Nevada B-2 General Contractor #0091383
Food-Service Tenant Improvement Experience
Construction Permits & Inspection Coordination
Southern Nevada Health District Coordination
Restaurant & Bar Build Outs in Las Vegas, NV
Big Horn Remodeling is a licensed Nevada B-2 general contractor for restaurant and bar buildouts throughout Las Vegas and Clark County. We coordinate gray-shell, second-generation and conversion projects, including commercial kitchens, hoods and makeup air, grease-waste systems, MEP, SNHD plan review, fire protection, permits and final inspections.
Need clear direction before your restaurant or bar build out scope is finalized?
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A restaurant or bar build out has more moving parts than a typical commercial interior. Cooking equipment affects exhaust and fire suppression. The menu affects kitchen equipment and plumbing. Equipment loads affect electrical service. The bar layout affects drainage, refrigeration and service flow. Grease waste has to be planned before concrete and underground plumbing are closed. And food-service construction adds Southern Nevada Health District review to the building, fire and trade approvals already involved in a commercial project. Big Horn Remodeling builds and remodels restaurants, bars and commercial remodeling services throughout the Las Vegas Valley. We coordinate the construction around the kitchen, bar, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, hood systems, grease interceptors, health-department requirements, fire protection and final inspections so those systems are planned as one project rather than addressed independently. The goal isn't simply to finish construction. The goal is to build a space that can make it through its required approvals and function correctly once the doors open.
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Restaurant Construction Starts With the Operation, Not the Finishes
A restaurant floor plan can look complete while major construction questions remain unanswered.
Questions the operation has to answer
- Where is the cooking line?
- What equipment produces grease-laden vapors?
- Where will refrigeration sit?
- How much power does the equipment require?
- Which fixtures need indirect waste?
- Where does the grease waste run?
- How does the hood exhaust reach the roof?
- Which equipment uses gas?
- Is there sufficient makeup air?
- What does the existing electrical service support?
- Is the building already approved for the proposed use?
Before framing, plumbing and electrical move independently, these questions guide restaurant and commercial kitchen coordination:
- Cooking and food-preparation equipment
- Commercial kitchen exhaust
- Type I or Type II hood requirements
- Hood fire-suppression systems
- Makeup-air requirements
- Natural gas distribution
- Electrical equipment loads and dedicated circuits
- Refrigeration equipment and connections
- Floor sinks and drainage
- Handwashing and warewashing areas
- Grease-waste piping and interceptors
- Water-heating requirements
- Walk-in cooler and freezer coordination
- Kitchen wall, floor and ceiling finishes
- ADA and customer-access requirements
- Dining-room and front-of-house construction
- Bar and beverage-service infrastructure
The final requirements depend on the menu, equipment, building and jurisdiction. That's why we want the operational information early rather than discovering it after rough construction has started.
Restaurant & Food-Service Construction We Handle
Restaurant construction isn't one project type. A second-generation restaurant with an existing hood and grease interceptor is fundamentally different from converting a retail shell into a commercial kitchen. Each requires a different construction approach.
01
Restaurant Tenant Build Outs
We construct restaurant tenant improvements for leased commercial spaces, including layouts, kitchens, dining areas, restrooms, MEP modifications, ceilings, flooring, millwork and finishes.
Lease requirements and landlord standards are incorporated into the construction scope while restaurant-specific permitting runs alongside the normal tenant-improvement process.
02
Gray-Shell Restaurant Build Outs
Gray-shell restaurant build outs require infrastructure planned from the ground up, including underground plumbing, electrical distribution, HVAC, exhaust, gas, restrooms and kitchen systems.
The scope may include full MEP rough-in, grease-interceptor construction, grease handling, interior finishes and equipment coordination before the restaurant can open for service.
03
Existing Restaurant Remodels
An existing restaurant may already have valuable infrastructure in place—but it shouldn't automatically be assumed that everything can be reused.
Before remodeling, we look at the proposed equipment and layout against existing conditions including:
- Hood and exhaust capacity
- Gas availability
- Electrical capacity
- Grease-waste routing
- Existing plumbing
- Restroom configuration
- Fire-protection systems
- Prior permitted plans
- Occupancy and use
- Existing kitchen equipment
Sometimes preserving infrastructure saves substantial money. Other times adapting a system beyond what it was designed for creates more problems than replacing or modifying it properly.
04
Commercial Kitchen Build Outs
We build the infrastructure surrounding a commercial kitchen—not simply the finishes visible after opening—so the equipment, production flow and service environment can operate together correctly.
This includes slab work, plumbing, grease waste, gas, electrical, framing, equipment rough-ins, hood coordination, fire suppression, wall protection, ceilings, flooring and fixture connections.
05
Franchise Restaurant Build Outs
Franchise projects add another layer: locations must conform to brand standards, so construction is coordinated around approved plans, operational needs and owner/franchise requirements.
The details can include equipment placement, service-counter dimensions, finishes, signage interfaces, production flow and other brand-specific requirements shown on the approved plans.
Different restaurant project types have different infrastructure requirements. Talk with our team about the construction scope your project will require before it is treated like a generic restaurant template.
The Equipment Schedule Can Change the Entire Build
One of the most expensive restaurant mistakes is allowing construction drawings and kitchen equipment selections to develop separately. A change to cooking equipment can affect more than its opening, reshaping power, gas, exhaust, fire suppression, clearances, plumbing, layout, and inspections. Bringing the schedule forward lets design and construction teams coordinate every affected system before rough-ins are locked and costly field changes begin.
It can affect:
Power Gas Ventilation Fire suppression Clearances Plumbing Equipment layout Inspection requirements
That is why we want equipment information before critical rough-ins are locked—before restaurant rough construction, we want to understand:
Menu &cooking
Menu choices, cooking methods, and volume.
Set output goals and any special equipment.
Schedule& specs
Manufacturer cut sheets and precise dimensions.
Verify electrical, gas, clearance, and installation requirements.
Utilities& hood
Utility demands and hood performance criteria.
Coordinate fuel selection, exhaust flow, makeup-air requirements.
Cold &cleanup
Refrigeration, dishwashing, and sanitation needs.
Plan water, power, drains, and access.
Bar &supply
Bar equipment, ownership, and franchise standards.
Clarify supplied items, roles, and brand specs.
Moving a refrigerator later may be inconvenient. Before the cooking line, hood, gas, electrical, and suppression systems are finalized, let's review your menu and equipment schedule together so the affected trades can coordinate around the actual kitchen.
Commercial Kitchen Hoods, Exhaust & Fire Suppression
Kitchen ventilation is one of the areas where restaurant construction becomes substantially different from an ordinary commercial tenant improvement.
The cooking equipment determines what exhaust system is required. The hood then affects duct routing, roof penetrations, makeup air, equipment placement, electrical requirements and fire-suppression coordination.
Big Horn Remodeling coordinates the construction surrounding commercial hood installations, including applicable:
Hood & exhaust
Coordinate hood type, duct routes, exhaust airflow, and clearances early.
Makeup air & roof
Plan makeup air, roof curbs, penetrations, and weatherproofing together.
Cooking utilities
Align cooking equipment, gas, power, clearances, and rough-ins.
Suppression & framing
Coordinate suppression piping, ceiling details, and framing interfaces early.
Required inspections
Prepare mechanical and fire inspections before systems are isolated.
Clark County, for example, publishes standard commercial details for Type I kitchen hood/exhaust systems, illustrating how restaurant ventilation is treated as a specialized building system rather than simply an appliance installation. The hood should not be treated as an item that gets “added later”; its location and equipment relationship need to be incorporated into the kitchen before adjacent systems are finalized. Have a kitchen plan? Let's coordinate the hood scope before rough-ins are locked.
Grease Interceptors & Restaurant Plumbing
Restaurant plumbing can become one of the largest construction scopes in a build out, particularly when the space was not previously used for food service. Grease waste may require dedicated routing and an appropriately designed interceptor. Floor sinks, kitchen fixtures, warewashing equipment, hand sinks and beverage areas can also significantly change the underground and above-ground plumbing plan. Defining those needs early helps keep the slab work, equipment layout and related connections aligned as construction moves forward. It also keeps related trades working from one coordinated plan.
Where new under-slab piping is required, the work may involve:
- 1Locating the required fixture and equipment connections.
- 2Establishing drain and grease-waste routing.
- 3Saw cutting and removing portions of the slab.
- 4Excavating for new piping.
- 5Completing required inspections.
- 6Backfilling and restoring the slab.
- 7Continuing above-ground rough plumbing.
That is construction you want resolved before expensive finishes and equipment arrive. Requirements for fats, oils and grease are also jurisdiction-specific. Henderson, for example, states that commercial food-service establishments must prevent FOG from entering the sewer system and identifies gravity grease interceptors as the most common pretreatment device. We coordinate grease-interceptor and grease-waste scope with the applicable plumbing and wastewater requirements for the project's jurisdiction rather than assuming one standard applies everywhere in the valley.
Southern Nevada Health District Plan Review Is Part of the Build Schedule
For Las Vegas restaurant construction, the health-department review should not be treated as paperwork that happens after the building permit. It informs the floor plan, equipment information, plumbing, finishes and the construction decisions that need to stay aligned before work is installed.
Restaurant plan-review coordination may involve
- Food-service floor-plan review coordination
- Equipment layouts and specification coordination
- Plumbing information and plan-review coordination
- Finish selections and material coordination
- Food establishment questionnaire materials
- Plan-review revisions and response coordination
- Construction coordination based on approved plans
- Final health inspection readiness coordination
That's why our restaurant projects look at health-review implications during planning.
Restaurant Permits Involve More Than One Approval Track
A restaurant in Southern Nevada may simultaneously involve several authorities, with building, health, fire-protection, and specialty reviews following separate paths. The property's address identifies the local jurisdiction responsible for building review and determines whether the primary building authority is the:
Confirm the address with the official jurisdiction locator.
Primary building authority
City ofLas Vegas
ClarkCounty
City ofHenderson
City of NorthLas Vegas
Food establishments are also subject to Southern Nevada Health District review, while fire-protection work and other specialty systems follow the applicable jurisdiction's requirements. Instead of treating these as unrelated permits, we identify which approvals affect the construction schedule and coordinate them with the project team. This is particularly important when one approval affects another trade's work.
- 01
Cooking equipment
- 02
Hood and exhaust
- 03
Makeup air
- 04
Fire suppression
- 05
Roof and electrical coordination
- 06
Inspections
Restaurant construction is much easier to control when the relationships among cooking equipment, hood and exhaust work, makeup air, fire suppression, roof and electrical coordination, and inspections are identified before installation. Keeping those dependencies visible helps the project team coordinate the work as one connected sequence. The City of Las Vegas also specifically instructs restaurant operators to confirm zoning/building compliance and obtain a Southern Nevada Health District health permit as part of the restaurant business-license process.
Bar Build Outs Require Their Own Infrastructure Planning
A commercial bar isn't simply cabinetry with a countertop. The front of the bar is what customers see. Most of the construction complexity is underneath and behind it. Depending on the concept and equipment, bar construction can involve:
- Under-bar plumbing
- Hand sinks
- Drainage
- Floor sinks
- Ice equipment
- Refrigeration
- Beverage systems
- Structural blocking
- Electrical outlets and dedicated power
- Equipment ventilation where required
- Back-bar storage
- Custom millwork
- Countertop fabrication
- Durable flooring
- Wall finishes
- Lighting and controls
- AV coordination
- ADA-accessible service areas
- Customer seating and circulation
We coordinate the bar layout around how employees actually work behind it, not simply how it looks from the dining room. A beautiful bar that forces bartenders to cross each other's paths hundreds of times during a busy shift is not an effective build out.
Front Bar
Customer-facing finish, counter configuration, service access and seating interfaces.
Under Bar
Sinks, ice equipment, refrigeration, drainage, utilities and working storage.
Back Bar
Display, millwork, refrigeration, equipment, lighting and storage.
Construction Approval and Liquor Licensing Are Separate Tracks
Las Vegas bar projects have two separate paths: Big Horn coordinates construction permits for contracted work; the owner or operator pursues liquor licensing with the applicable authority.
Construction Approval
Big Horn Remodeling handles and coordinates the construction side of the project.
Big Horn Remodeling coordinates the construction permits associated with our contracted work through the appropriate local jurisdiction.
Construction coordination
- Construction permits
- Constructed layout
- Approved project documents
- Field changes
The primary building authority depends on the project's address.
Liquor / Business Licensing
The establishment's liquor/business licensing is a separate owner/operator process through the appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
Liquor licensing remains the responsibility of the business/operator and the applicable licensing authority.
Licensing responsibility
- Business / operator
- Applicable licensing authority
- Licensing jurisdiction
- Licensing documents
The owner, design team and contractor should not treat the final bar configuration as unrelated to the licensing documents.
Shared Floor Plan
But the two can affect each other. For example, Clark County's liquor licensing materials require a floor plan identifying the total size of the location, restaurant and bar seating, kitchen, restrooms, bar areas and other components of the operation.
We keep the constructed conditions aligned with the approved construction documents and coordinate with the owner and design team so field changes do not create conflicts with other approval processes.
Gray Shell, Second-Generation Restaurant or Existing Bar?
A project's starting condition often tells us more about construction complexity than its square footage. A gray shell, former retail or office suite, second-generation restaurant, operating location or existing bar or lounge each calls for a different review of the existing conditions and infrastructure the new concept will require.
Starting condition
What we're evaluating
Gray shell restaurant space
What we're evaluating
Full MEP infrastructure, restrooms, kitchen utilities, hood, grease, framing, ceilings and finishes
Former retail/office space
What we're evaluating
Change-of-use implications, new kitchen infrastructure, exhaust route, grease waste, electrical capacity and plumbing
Second-generation restaurant
What we're evaluating
Whether existing hood, grease, plumbing, electrical and kitchen infrastructure can support the new concept
Operating restaurant remodel
What we're evaluating
Phasing, protection, equipment reuse, permitted conditions and minimizing downtime
Existing bar or lounge space
What we're evaluating
Bar utilities, equipment, finishes, lighting, circulation and food-service scope if applicable
A second-generation restaurant isn't automatically the cheaper project. If the existing infrastructure doesn't match the new cooking line, equipment loads or layout, modifying old systems can become a substantial part of the build. Conversely, verifying usable infrastructure before design can prevent unnecessary replacement.
How Much Does a Restaurant Buildout Cost in Las Vegas?
There is no single reliable square-foot price for a Las Vegas restaurant buildout. The total depends on the space's starting condition, the food-service systems the concept requires, the applicable review path and which equipment or finishes are included in the construction scope.
The principal cost drivers are:
Space and Occupancy
- Existing use and permitted occupancy
- Gray shell versus second-generation restaurant
Food-Service Systems
- Hood, exhaust and makeup air
- Grease interceptor and slab excavation
- Electrical-service capacity
- Gas and plumbing
- Refrigeration
- Fire-sprinkler modifications
Reviews and Delivery
- Health, building and fire reviews
- Franchise-required finishes
- Owner-supplied equipment and signage
Completed Project Example
Jimmy John's Restaurant Conversion
Approx.$300,000
Documented completed-project value
The value covered most of the construction scope, including demolition, site work, MEP, finishes, millwork, custom refrigeration boxes, fire-sprinkler changes, low-voltage coordination, permits and closeout.Restaurant equipment and signage were generally excluded.
This is one completed conversion, not a universal square-foot price or an estimate for another restaurant. Review the Jimmy John's Restaurant Conversion Case Study.
What We Need Before Pricing a Restaurant or Bar Build Out
The fastest way to get an unreliable restaurant estimate is to price from square footage alone.
For a meaningful scope review, the most useful information is:
- 01
Project address
Determines jurisdiction and allows existing-condition research.
- 02
Existing use
Gray shell, retail, restaurant, bar, office or another occupancy.
- 03
Architectural plans
If already prepared.
- 04
Kitchen equipment schedule
One of the most important pieces of restaurant information.
- 05
Menu/cooking concept
Helps establish the type of kitchen infrastructure involved.
- 06
Lease work letter
Identifies landlord versus tenant obligations.
- 07
Landlord construction criteria
Particularly important in shopping centers and multi-tenant properties.
- 08
Franchise standards
When applicable.
- 09
Owner-supplied equipment
Including expected delivery dates.
- 10
Target opening date
So procurement and approval constraints can be identified early.
Don't have everything yet?
That's normal. We can identify the missing construction information before it becomes an expensive field question.
Our Restaurant Build Out Control Points
Instead of duplicating the generic tenant-improvement process already explained on our Tenant Improvements page, restaurant construction adds several food-service-specific control points.
- 1
Confirm the Existing Conditions
We review the space, existing infrastructure, permitted use and obvious construction constraints before scope is finalized.
- 2
Lock the Operational Layout
Kitchen equipment, cooking line, bar equipment, dining layout and support spaces are coordinated so the construction is based on how the business will actually operate.
- 3
Coordinate Food-Service MEP
Plumbing, gas, electrical, ventilation, refrigeration and grease waste are checked against the equipment they serve.
- 4
Coordinate Building, Health & Fire Review
Construction documents and specialty reviews are routed through the applicable agencies and project team.
- 5
Verify Rough Construction Before Closure
Critical underground and in-wall work is reviewed before slabs, walls and ceilings make corrections expensive.
- 6
Coordinate Equipment, Finishes & Final Inspections
Equipment installation, finish construction and remaining approvals are sequenced around turnover.
The most valuable restaurant construction decisions are often the ones made before anybody starts framing.
Real Las Vegas Restaurant Build Out Experience
Photo 1 of 11
Featured Case Study
Jimmy John's Las Vegas Restaurant Buildout
RESTAURANT TILAS VEGAS, NV | 89131
Scope
This commercial tenant improvement converted an approximately 1,200-square-foot former dental office into an operational Jimmy John's franchise location. The approximately three-month project included deep grease-interceptor site work, new food-service plumbing and electrical distribution, custom walk-in refrigeration, fire-sprinkler changes, ADA restroom construction, and franchise-controlled interior finishes. Read the Jimmy John's Restaurant Conversion Case Study.
Permits
Big Horn Remodeling coordinated the full required permit and inspection package through the City of Las Vegas, together with Jimmy John's plan approval.
Project Timeline | Approx. 3 Months
Start
Demolition
Infrastructure
Interceptor
Buildout
Finishes
June 2025
Completed
Notes
Big Horn Remodeling installed a 750-gallon precast grease interceptor through the parking lot, including a roughly 10-foot-deep excavation where caliche required specialty equipment. The build also coordinated custom walk-in cooler and freezer boxes, storewide fire-sprinkler rerouting, and franchise-controlled finishes.
Restaurant & Bar Projects We Are Built For
Big Horn Remodeling can coordinate construction for food-service concepts such as:
Full-service Fast-casual Quick-service Franchises Bars & lounges Restaurant bars Cafés & coffee Commercial kitchens Second-gen conversions Gray-shell build outs Restaurant renovations Food-service improvements
Different concepts have different infrastructure requirements. Talk with our team about the operation, equipment and construction scope your concept will require before it is treated like a generic restaurant template.
Why Restaurant Owners Call a General Contractor Before Construction
Restaurant owners often rely on several specialists, and the risk is not whether each party understands its own scope but whether the handoffs between their scopes are coordinated before construction begins.
Project parties
- Architect
- Kitchen equipment supplier
- Mechanical engineer
- Hood contractor
- Fire-suppression contractor
- Plumber
- Electrician
- Landlord
- Health department
- Building department
Coordination questions
- Does the electrical plan match the final equipment schedule?
- Does the hood location match the cooking line?
- Does the ceiling framing accommodate the hood?
- Does the roof routing work?
- Does the plumbing correspond to the equipment plan?
- Does the grease-waste design match the actual fixtures?
- Did the equipment change after engineering?
Those are coordination questions. Big Horn Remodeling's role as general contractor is to keep those pieces moving as one construction project.
Planning a Restaurant or Bar Build Out in Las Vegas?
Whether you're starting with a gray shell, converting an existing commercial space, taking over a second-generation restaurant or remodeling an operating food-service location, the first step is understanding the existing conditions and the infrastructure the new concept will require.
We'll review the construction scope and identify the major build-out considerations before they turn into field changes.
Get a Free Commercial Consultation
Send whatever you have—we'll use it to understand the scope and identify the next step.
- The project address
- Plans, if available
- Equipment information
- Your target opening date
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a restaurant build out different from a normal tenant improvement?
A restaurant build out is a type of tenant improvement when the restaurant occupies leased space, but it adds food-service infrastructure that isn't present in most office or retail TIs. That may include commercial kitchen exhaust, fire suppression, grease waste, specialized plumbing, gas, higher electrical loads, refrigeration and Southern Nevada Health District plan review. For general leased-space construction, see our Tenant Improvements page.
Does Big Horn Remodeling build restaurants from gray shell space?
Yes. A gray-shell restaurant build out may require new underground plumbing, electrical distribution, HVAC, exhaust, gas, restrooms, kitchen infrastructure, grease handling and interior finishes. The actual scope depends on the shell condition, proposed operation and approved plans.
Do you coordinate Southern Nevada Health District plan review?
Yes. We coordinate the construction and plan-review requirements associated with food-service projects as part of the restaurant build-out process. SNHD's Plan Review program handles new, remodel and change-of-ownership health permit applications for food establishments.
Do you install grease interceptors for restaurants?
We coordinate and construct grease-interceptor and related grease-waste scope when required by the restaurant design and applicable jurisdiction. The exact requirements depend on the food-service operation, plumbing design and local wastewater/building requirements.
Do you handle Type I and Type II commercial kitchen hoods?
We coordinate commercial hood construction, exhaust, makeup air, equipment interfaces and required fire-suppression work as part of restaurant build outs. The appropriate hood type and final design depend on the cooking equipment and applicable mechanical and fire requirements.
Can you build a commercial bar as part of a restaurant?
Yes. Restaurant bar construction can include under-bar plumbing, drainage, refrigeration, electrical, beverage equipment, custom millwork, countertops, back-bar construction, lighting and finish work.
Can you build a standalone bar or lounge?
Yes, provided the project falls within our licensed construction scope and project parameters. Bar and lounge build outs can involve many of the same MEP, finish, accessibility and fire-life-safety systems as restaurant construction, with additional attention to beverage-service workflow and customer circulation.
Can an existing retail or office suite be converted into a restaurant?
Potentially, but this is usually a much more infrastructure-heavy project than taking over an existing restaurant. The existing occupancy, electrical capacity, plumbing, exhaust route, grease-waste requirements, restrooms, fire protection and other systems must be evaluated before a reliable construction scope can be established.
Do you work from franchise construction plans?
Yes. We have completed franchise restaurant construction and can coordinate field execution with brand plans, equipment layouts and franchise-specific finish requirements while still satisfying local construction and inspection requirements.
Who handles the building permits?
Big Horn Remodeling coordinates the construction permits associated with our contracted work through the appropriate local jurisdiction. The primary building authority depends on the project's address.
Does Big Horn Remodeling obtain the restaurant's liquor license?
No. Construction permitting and liquor/business licensing are separate processes. We coordinate the construction side and can work with the owner, architect and licensing team so the constructed layout remains consistent with the approved project documents. Liquor licensing remains the responsibility of the business/operator and the applicable licensing authority.
How long does a Las Vegas restaurant build out take?
It depends heavily on the starting condition, plan-review requirements, equipment procurement and construction scope. A second-generation restaurant with reusable infrastructure may move much differently from a gray-shell build requiring complete MEP systems. As a real example, our Jimmy John's conversion of a former dental office took approximately three months of active construction and was completed in June 2025; that is project evidence, not a universal restaurant timeline.