Field Notes · Writing from the Trade

Plain writing on what actually moves a project.

The things that quietly determine whether a commercial buildout lands on budget or runs unexpectedly over. Lease language to watch for. Drawings that won’t survive permit review. Bid traps. Site walks. The stuff people learn the expensive way.

Commercial electrical service panels during buildout

Does your site have enough electrical capacity?

Most franchise tenants commit to a service number on the LOI with no way to know if it’s actually enough for their build. Plans aren’t drafted yet. Equipment schedules don’t exist. The rooftop unit your concept eventually needs may carry a load nobody has put in front of you. By the time the real numbers come together, the lease is signed, and any upgrade is on you.

I identify these concerns at LOI time and surface them while you still have leverage. When the conversation turns technical, I take the meeting with the landlord directly, and the tone changes once it’s clear someone on the tenant side speaks the language. Upgrades can carry real cost, but they’re often resolvable, often negotiable.

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