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What Should I Look for When Hiring a General Contractor for a Restaurant or Retail Build-Out in Palm Beach?
Hiring the general contractor is one of the biggest decisions you make when you open or remodel a restaurant or a store. Your contractor decides whether the permit moves, whether inspections pass the first time and whether you open on the date your lease, your staff and your marketing are counting on.
Restaurant and retail build-outs in Palm Beach County come with their own requirements: landlord tenant criteria, commercial kitchen rules, fire and life-safety review and city or county permitting. Here is what to check before you sign.
Verify the Florida Contractor License
Commercial build-outs in Florida must be run by a licensed contractor. Ask for the license number and look it up on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) website to confirm it is active and matches the company name on your contract.
The Cher Group Contractors holds Florida license CBC1265622.
Ask for Proof of Insurance
Most commercial leases require your contractor to carry insurance and to name the landlord on the certificate before work starts. Ask for the certificate early so it does not hold up your start date. The Cher Group Contractors carries all insurance required by the State of Florida and provides certificates for landlords and property managers on request.
Look for Restaurant and Retail Experience
A restaurant build-out is not a standard remodel. Hoods, grease traps, walk-in coolers, gas lines, fire suppression and health requirements all have to be planned and inspected. Retail spaces bring storefronts, lighting, fixtures and landlord design criteria.
Ask for projects like yours. Our team built out the Texas de Brazil on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens as a tenant improvement and later renovated it, and built out BKK’s restaurant space in Fort Lauderdale and got them open.
Review Past Work
Photos and a short list of completed spaces tell you more than a sales pitch. Look at the finish work, the kitchen and bar layouts and how the space works for staff and customers. See our restaurant build-outs and retail build-outs for the kind of work we do.
Make Sure They Can Work With Your Landlord
Most build-outs happen inside a leased space, so your contractor will deal with your landlord or property manager on drawings, tenant criteria, insurance, deliveries and access. A contractor who has done tenant build-outs knows how to keep the landlord informed and avoid stop-work surprises. See our tenant improvements page for how we handle leased spaces.
Ask Who Does the Work
Your general contractor runs the trades: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, drywall, flooring and finishes. Ask how they choose their subcontractors, who supervises the job day to day and who your single point of contact is.
Confirm They Know Local Permitting and Inspections
In Palm Beach County, your permit comes from either the city your space is in or the county, and each office has its own process. Restaurants also need state plan review for food service and local fire review. A contractor who files in these offices regularly knows what reviewers ask for and how to keep inspections moving.
Talk About the Schedule to Opening Day
Ask for a written schedule that shows design, permit, construction, inspections and the certificate of occupancy or completion. Ask what could delay it, such as long-lead equipment, landlord approvals or utility work, and how they will tell you when something changes.
Compare Bids on the Same Scope
The lowest number is not always the lowest cost. Make sure every bid covers the same scope: demolition, kitchen and bar rough-ins, fire protection, storefront, finishes and permit fees. Ask what is excluded. A clear, detailed proposal now saves change orders later.
Ask About Close-Out and Warranty
Before you sign, ask how the contractor closes out the job: final inspections, punch list, as-built information and warranty. You want a team that answers the phone after you open.
Red Flags to Avoid
Keep looking if a contractor shows any of these:
- No Florida license number, or one that does not match the company name
- No certificate of insurance for your landlord
- No restaurant or retail projects to show
- Vague estimates with no scope or exclusions
- Pressure for a large payment before permits are filed
Why Local Knowledge Matters
A contractor based in Palm Beach County and Broward knows the local building departments, the inspectors’ expectations and the suppliers who can deliver on time. That local knowledge is often the difference between opening on schedule and paying rent on a space you cannot use yet.
Bringing It All Together
Check the license, the insurance, the restaurant and retail experience, the permitting knowledge and the schedule. If you are planning a restaurant or retail build-out in Palm Beach County or Broward, The Cher Group Contractors can walk the space with you and give you a written scope. See our restaurant build-outs page. Call (305) 290-3323 for pricing.