Office & Tenant Improvement (TI)

What this project type is

Office build-outs and corporate interiors — often phased work inside occupied buildings where people are still working around you.

Who the typical stakeholders are

Building owner/landlord, the tenant and their broker/PM, architect/interior designer, the base-building engineers, AHJ, and FF&E (furniture), IT, and AV vendors.

What makes it hard

Phasing around occupants, after-hours work and dust/noise control, tying into base-building systems (HVAC, fire alarm, sprinkler), ADA and egress compliance, accelerated schedules, and dense MEP coordination above the ceiling.

Typical sequence of work

Lease & space plan → permit → demo → framing → MEP rough above ceiling → drywall → finishes → flooring → ceilings → FF&E / IT / AV → punch → CO.

Top mistakes beginners make

Underestimating base-building tie-in coordination, breaking occupant-disruption rules, missing ADA/egress, and poor above-ceiling MEP coordination that causes rework.

Career paths inside this vertical

TI superintendent, interiors PM, MEP coordinator, and corporate facilities/project management.

Takeaway: Office/TI is about working around occupants and tying into base-building systems: coordinate above-ceiling MEP, respect disruption rules, and nail ADA/egress and FF&E timing.

Educational overview — every project, owner, and jurisdiction differs. Follow your specific contract documents, brand standards, and local authorities.