You signed a lease, got the keys, and now you want to know what the build-out is going to cost. Here's the short version in 2026 GTA dollars: most QSR refreshes turn the keys at $80–150/sf, and full-service casual restaurants typically come in $250–400/sf turnkey — meaning kitchen, FOH, permits, and inspections done.
The wider ranges you'll see online (some go up past $800/sf) are real, but they're mostly fine-dining and heavy-ventilation concepts. For most operators we work with across Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, and Richmond Hill, your number lands well inside the typical band — once we know what your space already has and what your concept actually needs.
This guide explains what drives the number for your specific concept, what the previous tenant left you that's worth real money, and how to read your numbers honestly when you're sitting on a quote.
Before any spreadsheet, the biggest cost driver is the concept's relationship with the building. We see four bands in the GTA right now:
Quick-service / refresh — typically $80–150/sf turnkey. A franchise re-skin or takeaway counter dropped into a former food-use space with a re-certifiable hood. You're spending money on finishes, signage, equipment swap, and a small punchlist. We've delivered these in 4–8 weeks of construction once permits are in hand. Most QSR refreshes are six-figure projects, not seven.
Full-service casual — typically $250–400/sf turnkey. Reconfigured kitchen, full FOH refresh, banquettes, expanded dishpit. Often a second hood and a walk-in cooler relocation. Construction runs 8–14 weeks; we time-box this tightly because every week of construction is a week of rent without revenue.
Hotpot, BBQ, dim sum, and table-cooking concepts — start around $300/sf and run higher with concept density. These are the projects where the fresh-air supply is the hero, not the dining room. Per-table cooking needs both fresh air and exhaust at every seat, plus a main grease hood for the back kitchen — it's specialized work, and getting it priced right up front is where an experienced contractor earns their fee. We've built a number of hotpot kitchens in Markham and Richmond Hill at the lower end of the band by getting the ventilation engineer in early.
Fine dining or bar-forward — $400/sf and up. Custom millwork, specialty lighting, glass and stone, often a chef's table window. The cost premium is finish quality and the longer punch list before opening.
These are planning anchors. The number that actually matters for your project is the line-item proposal for your specific lease, your specific concept, and your specific space. We do free site walks across Toronto and the GTA and turn around a written scope and price inside one business day — tell us about your project and we'll walk it.
The fastest way to land at the lower end of any range is to take over a space the previous tenant left in good condition. Inheriting any of these is real money:
This is the first thing we check on a site walk. Many of the projects we've delivered at the lower end of their concept band started with operators who picked their space partly because the kitchen bones were already there.
Permit fees themselves are similar across the GTA — the difference is in plan-review pace and which inspectors are most rigorous on which detail. Most cities give you a 6–10 week plan-review window for a restaurant TI; experienced operators plan around the higher end of that window so they're never surprised.
Toronto. Building permit, electrical sign-off (ESA), gas sign-off (TSSA), plus engineering drawings for mechanical and electrical. On larger projects we book a pre-application meeting at City Hall — that single step often saves 1–3 weeks on the back end.
Mississauga. Generally moves at a steady pace for restaurant TI. Peel's grease and sewer rules are stricter than some operators expect, so we confirm grease interceptor sizing against your equipment list on the site walk before it shows up at plumbing plan review.
Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill. Markham is rigorous on accessible-washroom layouts for new restaurant work; we have the architect carry the barrier-free layouts in the first submission rather than respond to comments later.
For a city-by-city look at current SLAs and what we've seen in the field, see our GTA restaurant permit timelines comparison.
Operators new to restaurant construction sometimes get quotes that exclude the items below, then discover them mid-project. Here's the work that goes into a real Buildup proposal — these are coordinated up front so your number is the number:
When you see a quote that doesn't list these, the number's going to grow during the project. When you see a Buildup proposal, they're already in.
Run through this before you sign anything. It takes 30 minutes on site and saves real money.
We do this walk for free. If you're still in lease evaluation, we'll join you on a tour and tell you what each space is actually worth before you sign.
If you're comparing proposals from multiple contractors:
Q: I want hotpot — what's a realistic 2026 budget for a 1,800 sf space in Markham? A: We've delivered hotpot kitchens in this size range starting in the high six figures, depending on whether the previous tenant was a food-use space and how much fresh-air capacity the unit can give you. Tell us the unit you're looking at and we'll come walk it with you.
Q: Does a former Tim Hortons or Starbucks save me real money for a different concept? A: Often yes — the hood, grease trap, and many plumbing rough-ins are inheritable. Some equipment-specific upgrades will be needed if your cooking is hotter or wetter than the previous tenant's, but the bones save you weeks and tens of thousands. Walk it with a contractor before deciding.
Q: Can I use my existing 100A panel for a small QSR? A: For a takeaway counter with a fryer, panini press, and reach-in refrigeration only, often yes. Add load and we run a calc to confirm. Better to know before equipment purchase than after.
Q: How much can I push the landlord for in TI allowance? A: GTA market for restaurant TI in 2026 typically runs $30–80/sf when the landlord is motivated, and many landlords prefer to give free-rent months instead, which can be more valuable for cash flow. We cover the negotiation in detail in our lease and work letter guide.
Q: Do I need an architect for a small refresh? A: For a building permit in Ontario, yes — drawings stamped by an architect are part of any meaningful TI scope. Cosmetic-only work that doesn't change exits, plumbing, or fire-rated walls can sometimes proceed without one, but those are edge cases for restaurants.
Q: What's the timeline from lease signing to opening day for a typical full-service? A: 14–18 weeks is a healthy plan: 4–8 weeks permitting in parallel with finishing your equipment list, 8–10 weeks construction, and a tight final-inspection window. We've delivered faster on simpler scopes.
Q: Can I act as my own general contractor to save money? A: A few experienced operators do it well. Most first-time owners spend more in time and rework than they save on the contractor's fee, and they take on every permit and trade-coordination risk personally. Worth comparing the math both ways before deciding.
Q: Will the city require me to upsize the existing grease interceptor? A: It can happen — either at plumbing plan review or when the plumbing inspector walks the rough-in. The city sizes the interceptor based on how much greasy water your kitchen will produce, which comes off your equipment list. In Toronto and the GTA, the rules are stricter in Peel region (Mississauga, Brampton) than some operators expect. We do that sizing math at the proposal stage — far cheaper than reworking it mid-construction.
The ranges above are planning anchors; your number is the proposal we write for your specific space, concept, and lease. We do free site walks across Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, and Richmond Hill, and turn around a written scope and price inside one business day. Tell us about your project and we'll come walk it.
If you're still in the lease-evaluation stage, our project experience page shows the kinds of restaurant scopes we run, and our FAQ covers the questions we get most often before lease signing.