Interior finish creates the identity of the building. It makes a statement about the nature of the business within—whether utilitarian, adventurous, or staid and dignified. Therefore, selection of materials should be made with an eye toward purpose and function of occupancy.

If, during the course of a project, the owner decides to cut back on costs, this is not a good area in which to do it. When a project is finished and the owner and prospective tenants walk through, they will not be able to see a complicated foundation, nor the marvelously engineered subsystems. What they will see are the finishes. If the project is “cheapened” at this point, it will show and dull the luster of an otherwise shining project.

Room Finish Schedule - A complete set of plans should contain a room finish schedule. If one is not available, it would be well worth the time and effort to put one together. A room finish schedule should contain the room number, room name (for clarity), floor materials, base materials, wainscot materials, wainscot height, wall materials (for each wall), ceiling materials, and special instructions. It is handy and easier to work out a room finish schedule on a grid system.

LEED Certification - The type of materials used will have an impact on LEED certification. Current trends encourage use of natural materials, particularly those sourced locally. Materials with high recycled content are also desirable. The selection of interior finishes will also have an impact on energy conservation, light reflectance, and thermal retention.

Gypsum Plastering - Pricing a plaster and lath job depends on the quality of work desired. A first class project will have variations in the wall level of less than 1/16" in 10 feet. An ordinary plaster job (or commercial grade) may have waves of 1/8" to 3/16" in 10 feet. Overall, labor for first class work is approximately 20% higher than ordinary or commercial grade work. read more

Gypsum Board - A rule of thumb when estimating materials for drywall is to not deduct for door or window openings of less than 32 S.F. read more

Flooring - Waste allowances for flooring depend on the material used, the room dimensions, and the pattern or texture of the chosen material. For tiles or strip flooring allow for 5% waste. For carpet, the amount of waste will range from 5% to 35% depending on the roll width, room dimensions, and pattern. read more

Wall Coverings - Always specify wall coverings from the same batch with identical batch numbers. This will help to ensure that the colors and patterns will match. A single roll of wallpaper will cover approximately 36 S.F. Allow approximately 6 S.F. per roll for waste. This means take the total square foot area to be covered and divide by 30 to determine the number of rolls needed.read more

Acoustic Treatment - Acoustical systems fall into several categories. The takeoff of these materials should be by the square foot of area with a 5% allowance for waste. read more

Paint & Coatings - A major portion of the work in painting involves surface preparation. Be sure to include cleaning, sanding, filling and masking costs in the estimate. read more

Surplus Finishes - Review the specifications to determine if there are any requirements to provide certain amounts of extra floor tile, ceiling pads, paint, wallcoverings, etc., for the owner’s maintenance department. In some cases, the owner may require a substantial amount of materials, especially if it is a special order or long lead time item.