and gas loads

Cooking equipment, walk-in coolers and freezers, and rooftop units drive electrical service size and gas service. We price panels, feeders, equipment connections and gas piping from the drawings.

Walk-in coolers and freezers

Insulated boxes, floors, refrigeration systems and remote condensers are priced as their own line items.

What drives retail cost

Storefront and openings

Storefront glazing in Florida must meet wind and impact requirements. We count storefront area, entrances and hardware by type from the elevations and door schedule.

Shell vs tenant scope

We price the developer’s shell and each tenant’s build-out separately, following the lease exhibit or work letter. See our tenant improvement estimating page for details.

Site development

Parking, drive aisles, drive-thru lanes, curbing, stormwater, utilities, lighting and landscaping are a large part of retail and outparcel budgets. We price them from the civil and landscape drawings.

Florida restaurant permits and plan review

Besides the local building permit, new public food service establishments in Florida need plan review by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Remodels, conversions from another use, and reopening after an extended closure can also trigger that review. Health-related requirements such as hand sinks, finishes and equipment layout can affect cost, so they belong in the estimate from the start.

What you get

A line-item Excel workbook organized by CSI division, with quantities, unit costs, labor and material.
Kitchen exhaust, suppression, grease interceptor and walk-ins shown as separate line items.
A clear split between construction scope and owner-furnished equipment.
Assumptions, exclusions and allowances listed clearly.

Trade takeoffs for retail and restaurant subcontractors

We prepare takeoffs for HVAC and kitchen exhaust, plumbing and grease interceptors, electrical, fire protection, storefront and doors, paving and sitework.

Related cost guides

Frequently asked questions

Can you estimate a second-generation restaurant conversion?

Yes. We price demolition, reuse of existing hoods, grease interceptors and utilities where the drawings allow it, and list our assumptions about existing conditions.

Do you include kitchen equipment?

We follow your equipment schedule. Items the contractor furnishes are priced; owner-furnished items are listed so installation, connections and support are still covered.

Can you price a national-brand prototype for a specific Florida site?

Yes. We price the prototype building from the brand drawings and add site-specific work, local code requirements and wind design.

Do you estimate shell buildings and tenant build-outs separately?

Yes. We follow the lease exhibit or work letter and price each side on its own.

Which code edition do you price?

The edition your permit will fall under. Permit applications submitted on or after December 31, 2026 fall under the 9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code.