How much does a commercial interior fit-out cost in Toronto?
Interior alteration permits across Toronto — offices, retail, restaurants and clinics — with declared value and, where the permit states floor area, real declared dollars per square foot.
The full spread, not an average
| Percentile | Declared value |
|---|---|
| P25 — smaller jobs | $30K |
| Median | $100K |
| P75 — larger jobs | $300K |
| Largest in sample | $275.7M |
5,884 permits with a declared value, trailing 36 months. Medians and quartiles only — one outlier can't move them.
Why two of these quote differently
- Base-building condition: a second-generation space with usable HVAC and washrooms costs a fraction of a raw shell.
- Mechanical and electrical are usually the largest packages, not the finishes.
- Use: a restaurant's kitchen exhaust, grease interceptor and make-up air put it in a different band from an office.
- Timing — after-hours work in an occupied building carries a premium.
Check it against the record
| Applied | Address | Declared value |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 1800 SHEPPARD AVE E
Proposed interior alteration of an existing suite - including minor architectural,... |
$150,000 |
| Aug 2026 | 2 BLOOR ST E
Proposal for interior alterations to demo existing car rental kiosk to build a new kiosk. |
$25,000 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 EARLTON RD
Proposal for second dwelling unit in basement. |
$10,000 |
| Aug 2026 | 722 COLLEGE ST
Interior partition alterations to enlarge coat check and relocate manager's office.Add... |
$90,000 |
Where these numbers come from
Declared construction values on City of Toronto building permits (tier C), trailing
36 months, minimum 12 permits before a guide is published. A declared value is
what the applicant stated the work is worth — it can sit below final hard cost,
which is exactly why GROUND also publishes
awarded contract prices.
This is the single largest category in GROUND's corpus and the one with the most credible $/SF sample.
Data: Open Government Licence — Toronto. Recomputed automatically as new
permits land; the figures above are current as of August 18, 2026.
New houses · Underpinning · Laneway & garden suites · Additions · Garages · Second suites