The words on the paperwork, in plain English.

The inspection of everything above the ceiling grid — ductwork, wiring, sprinkler pipe, fire-rated penetrations — before the tiles go in. Miss it and the ceiling comes back down.

What the Georgia Secretary of State does to an LLC or corporation that stops filing its annual registration. The company legally stops existing in good standing — so a contract signed in its name is a question worth asking before the deposit, not after.

AIA A101/A201 (or A104 for smaller jobs) are the standard owner–contractor agreements. The schedule of values breaks the contract sum into line items you pay against as each is completed.

The city or county license to sell beer, wine or spirits, plus the state license from the Georgia Department of Revenue. It has its own application, background checks and sometimes a hearing — start it while the building permit is in review, not after.

A detailed boundary survey to a national standard, showing easements, encroachments and improvements. Required by title insurers and lenders for commercial land.

The yearly filing every Georgia LLC and corporation owes the Corporations Division, due between January 1 and April 1. Miss it and the entity drifts toward administrative dissolution.

Drawings showing what was actually built, as opposed to what was designed. Landlords rarely have good ones; ask anyway — they save your architect a field survey.

A lease you're allowed to transfer — to a buyer of the business, or to a lender who has to step in. SBA lenders usually require it, along with a term at least as long as the loan.

The drawings, specs, schedule and instructions sent to each GC so they bid the same scope. Compare bids line by line — a low bottom number usually means something is missing.

A formal discipline from a licensing board — a fine, probation, suspension or revocation — after a complaint is investigated. It's the public record, not a review, which is why Contractor Check reads it.

Short-term money that covers a gap until the permanent source arrives — most often, funding construction until the landlord reimburses the TI allowance. Priced higher than the loan it bridges to.

Insurance on the work in progress — fire, theft, storm — until the space is complete. The lease says who carries it; if it's you, get it before mobilization.

The construction that turns a raw or previous tenant's space into yours — walls, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, finishes. Who pays for which part is set in the lease, usually through a tenant improvements allowance.

How every loan or investor dollar will be spent — construction, FF&E, working capital, fees. The construction line should tie to a GC bid or the estimator.

A demand, under the operating agreement, that partners put in more of the money they committed. Write the timing and the penalty for missing one down before construction starts drawing cash.

The party a certificate of insurance is issued to. Ask to be named as certificate holder on your contractor's COI, so the certificate is about your job and you're told if the policy is cancelled.

A one-page summary from the contractor's insurer showing general liability and workers' comp limits and dates. Always ask to be listed as certificate holder so you're notified if it lapses.

The city's sign-off that a space is legal to occupy for a specific use and occupant load. The prior CO tells you what the space was approved for; a new one is the last step before opening.

The nonprofit lender that provides the 40% second-position piece of an SBA 504 loan, funded by an SBA-backed debenture at a long fixed rate.

A written amendment to the contract for added or changed work, with the cost and schedule impact. Most overruns are change orders from incomplete drawings. Never approve one verbally.

Site engineering drawings: grading, utilities, stormwater, paving, erosion control. For ground-up work the civil set goes to the county first, ahead of the building permit.

Everything you need after the GC leaves: as-builts, warranties, O&M manuals, final unconditional lien waivers, inspection sign-offs and the CO.

The edition of the building, fire, and trade codes a jurisdiction has adopted, and the date that edition took effect. A county and a city inside it do not always advertise the same book. The office that covers the parcel is the one that can say which edition applies.

A space delivered with the slab, exterior walls and utilities stubbed to the edge — no HVAC distribution, restrooms, ceiling or finished walls. Cheaper rent, and everything inside is your buildout; negotiate the tenant improvements allowance accordingly.

The lender's written promise to make the loan on stated terms and conditions, issued after underwriting. It is what lets you sign the construction contract with confidence — read the conditions, they are the fine print on the yes.

An early site layout — building footprint, parking count, drives, stormwater area — used to test whether the program fits the parcel before spending on full civil engineering.

A board action the contractor agreed to rather than contested — usually a fine, conditions or probation in exchange for closing the complaint. It's still public record that a complaint got as far as the board.

The number the bank sizes the loan against. A rough order of magnitude from a GC early on keeps the loan from coming in short at closing.

Money set aside for what the drawings missed — 10–15% of construction on a buildout, held outside the GC's number. If it isn't in the budget, it comes out of opening inventory.

A guarantee from a surety company that pays out if the contractor fails to finish the work or pay their subs. Being bonded isn't the same as being insured; for a commercial job you want both.

Cities require the GC's Georgia license and certificate of insurance to issue a permit. You should require the same COI naming you (and the landlord) as certificate holder before paying a deposit.

The chain of tasks on a schedule where any delay pushes the opening date. Long-lead equipment and busy trades usually sit on it.

The state the landlord promises to hand over the space in — cold shell, warm shell, or second-gen — listed item by item (HVAC tonnage, electrical service, restrooms, demising walls). Vague here means expensive later.

The wall that separates your space from the tenant next door, usually fire-rated. The delivery condition should say whether it's built, finished and insulated — or yours to build.

The middle phase of design, after schematic design and before construction documents: materials, systems and dimensions get decided. Changes are still cheap here, and get expensive fast after.

The traditional route: your architect finishes the drawings, then three or more GCs bid on the same set. Slower, but you get a real price comparison.

One firm — usually a GC with its own architect — designs and builds under a single contract. Faster, and one party to hold accountable; the trade-off is that you don't get competing bids on the same drawings.

The company that takes a commercial site from land or an old building to a finished project: it controls the property, hires the architect and the general contractor, and leases or sells the result. A different job from the general contractor, who builds it, and from the broker, who leases the space.

The milestone-by-milestone plan for releasing construction funds — from a lender, investors or your own account. Each draw should be paid against a schedule of values and lien waivers.

The window in a land contract to investigate the property — survey, environmental, zoning, utilities — and walk away with your deposit if something's wrong. Make it long enough to cover any rezoning you need.

What a lease really costs per month once free rent, escalations, operating expenses and the tenant improvements allowance are averaged over the term. The only fair way to compare two spaces.

Georgia's commercial energy code (IECC-based) requires COMcheck or equivalent forms showing lighting, envelope and mechanical compliance with the permit set.

The approvals that let you build what you plan on a piece of land — zoning, variances, special-use permits, site plan approval. For ground-up projects, closing on the land should wait for them.

A loan or lease secured by the equipment itself — a hood, an oven, a dental chair. Usually faster to get than an SBA loan, at a higher rate and a shorter term.

For medical and dental: the equipment list by room plus piped oxygen, nitrous and vacuum design. Med gas needs a certified installer and its own inspection.

The built-in annual increase in base rent, usually a fixed 2.5–3% a year in metro Atlanta. Small on the LOI, large by year seven.

Exclusive use stops the landlord leasing to a direct competitor in the same center. Signage clauses set what you can hang and where. Both are negotiated, not standard.

The lease signed by both you and the landlord — not the LOI, not a draft. Lenders ask for it in the loan package because the loan is sized against a space you actually control.

A faster plan-review track many metro cities offer small, simple tenant finishes — often under a size threshold and without a change of use. Ask at intake; it's rarely offered unprompted.

Furniture, fixtures and equipment — everything that isn't attached to the building: tables, chairs, kitchen equipment, shelving. Budgeted separately from the buildout, and rarely covered by a tenant improvements allowance.

Life-safety review — egress, occupant load, sprinklers, alarm, hood suppression. In many jurisdictions it's a separate office with its own comments and inspection.

The structure of the walls, floors, and roof — studs, joists, and trusses — before drywall and finishes close them in. Inspections of what's inside the wall have to happen before it disappears.

Months at the start of a lease with no base rent due, negotiated in the LOI to cover the buildout. Check whether it's gross or net — you may still owe taxes, insurance and CAM.

The city or county's long-range plan for what each parcel should become. If your use doesn't match it, a rezoning is an uphill fight — check it before you go under contract.

The firm that holds the construction contract, runs the job and hires the subcontractors. In Georgia, commercial work over the licensing threshold needs a GC licensed by the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors.

The policy that covers injury to other people and damage to their property caused by a contractor's work. It's the floor for any contractor on your site; it doesn't cover the contractor's own employees — that's workers' compensation.

Soil borings and analysis that tell the structural engineer what the ground will hold. Bad soils mean deeper foundations — find out before you close.

Reshaping the ground so water runs away from the building and the pad is level enough to build on. On a bigger site it usually needs its own land disturbance permit before a machine moves.

A tank that catches fats and oils before they hit the sewer. Counties require one for any commercial kitchen; new installs go under the slab or outside. $25–60k if the space never had one.

A new building on an empty or cleared lot, as opposed to a buildout inside an existing one. Longer permitting, site work and utilities all come first.

The physical construction: labor, materials, the GC's fee. What the Buildout Estimator estimates. Design, permits and financing are soft costs; furniture and equipment are FF&E.

For food service: a separate submittal to the county health department — floor plan, equipment schedule, finish schedule, menu. Runs on its own queue; submit the same day as the building permit.

Cooling capacity, in tons (one ton is 12,000 BTU per hour). A restaurant or gym needs far more per square foot than an office — find out what's on the roof before you sign.

A one-time charge some cities and counties levy on new development to pay for roads, water and public safety. It varies by jurisdiction and use, and a change of use can trigger it.

The brokerage side of buying and selling commercial property as an investment — a leased building sold for its rent roll. A different job from leasing space to a tenant.

The kitchen consultant's layout and equipment schedule, plus the Type I hood specification. It feeds the MEP set and the health department review — do it before the MEP engineer starts.

The permit to grade, clear or move dirt. In Georgia it's issued separately from the building permit and requires an erosion-control plan. Ground-up projects can't start site work without it.

Written sign-off on your drawings from the landlord before permit submittal. The lease usually gives them 10–30 days; missing it delays everything.

The landlord's rulebook for tenant work: storefront materials, signage limits, approved contractors, after-hours rules, insurance minimums. Your architect needs it before schematic design.

A broker hired by the property owner to lease the space. They work for the landlord, however helpful they are on the tour — which is why tenants bring their own tenant rep.

The work letter is the lease exhibit that spells out who builds what, who pays, the TI allowance and how it's disbursed, and the approval process for your drawings.

A short, mostly non-binding summary of deal terms — rent, term, TI, free rent, delivery condition — that the lease is drafted from. Get everything you care about into the LOI; it's much harder to add later.

A claim against the property filed by a contractor, sub or supplier who says they weren't paid. In Georgia it has to be filed within 90 days of their last work, and it can stall a sale or a refinance until it's cleared — collect lien waivers with every payment.

A sub or GC's signed statement giving up lien rights for work paid. Conditional = effective when the check clears; unconditional = after. Collect one from every sub with every draw. Georgia has statutory forms.

Fresh outside air brought in to replace what a kitchen hood exhausts. Without it the space goes negative-pressure — doors slam, the hood won't draw — so code requires it wherever there's a commercial hood.

A supplier yard that sells job materials — lumber, drywall, roofing, and the rest — to the GC and the trades. A long lead time on a special order sits on the critical path the same way a late inspection does.

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering drawings, sealed by a licensed engineer. Restaurants and medical uses have the heaviest MEP.

The contractor showing up and setting up to start work — trailer, dumpster, crews. Deposits before mobilization should be small; money follows work in place.

A lease where the tenant pays base rent plus a share of property taxes, insurance and common-area maintenance. The 'nets' can add $6–14/sf a year on top of the quoted rent.

Operations and maintenance manuals for every piece of installed equipment — HVAC, water heaters, hood, fire systems. Part of the closeout package, and what your service tech will ask for first.

The maximum number of people the code allows in a space, based on its use and size. It drives exits, restrooms and sprinklers — and it's posted on the certificate of occupancy.

The LLC's governing document: ownership percentages, capital contributions, how capital calls work, who can sign contracts. Investors and lenders will both ask for it.

A dental treatment room. Each one needs water, drain, air and vacuum at the chair — which is why a dental buildout costs more per square foot than the office next door.

The jurisdiction's form plus fees, drawings, contractor info and energy forms. In City of Atlanta it's filed through the Office of Buildings' online portal; most suburbs have their own.

A consultant who assembles the submittal, walks it through the review offices and chases comments. $3–8k in City of Atlanta, and usually saves more than that in rent-free time.

A one-page statement of your assets, liabilities and net worth. SBA Form 413. Every owner with 20%+ signs one.

Your personal promise to pay the lease if the business can't. Negotiate a cap, a burn-off after a few years of on-time rent, or a 'good guy' clause that releases you if you surrender the space cleanly.

Phase I Environmental Site Assessment: a records-and-walkthrough study for contamination risk. Lenders require it on land purchases; it's your liability shield if something turns up later.

The jurisdiction's read of the drawings before it issues a permit. Reviewers mark up code, zoning, and life-safety items; you answer them and resubmit. How long a cycle takes is local — confirm it with the office that covers the parcel.

The kickoff with the GC, architect and often the landlord before work starts: schedule, inspection sequence, site rules, who approves what. Take notes — they become the rules of the job.

What it costs to get from certificate of occupancy to first sale: hiring, training, opening inventory, marketing, utilities deposits. Budget it separately from construction.

Month-by-month revenue, expense and cash-flow forecast for three years, with assumptions written out. Lenders read the assumptions harder than the numbers.

The list of small defects and unfinished items after substantial completion. Walk it with the GC; tie final payment and retainage release to closing it.

The land contract. For ground-up work, tie the due-diligence period and closing to entitlement approvals so a failed rezoning returns your deposit.

The licensed individual a Georgia contracting company's license is issued through. If they leave the company, the license goes with them — so check that the name on the license still works there.

Industrial storage shelving bolted to the slab. Tall racking needs a slab thick enough to carry it, and above a certain height, its own fire-protection review.

The person or company a Georgia entity names to receive legal papers. If there's none on file, suing them — or even serving a lien notice — gets harder.

The date rent starts. Negotiate it to trigger on permit issuance or a fixed number of days after delivery, so a slow city review doesn't cost you months of rent on a space you can't use.

The area you pay rent on: your usable space plus your share of lobbies, corridors and restrooms (the load factor). Always larger than what you can actually build out.

Replacing a building's water supply lines rather than patching leaks one at a time — usually when old galvanized or failing pipe is behind the walls.

The lightest board action: a formal, public written warning, with no fine or suspension attached. One old reprimand isn't a reason to walk away; a pattern of them is worth a question.

A revised set sent back to plan review after comments. Each one goes to the back of the queue in most jurisdictions — answer every comment the first time.

A percentage (typically 5–10%) held back from each payment until the job is complete and punch list done. Your leverage for getting the last 2% finished.

Rezoning changes the district; a variance is relief from a specific rule (setback, parking); a special-use permit allows a conditional use. All involve public hearings and 3–6 months.

The packaged heating and cooling unit that sits on the roof of most commercial buildings. Check its age and who owns replacing it before you sign — an RTU at the end of its life is a five-figure line item.

A contractor's early ballpark — often ±25% — from a test fit or a walkthrough, before drawings exist. Good enough to size a loan or kill a bad site; not a bid.

The stage where plumbing, electrical and mechanical lines are run inside the open walls and floors, before drywall. It gets its own inspection, and nothing closes up until it passes.

SBA program for owner-occupied real estate and heavy equipment: 50% bank, 40% CDC debenture, 10% down. Lower fixed rates, but real-estate purchases only.

The SBA's general-purpose guaranteed loan — up to $5M, usable for buildout, equipment and working capital. Flexible, 10–25 year terms, 60–90 days to fund.

The first phase of real design: layout, flow and rough sizes, drawn loosely enough to change. It's where the landlord first reviews what you want to build.

Space previously built out for the same use — a former restaurant with the hood, grease interceptor and gas already in. The single biggest cost lever in a metro buildout.

The landlord's rules for tenant signage — size, materials, lighting, placement — attached to the lease. They sit on top of the city's sign permit, and can double what the sign costs to make.

Fabrication drawings for your sign — dimensions, materials, illumination, attachment. Signage is a separate permit in most metro cities and must also meet landlord criteria.

Everything in a project that isn't construction: design and engineering fees, permits, legal, insurance, financing. Commonly 15–25% on top of hard costs, and the part first-time operators forget.

Construction drawings sealed by a Georgia-licensed architect. Required for most commercial permits. 'CDs' (construction documents) is the same thing.

Civil engineering documents showing how runoff is detained and treated and how soil is kept on site during construction. Reviewed by the county and, near streams, the state.

A trade firm — electrical, plumbing, drywall — hired by the general contractor rather than by you. You don't pay them directly, but an unpaid sub can still put a lien on your property.

Renting your leased space to someone else for part of your remaining term. The landlord usually has to consent, and you stay on the hook for the original lease if the subtenant stops paying.

The paperwork an investor signs to buy into the entity — subscription agreement, accredited-investor questionnaire, and the operating agreement joinder.

The point where the space can be used for its purpose even though the punch list isn't finished. It usually starts warranties and triggers most of the final payment — define it in the contract.

Standard SBA and bank underwriting ask. If the business is new, the personal returns carry the file.

A broker who works for the tenant: finds the space, runs the negotiation, reads the lease with you. Usually paid out of the landlord's leasing commission, so it rarely costs the tenant directly.

A quick floor-plan study proving your program fits the space — seats, exam rooms, workstations, back-of-house. Often free from the landlord's architect; worth paying your own to do.

The electrical service heavy equipment and big HVAC run on. Most retail and office bays have single-phase; bringing three-phase in from the utility can take months and a transformer.

Money the landlord contributes to your buildout, quoted per rentable square foot. Usually paid as reimbursement after work is complete and lien waivers are delivered — not up front.

Concrete wall panels cast flat on site and tilted up into place — the standard for warehouse and flex buildings. Cutting a new door or window in one is a structural job, not a carpentry one.

The title company's promise to insure the property, listing the exceptions (easements, liens, restrictions) you're taking subject to. Read Schedule B.

The separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits pulled by the licensed subcontractor for each trade, under the building permit. Each gets its own inspections.

A grease-rated exhaust hood over cooking equipment, with fire suppression, a roof fan and make-up air. Needs a roof penetration and often structural review. $40–90k installed.

The lender's review of whether to make the loan — your financials, projections, credit, collateral and the lease. Complete packages move; missing pages sit.

Written confirmation from water, sewer and power providers that capacity exists at the property line. Sewer capacity is what kills restaurant sites.

Going back through a design to cut cost without losing what matters — a different fixture, a simpler ceiling, fewer walls. Useful when it's deliberate; costly when it's a panic after bids come in high.

A space delivered with HVAC, restrooms and basic lighting in place, ready for your finishes. Between a cold shell and second-generation space, in both rent and buildout cost.

Insurance that covers a contractor's own employees if they're hurt on the job. Georgia requires it once a business has three or more employees; without it, an injury on your site can land on you.

Lead-lined walls and doors around medical and dental imaging rooms, sized by a physicist's report. Installed by specialists and inspected before the room can be used.

A letter from the jurisdiction confirming the zoning district and that your use is permitted at that address. $50–300 and one to three weeks. Order it before the LOI, not after.