If you're about to lease, buy, or renovate a commercial space, you probably don't have drawings yet, and you may not know what an architect will ask for. That's normal. You don't need a finished plan to make the first call.
A few things will make that first conversation far more useful. Some of them can also show you whether the project works before you commit to a lease or a purchase.
This guide is for tenants, buyers, and owners of commercial property: restaurants, offices, fitness and retail spaces, and existing buildings being put to a new use.
Quick checklist:
The address, and whether you're leasing, buying, or already own
What the space will be used for, and how many people will be in it
A budget range and what it includes, plus your deadline
Whatever records you can find on the property
Who makes the final decisions
1. Where You Are In The Deal
Whether you've signed anything changes the advice. If you haven't signed a lease or closed on a purchase, an early review can still affect that decision. If you've already committed, the focus shifts to the fastest workable path forward.
Bring the address, and the lease or closing timeline if there is one.
2. How The Space Will Be Used
In permitting, the use of a space matters more than the amount of construction. A restaurant, fitness studio, event space, clinic, and office each trigger different requirements, even inside the same building. A project that looks like "just a few walls" can become a much larger one once the new use is reviewed.
Be ready to describe:
What the business does, and who comes to the space
How many people will be there at once, including staff and customers
Equipment that needs power, plumbing, gas, or ventilation
Hours and special activities, such as classes or events
What the space was used for before. A similar previous tenant helps, but it doesn't guarantee your use is approved.
A few photos of spaces you like, with a note on what you like about them. It might be daylight, an open layout, or how customers move through the space.
Rough numbers are fine. This is the information used to check whether the project triggers a change of occupancy, which we cover in Commercial Tenant Improvements and Change of Occupancy in Los Angeles.
3. A Budget Range And Deadline
A range is more useful than no number, and knowing what the number covers is more useful still. "Budget" can mean construction cost only, or the total cost of opening. A total budget usually also includes design fees, engineering, surveys and reports, permit fees, equipment, and a contingency.
Tell us what's behind your deadline. A rent start date, a lease contingency, and a seasonal opening each call for a different approach. Plan review and agency approvals take time that isn't entirely in anyone's control, so it's worth discussing the schedule before you commit to an opening date.
4. The Records On The Property
This is the step people skip most, and the one that most often changes a project. Much of it can be looked up in an afternoon. In the City of Los Angeles, LADBS's online records let you search by address, parcel, or legal description, and ZIMAS covers zoning. Outside the city, the local building department keeps these records.
What to Gather
Permit History: What work was approved and what’s still open, found on LADBS online records or the Permit & Inspection Report
Certificate of Occupancy: The use the building was approved for, found on LADBS's online records
Zoning and Overlays: Allowed uses, any any specific plan or historic overlay on top of the zoning, found on ZIMAS
Code Enforcement and Violations: Open orders or notices that may need to be resolved first, found on Permit & Inspection Report
Existing Plans: A starting point, but they may not match what was built, ask the owner or the landlord
Survey: Building location, property lines, and easements, ask the owner or a licensed land surveyor
Title Report or Grant Deed: Recorded easements, restrictions, and agreements, ask the owner or a title company
Prior Reports: Geotechnical, structural, environmental, or accessibility findings, ask the owner or landlord
Lease and Work Letter: Landlord approvals and who is responsible for what, should have been provided to you
If you're a tenant, ask the landlord for these early. LADBS requires the current owner's grant deed and written authorization before releasing copies of plans, so you usually can't pull blueprints yourself. A landlord who can't produce basic records is telling you something about the space.
Be upfront about known problems. Unpermitted work, an unresolved notice, or a layout that doesn't match the old drawings can usually be handled. They're much harder to handle when they surface halfway through plan check.
What the Records Can't Tell You
Records show what was approved, not necessarily what's there. A permit on file doesn't mean the work was built to match it, and even the City's own zoning tool notes that it doesn't guarantee the accuracy of its information. They also can't tell you what your use will trigger.
Take a former retail space you're considering for a fitness studio. The records may show it's zoned for commercial use and has a certificate of occupancy for retail. They won't tell you whether the new use changes the occupancy classification, or how that affects parking, restrooms, accessibility, and exiting. Those are the questions an architect's early review is meant to answer, and they're far cheaper to answer before you've signed.
5. Access To The Space
If you can, set up a site visit early. We'll need to measure, photograph, and check existing conditions. If a landlord, property manager, or current tenant controls access, coordinate with them ahead of time and tell us about any restrictions. Some projects also need a survey, a geotechnical investigation, or documentation of existing building systems. We'll tell you which ones apply and why.
6. Who Has The Final Say
Projects stall when feedback comes from five people and nobody has the final say. If partners, investors, an operator, or a landlord are involved, decide in advance who approves what. One point of contact keeps decisions moving and avoids revisions.
Check for outside approvals too. Landlords, lenders, franchisors, and investors often have approval rights over the design. Bring those requirements early so they don't surface after the drawings are done.
What You Don't Need Yet
Many people put off calling because they think they need more than they do. You don't need:
Finished drawings or a final layout
A contractor selected
Finishes or materials chosen
Every document in the table above
A decision on how detailed your drawings should be. That's a later question, covered in Permit Set vs Bid Set: What a Permit-Ready Architectural Package Includes—and What It Doesn't.
Part of an architect's job is working out what the project needs and what's still missing. An address, an honest description of the business, a budget range, and whatever records you have is a good starting point.
What Happens After You Reach Out
In an early review, we look at the property and the proposed use and flag anything that could affect feasibility. That includes zoning, occupancy, parking, accessibility, restrooms, exiting, and fire and life-safety requirements. From there, we recommend a scope of work and next steps. If you're still deciding whether a space is worth pursuing, What Is an Architectural Feasibility Study and When Is It Worth Paying For? explains that process. And once you've hired an architect, A Guide to Hiring an Architect: Understanding the Design Process walks through what comes next.
If you're considering a lease, a purchase, or a renovation, the best time to call is before the commitment. Schedule a Project Assessment to talk through your project.