CONSULTONY.

Project planning / Toronto & GTA

Commercial project
cost calculator.

A starting budget for your space, with the costs and decisions to consider before design, fabrication and construction begin.

Your project

Use the total interior floor area for the scope being estimated.

Construction benchmark: $80–$180 / sq ft

Optional. Add equipment, furniture or other quoted costs only if they are not already included in the base allowance.

Design and contingency percentages are editable-inclusion planning assumptions, not published fee tariffs or Consultony pricing. Turn off fees if already included in your scope. Rates are CAD and use 2025–2026 sources; no automatic escalation is applied.

Preliminary planning estimate

$94,400–$228,600

CAD · before HST · Not a quote

Cost to considerLowHigh
Construction / fabrication allowance$80,000$180,000
Design & consultant allowance · 8–12%$6,400$21,600
Contingency · 10–15% of construction + additional scope$8,000$27,000
Discuss this budget

Opens your email app with the estimate. Send it there to complete your enquiry.

Estimate basis

Standard-spec tenant improvement in an existing Toronto retail space. Not a new building, luxury flagship or major mall redevelopment.

Scope to confirm

A broad construction allowance for partitions, finishes, building-service work and fixed fixtures within the fit-out scope. Custom millwork is not added a second time.

Loose furniture, inventory, specialist security, signage, major utility upgrades, remediation and regulatory or licensing fees need separate confirmation.

Land, rent, financing, business operations and opening inventory are outside this estimate. Permit costs and additional professional services require project-specific confirmation. Actual costs can fall outside these ranges.

From brief to handover

What needs
to happen.

Retail store · 0 of 9 steps checked

Planning checklist only. Requirements depend on the site, use and authorities. Confirm permits, code compliance and opening requirements with qualified professionals. Checkmarks last only while this page is open.

  1. Confirm the intended use, floor area, priorities, opening date and who is responsible for each part of the work.

  2. Review the lease, landlord requirements, existing drawings, accessibility and the condition and capacity of building services.

  3. Coordinate space planning, customer or staff flow, material selections, lighting and custom fixtures.

  4. Confirm landlord consent and applicable municipal building, zoning, fire and accessibility requirements. Cannabis stores may require additional regulatory approvals.

  5. Check dimensions, material junctions, lighting, hardware and interfaces with other trades before fabrication.

  6. Compare inclusions, exclusions, lead times and installation requirements. Agree the budget, contract and change process.

  7. Approve samples and drawings, confirm long-lead items and coordinate production with site readiness.

  8. Plan access, sequence the work, protect finishes and review quality against approved details.

  9. Complete required inspections and occupancy steps where applicable, close deficiencies and collect warranties and operating information.

The knowledge behind the budget.

Square footage starts the conversation. Materials, buildable details, procurement and installation decide where the money goes. Consultony connects design thinking with fabrication knowledge to help develop a scope worth pricing.

Explore retail store services

Sources & assumptions

Reviewed October 24, 2026. Published benchmarks have different scopes and are not directly comparable. Design fees (8–12%) and contingency (10–15%) are Consultony calculator assumptions added separately; confirm all inclusions before relying on a budget. No researched millwork-only rate is claimed.