Our primary resource for construction cost estimating is RSMeans, along with data provided from the projects that we design in each locale. The current data, for a 1-3 story wood frame garden-style apartment building with brick veneer is currently running between $110 and $125 per square foot (Gordian Q1 2025 Construction Cost Report; RSMeans 2025) in the greater Austin area.
These costs include soft costs for Architecture and Engineering as well as Contractor fees such as overhead and profit. These costs do not include the cost of the property or the site improvements and infrastructure that may be required for the project. They also do not include any financing costs associated with the project.
How Maxx Builders Approaches Commercial Construction in Texas
Every commercial construction project in Texas turns on three early decisions: delivery method, cost predictability, and schedule realism. Maxx Builders engages on all three before contract signing on most design-build engagements — and this is where the largest cost variance in a project is locked in or avoided.
On delivery method: design-build aligns design and construction teams under one contract, eliminating the design-bid-build friction where architects and contractors negotiate scope late in the project. For most Texas commercial projects under $20M, design-build delivers faster schedules and fewer change orders. Construction management at-risk (CMAR) becomes preferable on larger or more complex projects where owner control over design choices is paramount.
On cost predictability: a credible preconstruction estimate at programming or schematic design — before construction documents are finalized — gives the owner real visibility into what the building will actually cost. The cost benchmarks throughout this guide draw on RSMeans 2025, Gordian Q1 2025 cost report, and validation against actual delivered-project costs across our Texas portfolio. (RSMeans, Gordian, 2025)
On schedule realism: most schedule failures originate in the first 30 days — incomplete permit packages, late finalization of finish selections, long-lead material decisions deferred. We pull schedule risk forward by sequencing critical-path items during preconstruction.
Maxx Builders has delivered across hospitality, healthcare, retail, industrial, and tenant improvement throughout Texas. If you’re evaluating a project in the planning or schematic phase, request a preconstruction consultation — that’s the window where decisions actually move budget.
Specialty MEP & Code Coordination for Specialized Construction
Specialized commercial verticals — healthcare, dental, multi-family, and certain industrial uses — combine high-stakes MEP requirements with code-driven design standards. Maxx Builders has delivered specialty projects including Altus Healthcare (Houston, 15,000 sq ft interior build-out), Heartland Dental (Kyle, TX, dental practice), and Pearl Apartment (multi-family). The MEP and code coordination on these projects can dominate the project critical path if not managed from schematic forward.
Healthcare MEP Requirements
Healthcare facilities — particularly imaging, surgical, and procedural spaces — face additional MEP standards including:
- Redundant electrical service for life-safety equipment (Joint Commission requirements where applicable)
- Medical gas distribution — oxygen, nitrous, vacuum, scavenging (where dental/medical procedures occur)
- Air handling separation for negative-pressure rooms (isolation, sterile processing)
- Lead-lined imaging rooms for X-ray, CT, dental panoramic (1/16″ or 1/8″ lead depending on physicist calculation)
- Compressed air and central vacuum for dental operatories — typical 1/2″ lines run from central mechanical room to each operatory
- Sterile-to-soiled flow paths for instrument processing
Healthcare per-SF costs in Texas: $250–$800+ depending on level of care, finish grade, and MEP complexity (RSMeans 2025; CBRE U.S. Healthcare Capital Markets).
Dental Office MEP & Layout
Dental practice construction sits at the intersection of healthcare requirements and small-tenant TI. Each dental operatory needs:
- Dedicated water lines (potable + amalgam separator return)
- Central vacuum suction line (typical 1.5″ line)
- Compressed air line (typically 1/2″)
- Dedicated electrical circuits for chair, light, monitor, computer
- Network connectivity (imaging server, practice management)
- X-ray power outlet with proper grounding
Dental construction costs range $150–$400+ per SF for interior build-outs (RSMeans 2025). Maxx Builders has delivered Heartland Dental and other dental practice TIs in Texas.
Multi-Family Construction Considerations
Multi-family (apartments, condos, mixed-use residential) construction in Texas faces:
- Unit-to-unit fire separation and STC (sound transmission class) ratings — often higher than code minimum to support lease rates
- Sub-metering for individual unit utility billing
- Common-area HVAC separation from unit HVAC
- Trash and laundry chute routing in mid-rise/high-rise
- Elevator coordination on 4+ story buildings
- Pool, fitness, leasing-office FF&E as part of project scope
Texas multi-family permitting varies materially by jurisdiction. Maxx Builders has delivered multi-family including Pearl Apartment.
Code Coordination Practices
For specialty projects, code coordination should start before schematic design:
- Pre-application meeting with city plan reviewer to identify special requirements early
- Radiation physicist consultation for any imaging or radiation-bearing equipment
- Fire marshal pre-review for high-occupancy or specialty use (e.g., assembly above 50 occupants)
- Texas Health & Safety Code coordination for healthcare facilities
- Texas TCEQ coordination for any chemical or biohazard handling (dental amalgam, medical waste)
Maxx Builders manages code coordination as part of preconstruction. Request a specialty project consultation.
