What We Build
Tenant improvement construction in Los Angeles
The landlord work letter, coordinating with existing conditions, and the building’s rules for after-hours work and freight access.
Project completed as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionBuilt by Shawmut Design and Construction. Luke MacDougall, General SuperintendentLuke MacDougall’s project as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionShawmut Design and ConstructionLuke MacDougall, General Superintendent 
Project completed as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionBuilt by Shawmut Design and Construction. Luke MacDougall, General SuperintendentLuke MacDougall’s project as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionShawmut Design and ConstructionLuke MacDougall, General Superintendent 
Project completed as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionBuilt by Shawmut Design and Construction. Luke MacDougall, General SuperintendentLuke MacDougall’s project as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionShawmut Design and ConstructionLuke MacDougall, General Superintendent
What decides the job
What we plan around on a tenant improvement
Office, retail and creative interiors for tenants, landlords and their project managers. The work letter decides who pays for what, existing building conditions dictate design, and the tenant’s move-in date drives the schedule.
- 01
The work letter
The work letter sets the split between landlord and tenant. We map each line of it to the drawings, so the allowance and any overage are clear before the contract.
- 02
The existing building
We survey existing conditions before construction begins to identify potential scope gaps or hold contingency for unforeseen conditions.
- 03
The move date
We coordinate the tenant’s furniture, data, security and moving vendors on one schedule, so the space is ready on move-in day.
Before you start
The pre-mobilization checklist
We believe most of what goes wrong on a construction project can be prevented with detailed planning up front and alignment across the full team. This is the list we work through with an owner before mobilization, so that on the first day of construction we have a clear path forward.
Who provides what
- Every owner-furnished item is on a delivery log in the schedule, with who buys, receives, stores, installs and connects it, and the date it is needed on site.
- Furniture, equipment, signage, audiovisual, security and data are each assigned to the owner or the contractor, down to who provides the conduit, the cable and the devices.
- For each owner-furnished item, the backing, power, conduit and final connection our trades still owe it are assigned and priced.
- The owner’s own vendors are named, with their insurance, the site rules and the date their in-wall requirements are due before walls close.
- Utility accounts for power, gas, water and data are open in the right name, and each provider has confirmed its account in writing.
Design and decisions
- The set issued for construction includes every agreed value engineering change and bid answer, in every discipline.
- Every finish is tagged to one product, color and finish, and each open selection has a decision date worked back from its lead time.
- Each allowance names what it stands in for, who answers it and the date it becomes a firm price.
- The construction plans include layout dimensions for all partitions and relate back to grid lines.
- A consolidated RCP has been issued, showing the ceiling finishes with all MEP systems overlaid.
- The owner’s equipment list, with each item’s power, heat and weight, is with the engineers, so the service, the cooling and the structure are sized from it.
Permits and approvals
- The building permit is issued, and its description names every scope that will be inspected.
- Whoever controls the building, the landlord or the operator, has approved the drawings and the construction rules in writing.
- Approvals outside the building department are tracked with the agency, who holds each one and its date: public works, each utility, the fire department and the air quality district.
- Every deferred submittal, such as fire sprinkler, fire alarm or storefront, has its own plan check time on the schedule.
- The special inspector has been hired by ownership, and their contact information has been shared with the team.
Procurement
- Long lead items are identified, and drop-dead dates have been established from each item’s required-on-job date and estimated lead time.
- Items that wait on an outside approval are logged with that approval as their trigger, such as switchgear, which waits on the utility.
- The submittal schedule has been reviewed and confirmed with all reviewers, using their real review times, with a resubmission round carried for millwork and steel.
- The trade partners for the first eight weeks are under contract, and every other trade has a planned award date.
The site
- Existing conditions, including neighboring properties and shared areas, are photographed and video recorded with dates before work starts.
- Hours for loud work, quiet work and deliveries are confirmed in writing, with loading, parking and elevator use.
- A site logistics plan covering deliveries, hoisting and laydown is issued to every trade and named in each subcontract.
- Every existing utility and meter is confirmed active, and every new service has its application filed and dated back from when it is needed.
- The site safety plan and the emergency plan are posted, with the muster point identified.
- Neighbors and other tenants know the schedule and who to call, and the calendars of noise-sensitive neighbors are in hand before demolition.
Financials and reporting
- The schedule of values for invoicing is established, and the payment calendar has been reviewed and confirmed between ownership and the lender.
- The weekly owner report has a confirmed format and a scheduled weekly distribution time.
- Additional insured endorsements are confirmed, and approved insurance certificates are on file.
- The weekly meeting schedule is set for the owner, the design team and the trades.
For a tenant improvement
- The work letter has been read against the drawings: landlord work, tenant work and any allowances.
- The building’s base systems are confirmed: fire alarm, sprinkler, air and power capacity.
- The building engineer’s rules for shutdowns, after-hours work and the freight elevator are in hand.
- Furniture, data cabling, audiovisual and security vendors are forecasted in the schedule.
- The move-in date and the lease dates are on the schedule.
The PDF of this checklist is on its way. Email hello@macdougallbuilders.com and we will send it when it is ready.
How a job runs
- Chapter 1PreconstructionWe treat every bid and preconstruction engagement as if we are already responsible for building the job.
- Chapter 2During the buildDecisions get made while there is still time to act on them.
- Chapter 3Closeout and afterCommissioning, training and inspections planned months ahead, so the delivery date holds.
Questions
Tenant improvement, asked plainly
Do you work with the landlord’s contractor requirements?
Yes. The building rules, insurance requirements and approved vendor lists are collected before mobilization to maintain compliance with the building.
Can you work in an occupied building?
Yes. Noisy work, shutdowns and deliveries are planned with the building, and we coordinate directly with neighboring tenants.
When should we bring you in?
Before the lease is signed if you can. We walk the space with the work letter in hand to confirm existing conditions and the extent the landlord allowance will cover.
Start with a conversation
Let’s talk about your project
Tell us what you are planning, where the design stands and the date you are working toward. We will call to talk it through.