Commercial Remodel Planning Checklist: What to Define Before Requesting Proposals
Before you ask for proposals, write down why you are remodeling, who can approve decisions, what the lease and building allow, what condition the space is in, and what has to keep running during the work. Contractors can only price what they can see, so the clearer the brief, the closer the bids will be to each other.
This checklist is for business owners, tenants, and property managers in San Jose, the South Bay, and the Peninsula. It draws on Landford Construction’s two commercial renovations in Los Gatos and on City of San José and Town of Los Gatos permit rules.
What is the project supposed to fix?
Start with the reason, in a sentence or two: more workstations, a restroom that is too small, new equipment, or a space adapted for a different use. In Landford’s Los Gatos warehouse, the work included opening up a divided warehouse and widening the restroom by two feet. Every major scope decision should trace back to that reason.
Who can make decisions?
List everyone with a say, then name one person who can approve changes for the business.
- Business owner or tenant representative
- Property owner or property manager
- Designer, architect, or engineer
- Facilities or operations lead
- Information technology and security teams
What do the lease and the building allow?
Review landlord approval procedures, building rules, insurance requirements, working hours, loading access, elevator reservations, noise limits, and required closeout documents before you finalize the plan.
Check who can sign for the permit too. In San José, signing is limited to the property owner of record, a licensed contractor, an authorized agent, or an authorized tenant. In Los Gatos, a permit can be issued only to the property owner or a licensed contractor, not a tenant.
What condition is the space in?
Gather field measurements, any record drawings, equipment information, utility capacity, and photographs. Mark anything you can’t verify as an assumption, so every bidder prices it the same way. In an older building, look past the finishes: Landford’s two Los Gatos renovations both involved restroom, electrical, air-conditioning, and roof work.
Will the project need plans and a permit?
In San José, a tenant improvement needs a building permit and plans. Eligible office projects can use the City’s one-meeting STAR review, and the rest go through Standard Plan Review. Our San José tenant improvement guide has the details.
Plans may need a licensed signature. The City’s list includes interior alterations in office, retail, factory, and storage spaces when walls and partitions are higher than 5 feet 9 inches or ceiling work covers more than 3,000 square feet, along with any alteration that changes occupancy or exiting. In Los Gatos, the Town has its own package and a 20% accessibility rule, covered in our Los Gatos guide.
What has to keep running during the work?
List it before you ask for a schedule, because it changes the sequence and the price. Our guide on keeping a business open during a renovation goes through how to plan for it.
- Dates when the business can’t be disrupted
- Areas that must remain accessible
- Required utility and network uptime
- Customer and employee routes
- Security and privacy needs
- Material delivery and debris-removal routes
When do decisions have to be made?
Long-lead products, equipment, furniture, finishes, signage, and technology may need approvals well before installation. Put those dates on one schedule, and have the authorized person record each decision.
What should the request for proposals include?
Give every bidder the same package. Our guide on comparing commercial proposals shows how to line up what comes back.
- The goal and the scope, in writing
- Address, building rules, and landlord requirements
- Drawings, if you have them, and photos of existing conditions
- Dates that can’t move
- Anything you want priced separately, such as after-hours work
How Landford Construction handles commercial work
Landford Construction does office renovations, warehouse renovations, and tenant improvements in San Jose, the South Bay, and the Peninsula. Adam is your point of contact, Landford applies for the permit, and payment stages and amounts are written into the contract.
Send photos of your space, and for suitable projects Adam gives a free preliminary price range before a site visit.
The bottom line
Write down the goal, the approvals, the existing conditions, the permit path, and what must stay open before you ask for a price. That is what makes proposals comparable.
Official resources
Permit rules summarized here come from City of San José and Town of Los Gatos documents as of November 2026. Confirm project-specific requirements with the agency that has jurisdiction, the property owner, and qualified professionals.
About the author
Adam Tamerlan Yagibekov owns Landford Construction, Inc., a licensed general building contractor based in San Jose, California (CSLB #1160801). With 9 years in construction and remodeling, Adam prepares each estimate and stays the client’s point of contact through the whole project.
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