How Do I Finance a Buildout: TI Loan vs Landlord vs Cash?
<svg xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1200 340" role="img" aria-label="How Do I Finance a Buildout: TI Loan vs Landlord vs Cash? — PULSE Buildouts"><rect width="1200" height="340" fill="#EBE9DE"/><rect width="14" height="340" fill="#C0531F"/><text x="58" y="116" font-family="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" font-size="32" font-weight="800" letter-spacing="3" fill="#C0531F">PULSE BUILDOUTS · COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE</text><text x="56" y="198" font-family="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" font-size="60" font-weight="800" fill="#2b2b2b">Save money. Don’t get screwed.</text><text x="58" y="258" font-family="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" font-size="30" font-weight="600" fill="#6b5b4d">Leases, TI, NNN & buildouts — negotiated in your favor</text><g transform="translate(1010,86)" fill="none" stroke="#C0531F" stroke-width="9" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="20" y="40" width="150" height="130"/><line x1="20" y1="40" x2="95" y2="6"/><line x1="170" y1="40" x2="95" y2="6"/><rect x="50" y="80" width="36" height="36"/><rect x="104" y="80" width="36" height="36"/><rect x="74" y="128" width="42" height="42"/></g></svg>
You have three ways to pay for a buildout, and they rank by cost in a clear order: landlord-funded TI allowance is the cheapest capital (often "free" in headline terms but repaid through rent), a TI loan or SBA loan is the middle option, and cash is the most expensive once you account for opportunity cost — even though it carries no interest line. The money move: take the largest landlord TI allowance you can negotiate first, finance the gap with the cheapest debt available, and preserve your cash for working capital.
Here's why cash is deceptively expensive. If your business earns a 20% to 30% return on capital, every $100,000 you sink into drywall and HVAC is $20,000 to $30,000/year of foregone profit. Financing that same $100,000 at 8% to 10% costs $8,000 to $10,000/year. You come out ahead by two to three times keeping cash in the business and borrowing for the buildout. Cash only wins when you have no productive use for it or can't get reasonable financing.
The landlord option is subtle. A TI (tenant improvement) allowance of, say, $40 to $80 per square foot looks free, but the landlord recovers it by amortizing it into your rent — typically at 8% to 10% interest over the lease term. So "$50/sq ft of TI" on a 5-year lease at 8% adds roughly $12 to $13/sq ft/year to your effective rent. It's debt wearing a costume. The advantage: it's off your balance sheet, requires no separate loan approval, and the landlord — who keeps the asset — has every reason to fund it.
A TI loan or SBA 7(a) sits in the middle: real interest (~9% to 10.5% on a 7(a), often lower on a bank TI loan), real underwriting, but you keep the improvements as a depreciable asset (QIP) and your rent stays lower. On a $300,000 buildout, the tradeoff is roughly: landlord-amortized TI adds ~$36,000/year to rent over 7 years; a 7(a) at 10% over 10 years runs ~$48,000/year in payments but builds equity and leaves you a 15-year tax deduction.
The Three Options Ranked by True Cost
Option 1 — Landlord TI allowance. The landlord pays for some or all of the buildout in exchange for your signed lease. Standard ranges: $15–$40/sq ft for second-generation/light retail, $40–$80/sq ft for office, $80–$150+/sq ft for restaurants and medical. It's cheapest because it requires no loan and the landlord prices the recovery into rent at a reasonable rate. The catch: the landlord owns the improvements and depreciates them, and you don't get the tax deduction.
Option 2 — TI loan or SBA financing. A bank TI loan or SBA 7(a) (the right SBA tool for leased-space improvements) funds the buildout as debt you control. You own the improvements as Qualified Improvement Property — 15-year, bonus-eligible — so you capture the depreciation deduction the landlord would otherwise get. Costs more in cash flow than landlord TI but keeps the tax benefit and keeps base rent lower.
Option 3 — Cash. Zero interest, instant, no underwriting. But the opportunity cost is the highest of the three for any business that can deploy capital productively. Reserve cash for the gap that financing won't cover, or for situations where speed matters more than cost.
The Smart Stack: Combine All Three
The best-run buildouts don't pick one — they layer.
- Negotiate the maximum landlord TI first. Every dollar the landlord funds is a dollar you don't borrow. Push hard; in a soft leasing market landlords will fund more to fill space.
- Finance the overage with the cheapest debt. If your buildout is $80/sq ft and the landlord gives $50/sq ft, finance the $30/sq ft gap with a 7(a) or bank TI loan — and own that portion as your depreciable QIP.
- Use cash only for what financing won't touch. Soft costs, FF&E, or a small final gap. Keep a working-capital cushion intact; running out of operating cash mid-buildout is the most common way new locations stall.
A worked example on a $80/sq ft, 4,000 sq ft buildout ($320,000 total): landlord funds $50/sq ft = $200,000; you finance $25/sq ft = $100,000 via 7(a) at 10% (~$16,000/year, deductible interest, plus QIP depreciation); you cash-fund the last $5/sq ft = $20,000 of soft costs. Total out-of-pocket up front: $20,000 on a $320,000 buildout.
How to Negotiate a Bigger TI Allowance
The TI allowance is one of the most negotiable terms in a lease, and landlords expect to move on it.
- Trade term for TI. Landlords amortize TI over the lease — a longer lease lets them offer more per square foot at the same recovery rate. Offer a 7- or 10-year term to unlock a bigger allowance.
- Ask for "TI plus free rent." Stacking a construction/free-rent period (3–6 months) on top of the TI covers your ramp before revenue starts.
- Get a "turnkey" build if you can. In a tenant-favorable market, push for the landlord to deliver the space finished to your spec, removing your construction risk entirely.
- Cap your exposure with a "TI true-up." Negotiate that the landlord pays cost overruns up to a hard cap, or splits them — never sign an open-ended obligation to fund whatever the GC bills.
Reading the Real Cost of Landlord TI
Always calculate effective rent, not base rent. A landlord offering $60/sq ft TI at $40/sq ft base rent may be more expensive than one offering $30/sq ft TI at $32/sq ft base rent once the TI amortization is folded in. Ask the landlord for the interest rate and term used to amortize the allowance — if they're charging 10%+, financing it yourself with an 8% bank loan and owning the QIP may be cheaper *and* gets you the tax deduction.
Related on PULSE
- [Should I Take My TI Allowance as Cash or Let the Landlord Amortize It Into Rent?](/knowledge/q13656)
- [Amortized TI: How Much Is the Landlord Really Charging Me?](/knowledge/q13687)
- [What Is a Tenant Improvement (TI) Allowance and How Do I Get the Landlord to Pay for It?](/knowledge/q13639)
- [How Do I Get My Loan Officers to Hit Funded-Loan Goals?](/knowledge/q16044)
- [How Many Loan Officers Do I Need to Hire for My Mortgage Brokerage?](/knowledge/q15547)
- [What Is a Tenant Improvement Loan and Should I Use One?](/knowledge/q13711)
Hidden Costs of Landlord TI Allowances
Landlord-funded TI allowances often come with strings that inflate their true cost. Most landlords recoup the allowance through amortized rent increases over the lease term — typically 7 to 10 years at an implied interest rate of 8% to 15%. A $100,000 TI allowance on a 10-year lease can add $1,200 to $1,800 per month to your base rent. Additionally, landlords usually require prevailing wage or union labor for construction, which can increase buildout costs by 20% to 40% compared to using your own contractor. Always ask for the amortization rate and compare it to a TI loan's APR before accepting the full allowance.
When to Use an SBA 504 Loan for Buildouts
For buildouts exceeding $250,000, an SBA 504 loan offers a hybrid solution. It provides up to 90% financing with a fixed rate typically 2% to 3% above prime (currently around 8% to 10% as of 2025) and terms up to 25 years. The catch: you must occupy at least 51% of the space and the building must be owner-occupied. This works best when you're buying the property, not just leasing. For leased spaces, an SBA 7(a) loan caps at $5 million with rates of prime plus 2.25% to 4.75%, but requires a 10% to 20% down payment. Both options avoid the rent escalation of landlord TI but add monthly debt service.
Cash Flow Impact Comparison by Option
| Option | Upfront Cost | Monthly Impact | Payback Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landlord TI | $0 (allowance) | Rent +$1,200–$1,800/mo | Lease term (7–10 yrs) |
| TI Loan (7a) | 10–20% down | $1,500–$2,500/mo | 10–25 yrs |
| Cash | Full amount | $0 debt service | Immediate (lost opportunity) |
Cash preserves monthly cash flow but ties up capital that could generate 8% to 15% annual returns in your business. For a $200,000 buildout, that's $16,000 to $30,000 per year in foregone growth — often more than the interest on a loan.
FAQ
What is a TI allowance and how does it work? A tenant improvement (TI) allowance is money the landlord provides to build out your space. It’s not free—the cost is folded into your base rent over the lease term, typically adding $0.50–$2.00 per square foot per year depending on the allowance amount and lease length.
Is a TI loan cheaper than using my own cash? It depends on your cost of capital. TI loans (often SBA 504 or conventional) carry interest rates in the 6–10% range currently. If your cash could earn more than that elsewhere, a loan may be smarter. But using cash avoids interest and origination fees entirely.
How much TI allowance can I realistically negotiate from a landlord? In most markets, expect $20–$60 per square foot for a standard office or retail buildout, with landlords in stronger markets offering less. For heavy industrial or medical spaces, allowances can reach $80–$120 per square foot, but you’ll likely need to cover any overage yourself.
What happens if the buildout costs more than the TI allowance? You pay the difference—either from cash reserves or a separate loan. Landlords rarely increase the allowance mid-project. Plan for a 10–20% contingency over your allowance to avoid being stuck mid-construction.
Can I combine a TI loan with a landlord allowance? Yes, this is common. Use the landlord’s allowance for base finishes and a TI loan for upgrades or overages. Just ensure the loan terms don’t conflict with your lease—some landlords require approval for any outside financing tied to the space.
Which option is best for a startup or small business with limited cash? A landlord TI allowance is typically the most accessible, since it requires no upfront cash. If the allowance is too low, an SBA 504 loan (rates around 5.5–7.5% currently) can cover the gap with lower down payments than conventional loans. Avoid using all your cash—keep a reserve for operating expenses.
Sources
- CBRE, "U.S. Tenant Improvement Cost Guide" (TI allowance benchmarks by property type)
- JLL, office and retail leasing economics (effective rent and TI amortization)
- U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program (leasehold improvement financing)
- IRS, Qualified Improvement Property and Section 168(k) bonus depreciation rules
- IRS, treatment of construction allowances under qualified leases (Section 110)
- RSMeans construction cost data (buildout cost per square foot)
- Commercial lease negotiation guidance, NAIOP / BOMA tenant resources










