More Detail: Interior / Tenant Improvements

Interior Improvements & Tenant Services for Existing Mid-Rise Office Buildings in North Texas

Interior improvements and tenant services for existing mid-rise office buildings in North Texas must be approached with a deep understanding of the region’s construction characteristics, local jurisdictional expectations, climate conditions, and the typical building systems found throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Most buildings in the 4–12 story range were constructed between the 1980s and early 2000s, using concrete or composite steel structures, open floor plates, slab-on-grade lobby levels, post-tensioned slabs in some cases, and centralized core restrooms and mechanical shafts. Tenant improvement (TI) work in these buildings requires careful coordination with existing mechanical systems, aged infrastructure, high tenant occupancy, and tight turnarounds tied to lease negotiations.

This page outlines all major types of interior improvement services relevant to mid-rise office buildings in North Texas, along with detailed subcategories, construction methods, and considerations specific to our climate and building stock.

1. Selective Demolition & Space Reconfiguration

Interior remodels begin with selective demolition, which is common in buildings where previous tenants left behind partition-heavy layouts. North Texas mid-rise floors generally use metal-stud partition walls with gypsum board on each face, suspended ceiling grids, and carpet tile or glued-down carpet. Demolition involves removing partitions, doors, millwork, ceilings, and sometimes portions of mechanical and electrical systems.

Key considerations include:

• Occupied floors where noise, dust, and access must be controlled.
• Night and weekend demo to avoid interrupting tenant operations.
• Protection of existing fire alarm and sprinkler systems that cannot be inadvertently damaged.
• Concrete slab penetrations require engineering approval and often X-ray scanning or GPR scanning due to post-tensioned cable presence in many North Texas buildings.

2. Tenant Improvement Build-Outs

Most TI work falls into one of three categories:

A. Full-Floor Buildouts

Often commissioned when a single tenant occupies an entire floor. These projects may include:

• New private offices and glass-front conference rooms
• Collaboration spaces, focus rooms, break areas, storage, and IT rooms
• New lighting layouts and ceiling elevations
• Full re-cabling for modern connectivity

Full-floor renovations require close coordination with building engineering and may require temporary HVAC zoning or weekend electrical shutdowns.

B. Partial-Floor Multi-Tenant Suites

Common in Richardson, Plano, Addison, and Las Colinas where floors are subdivided. Suites typically range from 1,500 to 10,000 square feet.

Construction challenges include:

• Shared return-air ceiling plenums
• Shared fire and life safety zones
• Limited rerouting of plumbing due to fixed restroom core locations
• Maintaining sound separation between adjacent tenants

C. Speculative Suites (“Spec Suites”)

North Texas landlords frequently invest in prebuilt suites to accelerate leasing. These often include:

• Open ceilings with exposed structure and painted deck
• Polished concrete floors or LVT
• Modern lighting
• Small conference rooms and break areas
• High-end entry branding/graphics

Spec suites require cost-effective selections and repeatable designs so landlords can replicate across buildings.

3. Interior Finishes & Aesthetic Improvements

Different finish types behave differently in North Texas due to temperature swings and heavy HVAC cycling. The most common interior upgrades include:

Flooring Systems

• Carpet tile: Preferred for durability, modularity, and ease of replacement.
• Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT): Performs well against humidity changes; modern designs mimic wood or stone.
• Polished concrete: Increasingly popular in tech-forward areas like Frisco and Deep Ellum.
• Ceramic and porcelain tile: Used in lobbies, breakrooms, and restrooms.

Wall Systems

• Gypsum board with Level 4 finish
• Feature walls using laminate, wood slats, stone veneer, or tile
• Decorative wallcoverings, often chosen for durability in high-traffic corridors

Ceiling Types

• 2x2 or 2x4 acoustic ceiling grid systems
• Linear metal ceilings in upgraded lobbies
• Exposed ceilings requiring careful routing of conduit and ductwork

4. Glass Systems & Office Fronts

Modern North Texas offices rely heavily on natural light. Common systems include:

• Full-height aluminum-framed glass office fronts
• Demountable glass wall systems (DIRTT, Environamics, Teknion)
• Butt-glazed conference rooms
• Acoustic laminated glass options for privacy

These systems require precise coordination with HVAC diffusers, sprinkler coverage, and return-air pathways.

5. Restroom Renovations & Plumbing-Related TI

Restrooms are typically clustered near the elevator core. Renovation scopes include:

• Replacing tile floors and walls
• Upgrading partitions to solid phenolic or laminate
• Installing water-saving fixtures compatible with North Texas municipal code requirements
• ADA stall reconfiguration
• New lighting and exhaust system improvements

Plumbing modifications are limited by stack locations; relocating restroom fixtures usually requires slab coring and coordination with the building’s engineering team.

6. Breakrooms, Kitchens & Café Spaces

North Texas tenants increasingly request larger breakrooms and social hubs. Buildouts include:

• Casework with solid-surface or quartz countertops
• Undercounter refrigeration
• Ice makers (requiring dedicated drains and water filtration)
• Commercial-grade sinks and disposals
• Decorative backsplash tile
• Resilient flooring suitable for moisture

Because many mid-rise buildings have limited plumbing capabilities on the perimeter, kitchens often must remain near existing water risers.

7. IT Rooms, MDF/IDF Build-Outs, and Technology Integration

Technology density in North Texas workplaces requires properly built IT spaces:

• Raised flooring or anti-static epoxy flooring
• Dedicated HVAC mini-splits
• Ladder racks, cable trays, and grounding systems
• Stub-ups and conduit connections to the main riser
• Verified pathway firestopping

These rooms often require after-hours cutovers coordinated with building engineering.

8. Acoustic Considerations

With more hybrid work environments, acoustics matter. Tenant services often include:

• Sound batt insulation inside partitions
• STC-rated gypsum assemblies
• Acoustic wall panels
• Soft flooring selections
• Sealing above-slab penetrations to reduce sound flanking

9. Construction in Occupied Buildings

North Texas mid-rises often maintain high occupancy, so TI work includes:

• After-hours noisy work
• Strict dust control and negative-air containment
• Coordinated shutdowns for electrical or HVAC tie-ins
• Temporary wayfinding signage
• Daily cleanup and debris hauling schedules

Weather extremes also affect scheduling during material deliveries and rooftop equipment handling.

10. Preconstruction, Budgeting & Scheduling

Given the fast-paced leasing cycles in DFW, TI preconstruction includes:

• Detailed site surveys of existing conditions
• Load calculations for HVAC and electrical
• Early material procurement for long-lead items
• Multi-phase scheduling when tenants occupy adjacent spaces
• Value-engineering aligned with landlord improvement allowances