Commercial Construction in Massachusetts

OVERVIEW

Schlickmann Construction is a licensed commercial general contractor serving Stoneham and Greater Boston with small-to-mid-scale commercial work — office build-outs, retail tenant fit-outs, restaurant build-outs, medical and dental fit-outs, churches and assembly spaces, and multi-unit tenant improvements. We coordinate with landlords, building managers, architects, and inspectors, and we phase the work to keep your business open and your downtime minimal.

Commercial construction in Massachusetts means different code, different inspectors, and different timelines than residential work. Schlickmann Construction is a licensed commercial general contractor handling small-to-mid-scale projects across Stoneham, Woburn, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, Reading, Burlington, and Greater Boston — retail and office build-outs, restaurant fit-outs, medical and dental suites, churches and assembly spaces, multi-unit renovations, and tenant improvements in existing commercial buildings. We read your lease, coordinate with your landlord and building manager, and carry the project from permit through certificate of occupancy.

Most of our commercial work is tenant fit-outs and build-outs. That means taking a cold shell or a tired prior-tenant space and turning it into a functioning office, store, clinic, or restaurant. We plan the demolition, reframe and reconfigure, run new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, and finish to your brand standard. Because adjacent units are usually occupied, every fit-out starts with a phasing and downtime plan: temporary partitions, dust and noise containment, and after-hours scheduling so neighboring tenants — and your own operation — keep running.

Code and accessibility compliance is where commercial projects live or die. We design and build to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB / 521 CMR) and the ADA — accessible bathrooms, ramps, door widths, reach ranges, and signage — and to the 780 CMR building code, including the stricter assembly-occupancy provisions that govern churches, restaurants, and other public-gathering spaces (egress capacity, occupant load, fire separation, and sprinkler/alarm requirements). We coordinate MAAB review, fire-marshal sign-off, and health department approvals before construction, not after, so your inspections don't become surprises.

We offer design-build delivery for clients who want one accountable contract from drawings through finish, which closes the gap between architect and builder, exposes cost and buildability issues early, and locks the budget before demolition. We also work plan-and-spec with your own architect and MEP engineers. Either way we handle permitting and inspections end to end — building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire — pulling every permit under CSL-121587 and scheduling each sign-off through to certificate of occupancy.

Project types we serve include professional and corporate offices, boutique and franchise retail, full-service and quick-serve restaurants, medical/dental/veterinary clinics, churches and assembly halls, fitness and wellness studios, salons, and multi-unit residential common areas and apartment refreshes. Typical projects run 6–16 weeks depending on scope, with restaurants, medical suites, and assembly work on the longer end because of specialty trades and added review.

Why hire a licensed CSL general contractor for commercial work? Because a build-out that ignores accessibility, life-safety, or assembly code doesn't just fail inspection — it delays your opening, voids your occupancy permit, and can put your lease and your customers at risk. Schlickmann Construction carries commercial-level insurance, can be bonded when a project requires it, coordinates directly with landlords and lenders, and runs each job with a dedicated PM who owns the schedule, the budget, and the inspections. We're not a $50M-tower GC — we're the reliable mid-scale commercial partner that delivers on time, on budget, and to spec.