COMMERCIAL HVAC TI
Commercial HVAC tenant improvement services
SECOND-GENERATION SPACE
Re-zoning a suite that was built for somebody else
A second-generation suite comes with a history. There are rooftop units sized for the last tenant, a duct layout that suited their walls, thermostats in rooms that no longer exist, and sometimes equipment near the end of its working life. None of it is on the drawings you were handed.
Our work on these spaces starts with an honest assessment of what can stay. Reusing sound equipment and main ducts is often the biggest single saving on the job, while inheriting undersized or failing units is one of the most common reasons a new tenant complains about comfort in the first summer.
From there we lay the new plan over the existing system: which zones change, where diffusers move, which units need replacing, and where new walls cut off supply or return air. The estimate shows each of those decisions, so the scope is clear before anyone starts cutting duct.
What we check in an existing suite
- Age, capacity and condition of the rooftop units
- How the existing zones map to the new floor plan
- Main duct sizes and where they can be tapped
- Thermostat and control locations
- Outside air and exhaust for the new occupancy
- Whether the building automation system is involved
SCOPE OF WORK
What commercial HVAC tenant improvement covers
Equipment assessment
Checking age, capacity and condition of existing units so the decision to keep or replace them is made on facts, not assumptions.
Re-zoning
Redrawing zones to match the new walls, so private offices, open areas and conference rooms each get their own control where they need it.
Duct modifications
Extending, relocating and rebalancing branch ductwork and diffusers to the new reflected ceiling plan, reusing mains where they are sound.
Ventilation updates
Adjusting outside air and exhaust for the new occupancy, which often changes when an office becomes a clinic or a retail space becomes a restaurant.
Controls updates
Relocating thermostats, adding zone controls and updating the building automation programming for the new schedule.
Rebalancing
A full test and balance after the changes, because moving walls and diffusers always changes how the air divides.
HOW THE JOB RUNS
How a commercial HVAC TI moves
01
Survey what is there
02
Decide what stays
03
Demolish selectively
04
Install, balance and hand over
COMMON QUESTIONS
Commercial HVAC TI questions
Often, yes. If they have the capacity for the new layout and reasonable service life left, keeping them saves cost and lead time. We check them and tell you plainly if replacement makes more sense.
Usually because walls moved without the zoning, ductwork or balancing following them. Re-zoning and a proper test and balance fix most of it, which is why both are part of our scope.
Yes. Ventilation requirements depend on the occupancy type and density. Converting an office to a clinic, gym or restaurant typically changes the outside air and exhaust the code requires.
Yes. Where the landlord has a building automation system, we coordinate with their controls contractor so the new zones are integrated properly.
It depends on the size of the suite and, more than anything, on equipment lead time and the permit review. We give you a schedule with those two items called out.