How to find tenant finish-out leads in Texas.

What is a tenant finish-out?

A finish-out is the work that turns an empty or old space into a tenant’s space. It typically covers walls, ceilings, floors, lights, power, data and finishes. It is also called a build-out or tenant improvement (TI).

In TABS, a finish-out in an existing building is usually filed as a renovation or alteration. From the week of Sep 14 to the week of Oct 12, 2026, renovations or alterations were 1,175 of 2,002 Texas filings (59%).

Where do these projects show up first?

The Texas Architectural Barriers Act is Chapter 469 of the Government Code. It covers buildings used by the public, including private businesses that are public accommodations or commercial facilities (Section 469.003).

When a covered project is estimated at $50,000 or more, its plans must be submitted to TDLR for review (Section 469.101). TDLR’s FAQ says projects under $50,000 don’t have to register, but they still must meet the accessibility standards.

The owner can’t apply for a building permit or start work until the plans are submitted (Section 469.102). So the TABS filing usually comes before the permit. Anyone can look filings up in the TABS project search.

What does the timing look like?

• The design firm submits within 20 days of issuing the plans, not counting weekends and holidays (Section 469.102).
• The filing lists an estimated start date and an estimated completion date.
• The owner must have the space inspected within a year after the work is done (Section 469.105).

If you bid the construction, it usually pays to reach out before the start date. If you sell to the business moving in, reach out before the completion date.

How do you read a filing?

Look at the type of work, the estimated cost, the scope and square footage, the dates, and who is named: the owner, the tenant if it isn’t the owner, the design firm and the Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS). What a TABS filing tells you walks through each one.

How busy is it right now?

From the week of Sep 14 to the week of Oct 12, 2026, 2,002 building projects were registered in TABS across Texas, in 118 counties. Of those, 1,175 (59%) were renovations or alterations, 741 were new construction and 86 were additions. By cost, 755 (38%) were estimated at $1 million or more. In Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, there were 595. The most filings came from Harris County (371), Dallas County (241), Tarrant County (144), Collin County (142) and Travis County (122).

Where does Caliche fit in?

Caliche reads every new TABS filing each day. We look up the tenant and who hires vendors, and we email you the ones that fit your trade and area. You can try it for $1. See pricing or filings by county and city.

Sources

• Texas Government Code, Chapter 469 (Elimination of Architectural Barriers)
• TDLR: Architectural Barriers Frequently Asked Questions
• TDLR: TABS project search
• TDLR: Project Registration form and instructions (EAB-205N)

Weekly totals through the week of Oct 12, 2026, pulled Oct 18, 2026. Numbers are weekly totals of TABS registrations from Caliche’s names-free summary. Shares are rounded to the nearest whole percent.