Services
Design-build services
Tenant Improvements & Commercial Renovations in Greater Montréal
A tenant improvement runs against a clock you don't fully control — your lease, your landlord's base-building rules, and an opening date that's already costing you rent. TI is turning a leased commercial space into one that's ready for business, on schedule and with minimal disruption. The constraints are as much contractual and operational as they are structural.
Working inside the lease, not around it
Quebec commercial leases are heavily negotiable, and most push fit-out work, operating permits, and the occupancy certificate onto the tenant. We review the premises against your lease and the landlord's base-building requirements up front, so the design fits what you're actually allowed to do — and flag anything, like a change of use or a new occupancy certificate, that triggers extra Building-Code requirements before it surprises the schedule.
Phased around an operating business
For a space you're already running in — en milieu occupé — we phase demolition and build-out to protect operations and the opening date.
What's included
- Fit-out design and space planning
- Demolition, reconfiguration, and build-out
- Landlord and base-building coordination
- Permits, drawings, and code compliance
- Finishes, millwork, and FF&E
- Phasing to minimise disruption
The in-house difference
Designed to your opening date
Because we design the fit-out in-house, we design to your opening date and your base-building constraints from day one — not to an ideal layout that later has to be cut down when the landlord's rules or the existing services get in the way. The plan is built around the real box you're leasing, so the build doesn't stall re-solving problems the design should have caught.
Frequently asked
Tenant Improvements — your questions, answered.
In a commercial lease, is the landlord or tenant responsible for permits and fit-out?
It depends on your lease. Quebec commercial leases are highly negotiable, and most shift responsibility for fit-out work, operating permits and the occupancy certificate onto the tenant, while the landlord retains the building structure and base systems. Read the improvement, permit and as-is clauses carefully — and clarify who funds and who applies — before signing, because the default rules can be overridden.
Do I need a permit to renovate or fit out a leased commercial space?
Often, yes. Even in an existing shell, a building permit is generally required when work touches partitions, exits, plumbing, HVAC, fire-rated assemblies or the occupancy classification; simple cosmetic refreshes may not. The work must meet the current Construction Code, and an RBQ-licensed contractor must perform licensable work. Requirements vary by borough, so confirm scope with the municipality before construction.
Do I need a new certificate of occupancy to open my business in the space?
Likely yes. In Montréal an occupancy permit (certificate of occupancy) is required to run a commercial, industrial or professional activity in a space. A new certificate is needed when the operator changes, the floor area is altered, or the activities change or are added. A change of use can also trigger additional Building Code requirements the previous occupancy didn't face.
Start a project
Have a space in mind? Let's design and build it.
Tell us about your project — commercial, retail, or residential — and we'll walk you through what design-build can deliver. Consultations across Greater Montréal.
Direct
(514) 697-1742info@indesignconstruction.caService area
- Montréal
- South Shore / Rive-Sud
- North Shore / Rive-Nord
- Laval
- Vaudreuil-Soulanges
- West Island