Commercial kitchens are built to handle the demands of a restaurant or cafe. They need to be large enough to hold several people, and they need to be able to heat up quickly. Commercial kitchen designers have worked out the best ways to build commercial kitchens, and most of them follow these same principles.
The first thing that goes into a commercial kitchen is the flooring. The flooring is usually made of concrete, but it can also be tile or linoleum. The floor should be even and level so that there are no tripping hazards for staff members who are walking around with hot pans or carrying heavy pots of soup.
The next step in building a commercial kitchen is putting up walls and installing cabinets. These cabinets contain all of the necessary equipment like stoves, sinks, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, and other things that help you cook your food properly. They also include things like knives so you can cut vegetables easily. These cabinets are usually made out of wood or metal because these materials are durable enough to hold heavy pots and pans without breaking down over time (which would cause them not work properly).
If you’re planning to open a restaurant or food-related business, it’s important to know how much it will cost to build a commercial kitchen. This can vary substantially depending on what kind of space you’re converting, but here are some general guidelines that might help:
Demolition
- Remove the old kitchen. This is a big one, because you may have to remove walls, floor coverings, and ceilings. If you’re lucky, though, your contractor will be able to get creative with how they remove those items—and save you some money in the process.
- Remove any wall coverings and floor coverings: Your contractor should be able to tell whether or not they need them by looking at what’s present in the space now (if they’re there) or by doing an inspection of what’s behind them (if they aren’t).
- Remove any ceiling coverings: Sometimes people forget about these when considering how much work goes into building a commercial kitchen but trust us when we say that taking down all of these things takes time and money.
Electrical
Electrical work is one of the most important parts of any commercial kitchen, and it must be done correctly. A certified electrician can help you with this important task if you don’t have the expertise to do it yourself.
Electrical work is a specialty, and often times it will be more expensive than other types of construction projects because of this. So make sure to factor in these costs into your budget before beginning an electrical project on your commercial kitchen.
Plumbing
The cost of plumbing, as with every other aspect in the commercial kitchen design and construction process, depends on a number of factors. First, you need to determine if your restaurant is going to have open sinks or closed sinks. Open sinks are more common in fast-food restaurants while closed sinks are usually found in sit-down restaurants. The next thing that needs to be considered is whether any structural changes need to be made before installing your plumbing system.
The most important factor when it comes to plumbing costs is the type and size of pipe used for each individual fixture. There are several types of materials used for commercial kitchens: copper, polyethylene (plastic), ABS plastic, and PVC plastic pipes all come with different pros and cons so make sure you consider what will work best for your space before deciding on which one(s) will work best for your business’ budget.
HVAC
If you are building a commercial kitchen, HVAC systems are an important part of your design and construction. This section will explain how to choose an HVAC system for your commercial kitchen, including the different types available.
HVAC systems require regular maintenance. It’s important to keep track of when your system needs to be serviced so it can be fixed immediately if there is a problem. If you’re not sure what kind of maintenance your system needs or what kind of parts might need replacing, contact a professional who can help you choose the right products and services for your business’ needs.
Painting
Painting is another aspect of renovation that will have a significant impact on your budget. While it may seem like a small and simple task, painting is actually one of the most labor-intensive parts of construction projects, which means it requires skilled workers to do it right. The cost of painting depends on the size of your space and how many coats you need to apply in order to achieve the desired result, as well as any additional services needed (i.e., priming).
The average commercial kitchen has an area size between 1,800 sq ft and 3,000 sq ft (160 m2 – 250 m2). To give you an idea, and remember we’re talking averages here, you can expect to spend about $20 per square foot for coverage with three coats on both sides (including trim) if you hire professionals for this job.
Flooring
Your kitchen flooring is an essential element of your restaurant. It has to be easy to keep clean, durable, and attractive. You have a lot of options for this part of the design process:
- Tile
- Carpet
- Vinyl
- Laminate flooring (this is different from laminate countertops)
Utilities
Utility costs can be included in the build but they can also be added after the build is complete. Utilities such as electricity, water, and gas may be supplied by your landlord or a third party.
- If you plan on buying the property and renting it out, you will need to factor in utility costs at some point in the future when looking at how much money you could make from renting out your commercial kitchen space. It’s not uncommon for commercial tenants to pay high utility bills during winter months when everyone turns their heaters up to maximum temperature.
- It’s important to understand what utilities are included in a lease agreement before signing anything just so that there aren’t any surprises down the road when it comes time for payments (which should always be made on time).
Cabinetry
Cabinetry is the most expensive part of a commercial kitchen, and it accounts for over 50% of construction costs. This can be especially true if you’re building from scratch or constructing a custom space. Cabinets come in three main varieties: wood, metal, and plastic. For example, an industrial kitchen might have all metal cabinets to match the rest of its materials; whereas a restaurant may use wooden cabinets with glass doors to show off their beautiful dishes behind them.
Cabinet costs generally depend on two things: how much material they need (and that’s mostly wood or plastic) and whether they’re custom-built or off-the-shelf models. Custom-designed cabinetry also tends to cost more than pre-fabricated units because there’s more labor involved in making each piece fit together perfectly with any other pieces around it—and sometimes even just fitting into your room.
Regardless which type of cabinetry you choose for your commercial kitchen project (or whether you go with none at all), make sure that it’s built exactly how you want before installation begins so that nothing comes as a surprise later on down the road.
Installation
When you’ve finished putting in the equipment and other pieces, it’s time to install. This is the process in which you connect all of your plumbing, electrical, and HVAC components, as well as your flooring and cabinetry.
You’ll also want to make sure that any insulation needs installed in your kitchen before you begin using it. Insulation is important because it can help keep a building cool during summer months when temperatures rise or warm during winter months when temperatures drop.
There are several costs to consider when converting a space into a commercial kitchen
There are many costs to consider when converting an existing space into a commercial kitchen. The most important thing you can do is talk with contractors about the specifics of your project, including size and complexity, location, etc. Once you have this information for each contractor on your shortlist, you can compare apples to apples and make an informed decision about who will be best suited for your project.
There are several factors that affect cost:
Conclusion
The biggest takeaway is that there are a lot of costs to consider when converting a space into a commercial kitchen. The average total cost to build an industrial kitchen is around $100,000 but we’ve seen it range anywhere from $60,000 to $250,000+. It all depends on the size of your business, what equipment you need and where you’re located.
