ti-work-letter

name	ti-work-letter
title	Tenant Improvement Work Letter
description	Drafts a Tenant Improvement Work Letter exhibit for commercial leases. Trigger when the user needs a work letter, TI letter, tenant build-out exhibit, or improvement allowance agreement for a commercial leasing transaction.
author	CaseMark
author_url	https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/ti-work-letter
license	Apache-2.0
version	0.1.0
execution_mode	open
jurisdiction	us
practice	real-estate
language	en
tags	["agreement","drafting","transactional"]

Tenant Improvement Work Letter

Draft a binding Work Letter exhibit governing design, approval, construction, and payment of tenant improvements under a commercial lease.

Prerequisites

Collect before drafting:

1. Executed or draft lease — parties, premises, permitted use, rent commencement mechanics
2. TI allowance terms — total amount, per-RSF calculation, eligible cost categories
3. Base building scope — Landlord deliverables vs. TI Work
4. Building rules — contractor requirements, insurance minimums, working-hour restrictions
5. Target completion date — and relationship to rent commencement

Document Sections

1. Header & Recitals

• Title as "WORK LETTER" or "TENANT IMPROVEMENT WORK LETTER" — label as Exhibit to Lease
• Reference lease date, parties (full legal names), premises
• State incorporation into Lease; specify which document controls on conflict
• Align effective date with lease execution

2. Definitions

Define at minimum:

Term	Content
Tenant Improvements / TI Work	All improvements per Approved Plans; distinguish from base building work
TI Allowance	Total $, per-RSF calculation, one-time vs. replenishable
Approved Plans	Final space plan + construction drawings + specs approved in writing
Substantial Completion	Complete for occupancy per intended use; only punch list items remain; reference building codes
Hard Costs	Direct construction — labor, materials
Soft Costs	A&E fees, permits, project management
Over-Allowance Amount	Costs exceeding TI Allowance

3. Design & Approval Process

Four-phase flow:

1. Preliminary space plan → Landlord review (10–15 business days)
2. Construction documents (arch/MEP) → Landlord review (10–15 business days)
3. Revisions → shortened review per resubmission
4. Written approval of final Approved Plans → construction may commence

Key terms:

• Landlord approval not unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed
• Permitted withholding bases: building-system impact, code violations, value reduction, use conflict