Commercial Construction Cost Per Square Foot by Building Type
From $14/SF for a bare PEMB shell to $600+/SF for specialty healthcare — every major commercial building type, with regional adjustments and links to full cost breakdowns.
From Shell to Cold Chain
The widest cost range in commercial construction lives here — a bare metal shell and a blast-freeze cold storage facility are separated by 10x per square foot.
Kitchen Infrastructure Drives Everything
Commercial kitchen equipment, ventilation, and grease infrastructure can represent 30–40% of total QSR construction cost.
Specialized MEP Drives the Premium
Medical gas, imaging shielding, surgical ventilation, and code-driven redundancy make healthcare among the most expensive commercial categories.
Shell to Skin to Ceiling
How Location Moves the Number
The same building costs 25–50% more or less depending on where you build it. These adjustments apply to every building type above.
Right-to-work, lowest costs
The 15–30% Owners Forget to Budget
The hard construction costs above represent only 70–85% of total development cost. Soft costs — architectural and engineering fees (typically 5–12% of hard costs), permitting, insurance, project management, financing costs, and pre-opening expenses — add 15–30% to total project cost. On complex projects like data centers and cold storage, soft costs can exceed 30%.
The 2026 cost environment is also defined by steel and aluminum tariffs of 50% under Section 232, a structural labor shortage requiring approximately 500,000 additional workers, extended lead times on HVAC and electrical components, and construction cost escalation running 3–8% annually. Owners who engage a general contractor during preconstruction — rather than pricing materials after design — consistently protect their budgets. TCG's direct manufacturer relationships deliver 15–35% material savings on equipment and building envelope systems. Full procurement guide →
Common Questions
Commercial construction costs $14 to $600+ per square foot in 2026 depending on building type. PEMB shell: $14–$30/SF. Dry warehouse: $55–$175/SF. QSR restaurant: $535–$850+/SF. Urgent care: $200–$600/SF. Cold storage: $130–$350+/SF. There is no single useful "average" — the building type defines the range. Use TCG's AI construction estimator for project-specific pricing.
Pre-engineered metal buildings start at $14–$30/SF for shell-only. Self-storage on PEMB systems: $25–$40/SF. Large-format dry warehouses: $55–$75/SF. Cost increases with climate control, interior finishes, and specialized MEP. Full PEMB guide →
Hospitals, data centers, and biotech labs are the most expensive at $400–$1,000+/SF. Among TCG's regular building types, QSR restaurants ($535–$850+/SF), urgent care centers ($200–$600/SF), and specialty veterinary hospitals ($300–$500+/SF) represent the upper end.
Standard dry warehouse: $55–$175/SF. Cold storage warehouse: $130–$350+/SF. The difference is insulation, IMP panels, refrigeration, and specialized floor systems. Full warehouse guide →
Regional costs vary 25–50% from national average. Southeast: 10–20% below. Midwest: near average. Mountain West: 10–20% above. Northeast: 30–50% above. West Coast: 20–40% above. TCG operates nine offices across all five regions.
Soft costs — A/E fees, permitting, insurance, financing, project management — add 15–30% on top of hard construction costs. On complex projects they can exceed 30%. Full soft costs guide →
Office TI: $45–$100/SF. Retail: $60–$150/SF. Medical/dental: $120–$300+/SF. Restaurant: $150–$400+/SF. Shell condition affects cost significantly. Full TI guide →
IMP supply-and-install: $8–$30+/SF. Standard wall panels: $8–$15/SF. Cold storage thick-core: $15–$30+/SF. TCG's 9 manufacturer partnerships deliver 15–30% material savings. Get IMP pricing →
FlexRock restoration: $4–$8/SF. TPO: $6–$12/SF. EPDM: $6–$11/SF. PVC: $8–$14/SF. Standing seam: $10–$25/SF. IMP roof: $12–$30/SF. Full roofing guide →
TCG's AI construction estimator provides preliminary estimates in under 2 minutes. The IMP estimator handles panel scopes. The roofing estimator handles roof scopes. For formal preconstruction budgets, schedule a call.
Full Cost Guides by Building Type
Data & References
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