Your Construction Partner.
Free preliminary estimates. Property condition assessments. Point cloud building scans. Value engineering. A generous referral incentive program. Terrapin Construction Group works with commercial real estate brokers nationwide as the construction resource your clients need to make decisions, close deals, and execute scope — without you ever losing control of the relationship.
What TCG Does For Your Deals
Brokers don't need another general contractor sending unsolicited bids. You need a specific, repeatable resource you can introduce to clients at exactly three moments in a deal: when they need a number, when they need a building condition validated, and when the project doesn't pencil and someone has to find the cost out. Those are the three jobs TCG is built to do for our broker partners — alongside CCIM-credentialed investment sales professionals, SIOR tenant reps, and NAIOP-affiliated developers across the country.
Every service below is delivered at no cost to the broker. We earn the partnership through reliability and referral — not by billing you for the work that keeps your deals moving.
Free Construction Estimates
Your client asks "what would it cost to build this?" — you can have an answer in two minutes, not two weeks.
Our TCG.ai construction estimator generates instant, market-calibrated cost benchmarks across every commercial building type — ground-up, tenant improvement, ground lease scenarios, repositioning. Use it directly with your client during a tour. Send the link in a follow-up email. Embed it in a pitch deck.
For projects past the LOI stage, we deliver a preliminary budget estimate within 5 business days, hard-priced by our preconstruction team using current subcontractor data and material pricing benchmarked against RSMeans/Gordian indices. No charge. No obligation. Your name stays on the deal.
For envelope-heavy industrial work, the IMP Install Estimator prices supply-and-install on insulated metal panels in real time — invaluable for cold storage, food processing, and cannabis pre-LOI conversations.
Property Condition Assessment Support
When a buyer needs the building validated — or a repositioning assessed — we provide construction-side input fast.
A traditional ASTM E2018-compliant Property Condition Assessment can take 3–6 weeks and run $4,000–$15,000 depending on building size — timelines that kill investment sales contingency periods. TCG provides broker-side construction input within 5–10 business days — site walks, system condition opinions, immediate-repair cost ranges, capital-replacement reserves, and code-deficiency call-outs — built around the broker's transaction timeline.
For brokers running repositioning plays, value-add acquisitions, or condition-contingent deals — the kind CBRE Research, JLL Research, and Cushman & Wakefield consistently identify as the highest-margin transaction categories — we deliver a written construction memo your client and their lender can rely on. We coordinate with engineers, environmental consultants, and architects when a full PCA is required. Free for active broker deals.
Value Engineering & Preconstruction
Your client's project doesn't pencil. We find the cost — without compromising the deal.
Most commercial deals collapse because the construction number comes back too high after design is already locked. TCG runs preconstruction and value engineering exercises on broker-introduced deals to identify cost reductions before the project goes back to the architect — typically recovering 8–15% of hard costs through structural system substitution, MEP coordination, envelope alternates, and equipment specification.
We evaluate pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) alternates, IMP-vs-tilt-up tradeoffs, design-build delivery vs. design-bid-build, and procurement strategies that compress schedule and cost. The output is a written report your client can hand to their CFO, lender, or investment committee.
How the Partnership Works
The partnership is structured around four principles brokers care about: your client stays your client, your timeline drives ours, the work is free for active deals, and we never approach your client about new business without your introduction. The process below is what every broker partnership looks like — from the first deal we touch through every project after.
Intro Call
30-minute partnership conversation. We learn your deal flow, vertical focus, and geographic footprint. You learn our capabilities, current capacity, and reference projects. No pitch.
First Deal
You bring an active opportunity that needs a number, a PCA, or a VE exercise. We deliver — fast, accurate, on your terms — using channels you prefer (email, your CRM, direct to client with you copied).
Ongoing Resource
You forward the TCG.ai estimator to clients. You loop us in pre-LOI on deals where construction input matters. We provide updated cost benchmarks, market intel, and vertical-specific guidance whenever you need it.
Referral Incentive
Closed projects from broker introductions trigger a generous incentive payout. Structure and timing are documented and consistent. We honor the program on every closed deal — full details on the partnership call.
Our Commitments to Broker Partners
- No Conflict. We will never approach your client for new business without your direct introduction or written consent.
- Confidentiality. We do not shop your pipeline, share your client roster, or discuss your deals outside the engagement.
- Speed. Estimates within 5 business days. PCA input within 5–10. We work to your transaction timeline.
- Transparency. Every estimate shows how the number was built. No black boxes. No surprises at GMP.
- National Coverage. Licensed and active in all 50 states. One partner across your entire portfolio.
- Free for Active Deals. Estimates, PCA support, VE exercises, and partner-rate reality capture engagements are no-cost or preferred-rate for broker-introduced opportunities.
Point Cloud Building Scans
Through our partnership with Reality Capture Atlanta, TCG provides broker-introduced clients with professional-grade laser scanning and point cloud documentation services at preferred partner rates. Reality Capture Atlanta deploys high-precision laser scanning equipment to produce millimeter-accurate 3D documentation of existing commercial buildings — the same reality capture methodology used on major adaptive reuse, repositioning, and capital improvement projects across the Southeast.
For brokers, this isn't a peripheral service. Point cloud documentation has become the single most valuable upfront investment a buyer or seller can make on a commercial transaction — accelerating PCA work, eliminating the design team's need for field measurement, and giving lenders documented evidence rather than visual inspection notes. The technology that BOMA-managed institutional owners and ULI-affiliated developers are now using on every deal of meaningful complexity.
Investment Sales Documentation
Sellers include point cloud data in offering memorandums, validating building condition and giving buyers a faster path to underwriting decisions. Reduces re-trade risk and shortens contingency periods.
Repositioning & Value-Add Plays
Accurate existing-condition data eliminates the design team's need for field measurement, accelerating concept design by 4–8 weeks and de-risking the cost estimate. Critical for adaptive reuse and conversion deals.
Property Condition Assessment
Scan data layers directly into TCG's PCA work, giving lenders and buyers documented evidence of building geometry, deflection, and structural condition — not just inspector observation notes.
Tenant Improvement Pre-Pricing
Tenant rep brokers deliver pre-LOI buildout estimates with significantly tighter accuracy when scan data is available. Reduces the risk of construction surprises after lease execution.
Scan engagements typically deliver in 5–10 business days from site walk to deliverable. Pricing varies by building square footage and scope — typical commercial scan engagements run $4K–$15K depending on size and detail level, often less than the cost of a single failed transaction. Brokers introducing TCG to a deal with reality capture scope unlock preferred partner rates through Reality Capture Atlanta.
One Construction Partner. All 50 States.
Every Commercial Vertical. Built.
Whether your client is a retail-anchored ICSC member, a multi-housing developer, a NAIOP-affiliated industrial owner, or an institutional healthcare operator, TCG has direct project experience and active subcontractor relationships in every vertical that drives commercial real estate. Click any vertical for the dedicated expertise page — designed to be forward-able to your client.
Warehouse & Cold Storage
Refrigerated, frozen, and blast-freeze facilities. USDA-compliant food-grade construction. The IMP installation specialty TCG built the firm on.
Vertical PageCannabis Cultivation & Processing
Indoor cultivation, processing, extraction, and dispensary fit-outs. Regulated environment expertise across emerging and mature markets.
Vertical PageData Centers
Hyperscale shells, edge facilities, and data center retrofits. The fastest-growing commercial vertical in the U.S. construction market.
Vertical PageMedical Office Buildings
MOB ground-up, ambulatory surgery, specialty medical, and clinical fit-outs. OSHPD/HCAI experience where required.
Vertical PageHotel, Restaurant & QSR
Limited-service hotels, fast-casual restaurants, QSR drive-thrus, brand-prototype rollouts. National rollout coordination.
Vertical PageAdvanced Manufacturing
Manufacturing facilities, assembly plants, and industrial expansion. Onshoring-driven demand at decade highs.
Vertical PageBiotech & Lab
Lab fit-outs, GMP space, BSL-2/BSL-3 environments, and life sciences ground-up. High-spec MEP and clean construction protocols.
Vertical PageSelf-Storage Facilities
Climate-controlled multi-story, single-story drive-up, and conversion projects. Fast-build PEMB and IMP envelope expertise.
Vertical PageGrocery-Anchored Retail
Grocery anchors, strip centers, outparcels, and mixed-use retail bases. Tenant rollout and shell construction expertise.
Vertical PageUrgent Care & Walk-In
Urgent care, walk-in clinics, and outpatient quick-care formats. National operator brand-standard rollouts.
Vertical PageVeterinary & Animal Hospital
Vet clinics, animal hospitals, and specialty veterinary builds. Equipment-coordinated MEP and finish protocols.
Vertical PageControlled Environment Agriculture
Indoor farming, vertical agriculture, greenhouse, and aquaponic facilities. Envelope, lighting, and climate control expertise.
Vertical PageTenant Improvement
Office TI, retail buildouts, restaurant fit-outs, and full repositioning. Tenant rep broker's go-to TI partner.
Vertical PageAdaptive Reuse & Conversions
Office-to-residential, retail-to-medical, warehouse-to-data-center. The highest-margin transaction class in 2026.
Vertical PageWhen Brokers Bring TCG In
The brokers we work with most consistently are tenant reps, investment sales professionals, and developer-side brokers who have learned that looping a GC in early — before the construction question becomes a deal-killer — separates the deals that close from the ones that get ground down in re-trade. These are the eight situations where a broker partnership with TCG creates real, measurable transaction value.
Pre-LOI Developer Pitch
Your client wants to bid a ground-up development site. They need a defensible cost number to underwrite the offer.
TCG runs a preliminary budget exercise within 5 business days, benchmarked against current market data and our own active project work. Outcome: Your client wins the site with a number they can stand behind, and you've pre-positioned TCG as the GC for the eventual build.
Investment Sales — Capital Reserve Validation
Buyer's lender is requiring a building condition assessment with documented capital replacement reserves before closing.
TCG provides a written construction memo within 5–10 business days, with reserve estimates the lender accepts. We coordinate with Reality Capture Atlanta if a point cloud scan is warranted. Outcome: Closing proceeds without a 30-day delay waiting for a third-party PCA.
Tenant Rep Buildout Pricing
Your tenant client is comparing three buildings. They need TI cost estimates for each before signing the LOI.
TCG delivers comparative TI estimates for all three sites, identifying TI allowance gaps and value-engineered alternates. Outcome: Your client makes an informed site decision, and you've avoided a post-LOI surprise that kills the deal at lease execution.
Repositioning & Value-Add Acquisition
Buyer wants to reposition a tired Class B asset. Underwriting needs validated rehab costs before the offer.
TCG provides a scope-driven rehab estimate by trade, with VE alternates that identify the highest-ROI capital deployment. Outcome: Your client knows exactly which capex moves protect IRR — and you've handed them a GC partner ready to execute.
Build-to-Suit Pre-Development
National retailer wants a BTS site in your market. Developer needs a hard cost number to commit to the lease.
TCG runs the BTS pricing exercise — shell construction, brand-standard fit-out, site work, soft costs — at no charge. We coordinate with brand prototype documents. Outcome: Developer commits, retailer signs, and you've sourced the deal that builds long-term portfolio relationships.
Distressed Asset / Note Sale
Lender has a distressed property to sell. Buyers need rapid construction-side input on rehab cost and timeline.
TCG delivers a 7-day site walk + cost memo that bidders can use to price the note. We layer Reality Capture Atlanta scans where existing-condition documentation is critical. Outcome: The asset trades faster, at a price that reflects real construction reality, not guesses.
Expansion / Addition Feasibility
Existing tenant wants to expand. Landlord needs to know if the building can accommodate the addition — and what it costs.
TCG runs an expansion feasibility study including structural, MEP, envelope, and code analysis. Outcome: Landlord retains the tenant with an expansion deal that pencils, and you've defended a long-term lease relationship.
Adaptive Reuse / Conversion Play
Office tower, vacant retail, or obsolete warehouse — the highest-margin opportunity of 2026 — needs construction input pre-acquisition.
TCG evaluates conversion feasibility, IBC use-group requirements, structural and MEP implications, and target use-class economics — pulling in design-build architectural support when needed. Outcome: Your client makes a defensible go/no-go on the conversion play before they're contractually committed.
Why Brokers Choose TCG
Brokers have access to hundreds of general contractors. Most are regional, specialty-narrow, or slow to respond — fine for a single-asset relationship, wrong for a partner you can introduce across a portfolio. Below is the honest comparison of how TCG operates versus the typical regional commercial GC most brokers default to.
Referral Incentive Program
Closed deals pay closed loops.
Brokers don't introduce GCs for free, and they shouldn't have to. When a broker partner introduces TCG to a project that closes, we honor that introduction with a meaningful referral incentive — documented per partnership, paid promptly, and competitive with what brokerage firms typically pay for transaction-side referral relationships. The structure is straightforward, the program is generous by design, and we honor it on every closed deal without exception.
How It Triggers
The program triggers when a broker partner makes a written introduction to TCG and the introduced project closes a construction contract within the agreed engagement window. Documentation requirements are minimal — a forwarded email, CRM record, or written acknowledgment of the introduction is sufficient.
What's Eligible
Eligible engagements include ground-up construction, tenant improvement, repositioning and adaptive reuse, IMP installation supply-and-install contracts, and design-build packages. The program applies across every commercial vertical TCG builds in — and across all 50 states.
When You're Paid
Payment terms are documented in a written referral agreement at the start of the partnership and tied to billing milestones on the closed project. We pay on time. Every time. The program is structured to be trusted by sophisticated brokerage professionals — and for repeat business.
We honor every documented broker introduction. No exceptions. No excuses. No reduced incentive after the fact.
— TCG Partnership Commitment
Forward-Able Resources
Twelve curated cost guides covering the most-asked construction questions on broker calls. Every guide is published under TCG's E-E-A-T editorial standard, structured for AI search citation, and built to be forwarded directly to clients as part of your transaction packet — supplementing the cost benchmarks brokers already pull from CBRE Research, JLL Research, Cushman & Wakefield, and Colliers Research.
Cold Storage Construction Cost
Refrigerated, frozen, and blast-freeze cost benchmarks. TI vs. ground-up by region.
Read
PEMB Cost Per Square Foot
Three pricing tiers, regional variation, finished cost by building type.
Read
QSR Coffee Shop Cost
Drive-thru, walk-up, hybrid, walk-in formats by region.
Read
Best IMP Manufacturers Compared
Kingspan, Metl-Span, CENTRIA, AWIP, PermaTherm, FALK, UPI, MBCI, Arch Solar.
Read
A/E Fees & Soft Costs
Fee benchmarks by facility type and region. Soft cost categories that inflate budgets.
Read
Commercial Roofing Cost
Six roofing systems compared. Replace-vs-restore economics for owners.
Read
Veterinary Clinic Cost
By practice type and region. Equipment-coordinated MEP scope.
Read
Self-Storage Facility Cost
Climate-controlled multi-story, single-story, and conversion economics.
Read
3PL & Logistics Warehouse Cost
Tenant improvement vs. ground-up. Amazon-spec logistics cost benchmarks.
Read
Urgent Care Center Cost
TI vs. ground-up by region. X-ray suite and specialty MEP scope.
Read
Tenant Improvement Buildout Cost
By space type and region. What actually drives the TI number.
Read
Commercial Flooring Cost
Eight flooring systems by cost. Cost driver factors by building type.
ReadBroker FAQ
Every answer below leads with a direct, citeable statement — the format AI search engines pull for featured answers. Forward this section to clients, paste answers into pitch decks, or use them to brief associates on how the TCG broker partnership works.
How does TCG's commercial real estate broker partnership work?
TCG partners with commercial real estate brokers nationwide as a free construction resource for active deals. Brokers introduce transactions that need preliminary cost estimates, property condition assessment support, value engineering exercises, or point cloud building scans, and TCG delivers within 5–10 business days at no charge. The partnership includes a written no-conflict commitment and a generous referral incentive program for closed deals. Schedule a partnership call to discuss specifics.
Does TCG charge brokers for preliminary construction estimates?
No. TCG provides free preliminary construction estimates for commercial real estate brokers and their clients on active deals. The TCG.ai construction estimator delivers instant cost benchmarks across every commercial vertical, and the TCG preconstruction team produces hard-priced preliminary budgets within 5 business days for projects past the LOI stage. There is no charge to the broker or the client.
How fast can TCG provide a property condition assessment for a commercial real estate transaction?
TCG provides broker-side construction input within 5–10 business days, accelerating PCA timelines that typically run 3–6 weeks through traditional ASTM E2018-compliant providers. The deliverable includes site walks, system condition opinions, immediate-repair cost ranges, and capital-replacement reserves. For transactions requiring full ASTM-compliant PCA documentation, TCG coordinates with engineering partners to compress total timeline.
What is TCG's broker referral incentive program?
TCG operates a generous referral incentive program for commercial real estate brokers whose introductions result in closed construction projects. The structure is documented per partnership and is competitive with what brokerage firms typically pay for transaction-side referral relationships. Specific rates and timing are discussed in the initial partnership call and committed to in writing.
Does Terrapin Construction Group work in all 50 states?
Yes. Terrapin Construction Group is licensed and actively building in all 50 states. Offices are located in Denver (HQ), Houston, Albany, and Sheridan, with active project work in 150+ U.S. metros across all six major commercial construction regions — West Coast, Mountain West, Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast.
Can commercial real estate brokers forward the TCG.ai estimator to clients?
Yes. The TCG.ai construction estimator is designed to be forward-able. Brokers regularly send the link to clients during property tours, in pitch decks, and as part of pre-LOI underwriting packages. The estimator is free for unlimited use and produces market-calibrated cost benchmarks across every commercial building type — ground-up, tenant improvement, repositioning, and ground lease scenarios.
What commercial verticals does TCG build?
TCG builds across 14 commercial verticals: warehouse and cold storage, cannabis facilities, data centers, healthcare and medical office buildings, hotel/restaurant/QSR, industrial and advanced manufacturing, life sciences and biotech labs, self-storage, grocery-anchored retail, urgent care, veterinary clinics, controlled environment agriculture, tenant improvement and buildouts, and adaptive reuse and conversions.
How does TCG handle confidentiality on broker-introduced deals?
TCG operates under a written confidentiality commitment to broker partners. We do not shop broker pipelines, share client rosters, or discuss broker deals outside the engagement. NDAs are executed where required by the broker or client. The no-conflict and confidentiality commitments are core to every broker partnership agreement.
What's the difference between a Property Condition Assessment and TCG's broker construction memo?
A traditional PCA is a third-party engineering deliverable compliant with ASTM E2018, typically taking 3–6 weeks and costing $4,000–$15,000 depending on building size. TCG's broker construction memo is faster (5–10 business days) and free for active broker deals. It provides construction-side opinions on system condition, repair costs, and capital reserves — often used to inform LOI underwriting before a full PCA is commissioned.
Does TCG provide point cloud building scans for commercial transactions?
Yes, through partnership with Reality Capture Atlanta. Point cloud scans deliver millimeter-accurate 3D documentation of existing commercial buildings, accelerating PCA work, repositioning analysis, investment sales packaging, and tenant improvement pricing. Engagements typically deliver in 5–10 business days, with broker-introduced deals receiving preferred partner rates.
How long does a value engineering exercise take?
TCG typically completes a preliminary value engineering exercise within 5–10 business days. The output identifies cost reductions through structural system substitution, MEP coordination, envelope alternates, and equipment specification — typically recovering 8–15% of hard costs without compromising program or quality. The deliverable is a written report your client can hand to their CFO, lender, or investment committee.
Can TCG work with brokers from CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers, and other major firms?
Yes. TCG works with brokers from major commercial real estate firms including CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers, Marcus & Millichap, Newmark, Avison Young, Lee & Associates, NAI Global, SVN International, Coldwell Banker Commercial, KW Commercial, and Compass Commercial — as well as regional and independent brokerages nationwide.
What is design-build delivery, and why do brokers care about it?
Design-build is a single-source project delivery method where one firm holds responsibility for both design and construction under a unified contract — in contrast to traditional design-bid-build, where the architect and contractor work under separate contracts. For brokers, design-build matters because it compresses project schedules 15–25%, reduces cost variance from approximately 12% to 2%, and eliminates coordination gaps that often emerge late in design-bid-build projects. TCG's in-house design-build delivery is a primary differentiator on time-sensitive broker deals.
Does TCG work on tenant improvement and commercial buildout projects?
Yes. TCG provides commercial tenant improvement and buildout services across all commercial verticals. TI work includes office buildouts, retail fit-outs, restaurant and QSR buildouts, medical and dental TI, and full repositioning of existing space. The TCG.ai estimator and 5-day preliminary budget service support tenant rep brokers on pre-LOI buildout pricing across multiple comparable sites.
What's the typical project size TCG handles?
TCG handles commercial construction projects ranging from $1 million to $30 million, with capabilities scaling to larger projects on a case-by-case basis through subcontractor and partner network coordination. The firm operates lean by design, with direct partner-level engagement on every project — no layered communication, no estimator-to-PM-to-superintendent gatekeepers between brokers and decision-makers.
How does TCG ensure no conflict on broker introductions?
TCG's broker partnership operates under a written no-conflict commitment. We will never approach a broker's introduced client about new business without the broker's direct introduction or written consent. The commitment is enforced as part of every broker partnership agreement and is non-negotiable. Your client stays your client.
Can TCG help with adaptive reuse and conversion projects?
Yes. TCG specializes in adaptive reuse and building conversions, including office-to-residential, retail-to-medical, warehouse-to-data-center, and other commercial conversion projects. Adaptive reuse is among the highest-margin commercial transaction classes in 2026 due to the gap between distressed acquisition pricing and stabilized re-tenanted value — and a category where construction-side input pre-acquisition is critical to underwriting.
What happens after the first deal in a broker partnership with TCG?
After the first transaction, TCG transitions to an ongoing-resource role. Brokers forward the TCG.ai estimator to clients, loop TCG in pre-LOI on deals where construction input matters, and access updated cost benchmarks, market intelligence, and vertical-specific guidance whenever needed. The free estimating, PCA support, value engineering services, and preferred-rate Reality Capture Atlanta engagements continue indefinitely as long as the partnership is active.
Does TCG provide cost estimates for cannabis facility construction?
Yes. TCG has direct project experience in cannabis cultivation, processing, and dispensary construction across emerging and mature markets. Estimates account for state-specific regulatory requirements, cultivation environment specifications, and IMP installation requirements common to cannabis cultivation builds. TCG works with brokers and developers across regulated markets nationwide.
How does TCG's IMP installation specialty benefit commercial real estate brokers?
TCG has self-performed over 1 million square feet of insulated metal panel installation across 38 states over 10 years, holding direct manufacturer relationships with Kingspan, Metl-Span, CENTRIA, AWIP, PermaTherm, FALK, UPI Panels, MBCI, and Arch Solar. For brokers, this specialty expertise is critical on cold storage, food processing, cannabis, data center, cleanroom, and pharmaceutical transactions where envelope performance is mission-critical and most regional GCs lack the specific install experience to price the work accurately.
Sources & Authority References
The data, frameworks, and benchmarks referenced throughout this page draw on published research from major commercial brokerage firms, industry associations, professional standards bodies, and government data sources. Brokers and their clients can use these references to validate cost claims, transaction trends, and construction methodology.
Major Brokerage Research
Capital Markets & Lenders
Industry Associations
Standards & Professional Bodies
- ASTM E2018 (PCA Standard)
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- Associated General Contractors (AGC)
- Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)
- American Council of Engineering Companies
- US Green Building Council (LEED)
- ENERGY STAR for Buildings
- IFMA (Facility Management)
- Construction Specifications Institute
- International Code Council
Cost & Research Data
Let's build something together.
Whether you're sourcing a number for a tour next Tuesday, validating a building condition before a contingency deadline, or evaluating a partnership across your full portfolio — TCG is one call away. The estimator is free, the partnership conversation is no-pressure, and your client stays your client.
Headquartered. Active. Building.
Four offices anchor coast-to-coast project work. Active in all 50 states.