Commercial Projects
Commercial Interiors & Permit
Coordination in Los Angeles
Design 1 Studio helps business owners and landlords get commercial spaces permitted across Los Angeles County and Orange County. We prepare nonstructural interior layouts, storefront and fixture plans for retail and office spaces, and we coordinate the full project team and submittal process on larger tenant improvements. Where a project requires stamped plans, they are prepared by California-licensed professionals. You get one point of contact from first review through permit issuance.
What Makes Commercial TI Challenging
What makes commercial projects challenging isn’t usually the layout. It’s the code. Commercial buildings are governed by a different set of requirements than residential:
Occupancy classification and occupant load, which drive exiting, restroom counts, and fire protection systems.
ADA accessibility: accessible paths of travel, restroom clearances, counter heights, and parking.
Health department requirements for food service: ventilation, grease interceptors, food prep surfaces, handwashing stations.
Fire department requirements: suppression systems, alarm systems, emergency access.
Commercial Title 24 energy code compliance.
Change of occupancy when the new use differs from the previous tenant. This can trigger significant building upgrades beyond the interior.
A restaurant moving into a space that was previously retail triggers a change of occupancy that can require upgrades costing tens of thousands of dollars. Knowing these triggers before you sign a lease saves money, and it tells you up front which licensed professionals your project will need.
How We Help
Retail & Service Businesses
Stores, showrooms, salons, and service businesses. Nonstructural interior layouts, storefronts, fixtures, and casework plans, with permit submittal and plan check handled for you.
Offices
Private offices, open floor plans, and co-working spaces. Space planning and nonstructural partition layouts for same-use tenant changes, plus coordination of licensed consultants when the scope calls for it.
Restaurants & Food Service
Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and commissary kitchens involve building, health, and fire department review. We run the pre-lease feasibility review, assemble and coordinate the licensed design team and kitchen consultant, and manage every agency submittal.
Medical, Industrial & Change-of-Use Projects
These projects require plans prepared and stamped by California-licensed professionals. We coordinate that team, keep the schedule moving, and manage the permit process from submittal to issuance.
Why Coordination Matters for Commercial
Commercial projects interact with more regulatory bodies than residential ones. A restaurant TI may require approvals from the building department, health department, fire department, and potentially planning if the use requires a conditional use permit.
When nobody owns the whole process, plans that clear the building department get stopped at the health department, or a fire protection upgrade surfaces after the lease is signed.
We map every regulatory layer at the start, confirm who needs to prepare and stamp what, and keep every reviewing agency on one schedule.
Our Commercial Process
01 Review existing space conditions, the proposed use, and the approvals the project will need.
02 Flag change-of-occupancy triggers, ADA requirements, and health and fire department provisions, and confirm with the building department whether stamped plans are required.
03 Prepare nonstructural interior plans in-house where permitted, or bring in the California-licensed professionals the project requires.
04 Coordinate all consultants and assemble a complete submittal package.
05 Submit plans and manage plan check through permit issuance.
Start Your Los Angeles Project
Free consultation. We’ll review your space, discuss feasibility, and give you a clear picture of timeline, cost, and the team your project needs. No pressure, no obligation.