Metro Vancouver Retail & Cannabis Fit-Out Contractor

01What a retail fit-out includes

Scope varies with the brand, the tenancy and the product, but a Metro Vancouver retail fit-out usually pulls from the same set of trades. Enduro coordinates all of them under one contract and one schedule:

• Demolition & strip-out of the existing tenancy back to base building
• Storefront & glazing — entrances, feature windows, security glass and grilles
• Steel-stud framing & drywall — sales floor, back-of-house and demising walls
• Display millwork & casework — counters, wall systems, gondolas and feature displays
• Point-of-sale (POS) & cash-wrap build-out and power
• Security systems — monitored intrusion alarm, CCTV, access control and secure storage
• Data, low-voltage & audio-visual (AV) — cabling, networking, screens and sound
• Electrical — distribution, power, retail lighting and controls
• Mechanical / HVAC — units, ductwork, ventilation and controls
• Plumbing — washrooms, staff areas and specialty fixtures
• Fire protection & life-safety — sprinkler, alarm and exit systems
• Retail lighting — track, accent and display lighting tuned to the product
• Flooring & wall finishes — paint, tile, resilient and brand finishes
• Signage & wayfinding coordination — storefront, interior and code signage
• Accessibility upgrades to the BC Building Code
• Permits & code coordination with the municipality and consultants
• Cannabis / liquor regulatory build — window screening, secured storage, age-gating
• Closeout, commissioning & handover ready for opening day

02Cannabis & liquor stores — the regulated build

Cannabis and licensed liquor retail carry build requirements an ordinary shop doesn't. The shell and trades look familiar; the regulated layer is where these stores are won or lost at inspection. Enduro builds those requirements into the drawings and the schedule from day one instead of retrofitting them at the end:

Cannabis retail

• Line-of-sight & window screening — film, screening or product placement so cannabis and inventory aren't visible from outside the store, per provincial and municipal conditions.
• Secured storage & back-of-house separation — a locked, alarmed inventory room kept separate from the sales floor.
• Monitored security — intrusion alarm, CCTV coverage and access control coordinated with your security provider.
• Age-gating & controlled entry — an entry and layout that keeps minors out of the retail area.

Enduro has delivered regulated cannabis stores including Seed & Stone in Pitt Meadows and the Norgate Cannabis Store in North Vancouver — full fit-outs with display millwork, secure storage, advanced security systems and accessible layouts. We build to the conditions attached to your provincial cannabis retail licence and your municipal development and business licences. For how we run one of these builds, read managing a cannabis retail build.

Licensed liquor retail

Licensed liquor stores carry their own layout, security and point-of-sale requirements under the BC Liquor Distribution Branch and municipal conditions. Enduro has delivered an interior tenant improvement of a BC Liquor Store — partitions, ceilings, lighting, display millwork, shelving and finishes with the electrical, mechanical and plumbing behind them.

Licensing conditions come from the province and your municipality, not from us — but they shape the build, so we coordinate the fit-out to them. Confirm the current requirements for your store with your licensing authority and consultants.

03General contractor or construction manager — which fits

Enduro delivers retail fit-outs two ways. The right one depends on how settled your brand standard and design are, and how much of the process you want to hold yourself.

Simply put: GC to build it, CM to steer it. Not sure which? Tell us where your store stands and we'll give you a straight recommendation — see our plain-language CM-or-GC guide.

04How a Metro Vancouver store build runs, step by step

A retail fit-out lives and dies on its approvals and coordination — landlord sign-off, permits and, for cannabis and liquor, licence conditions. Here is how Enduro runs one:

1. Feasibility & budget

   We walk the tenancy, test your brand program against the base building and lease, and give you an early, honest number — so you know what fits before design gets expensive.

2. Design & landlord coordination

   We work alongside your designer and consultants, cross-check drawings for buildability and code, and coordinate the landlord's design criteria and storefront approvals early so they don't hold up the permit.

3. Permits, licences & approvals

   Most retail build-outs need a municipal building permit, with trade permits usually rolled into it; a new storefront or sign can trigger a development permit. For cannabis and liquor we align the build with the provincial licence conditions and municipal business-licence steps. Before demolition, we coordinate the WorkSafeBC-required hazardous-materials (asbestos) survey by a qualified person.

4. Procurement & long-lead

   We lock trade and material commitments at agreed prices and place long-lead orders — storefront glazing, custom display millwork, security equipment — early, so nothing stalls your opening date.

5. Construction

   Subcontracted trades are sequenced and managed under one contract, with a super on site running trades, deliveries and safety day to day. We file the WorkSafeBC Notice of Project where the work requires it, and check quality as it's installed.

6. Closeout & opening

   We work the deficiency list to zero, prove HVAC, electrical, security and life-safety systems, and hand over a store ready for merchandising, staff training and opening day — with as-builts, warranties and O&M documents.

05What a retail fit-out costs in Metro Vancouver BC

Fit-out cost is driven by the level of finish, the storefront and security scope, and how much base-building and mechanical work the space needs.

Cannabis and liquor stores tend to sit in the upper end — the secured storage, monitored security, window screening and controlled entry add scope a general retail shop doesn't carry. Storefront glazing, custom display millwork and the level of finish move the real number in either direction.

Enduro prices off real drawings when they exist and builds an open-book budget with you when they don't — then confirms the number in writing after a site visit. For where 2026 costs are heading, read our Vancouver fit-out outlook.

06How long it takes

Construction is often the shorter part of the calendar — design and landlord coordination, permitting and, for cannabis and liquor, licence conditions usually drive the overall schedule. Typical planning ranges for a Metro Vancouver retail fit-out:

The most common cause of a slipped opening isn't the permit queue — it's an approval or a long-lead item that got started late. We front-load the survey, the drawings, the landlord approvals and the storefront and security orders to keep that from happening. See the Vancouver permit guide.

07Building after hours in a live mall

Many Metro Vancouver retail fit-outs happen in enclosed malls and shopping centres that stay open around the build — or next to stores that are still trading. Enduro schedules and hoards these builds so the centre keeps running:

Done right, the neighbouring stores keep trading, the centre keeps its hours, and your opening date holds.

08Recent retail fit-outs

A few Metro Vancouver retail fit-outs Enduro has delivered across cannabis, licensed and branded retail:

Cannabis retail Seed & Stone Pitt Meadows, BC Cannabis retail Norgate Cannabis Store North Vancouver, BC Licensed retail BC Liquor Store Squamish, BC

For a luxury-retail reference point, the Maison Margiela flagship shows the finish standard achievable on a tenant-improvement timeline — a project Enduro worked on as a specialty subcontractor under the prime general contractor, not as the GC of record. See all retail projects →

09Retail & cannabis fit-out FAQ

How much does a retail store fit-out cost in Metro Vancouver BC?

A basic in-line shop uses standard partitions, lighting and millwork; a branded store adds custom fixtures, feature lighting and security; flagship and regulated retail adds heavier storefront, storage, monitoring and licensing requirements. The existing building, services and finish level determine the actual number, which Enduro confirms from drawings and a site visit. These are scope bands, not a quote — Enduro confirms your number in writing after a site visit.

Do you build licensed cannabis retail stores in BC?

Yes. Enduro builds regulated cannabis stores across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley as the GC or construction manager — including window screening so product isn't visible from outside, secured storage separated from the sales floor, monitored security, and age-gated entry. We build to the conditions attached to your provincial cannabis retail licence and your municipal licences.

What's different about building a cannabis store versus a normal store?

The shell and trades are similar; the regulated layer is not. A cannabis store adds window screening, a secured storage room separated from the sales floor, a monitored alarm and camera system, and controlled, age-gated entry. Enduro builds those into the drawings and the schedule from day one rather than retrofitting them before inspection.

Can you build a BC Liquor Distribution Branch or licensed liquor store?

Yes. Enduro has delivered an interior tenant improvement of a BC Liquor Store — partitions, ceilings, lighting, display millwork, shelving and finishes with the electrical, mechanical and plumbing behind them — and builds to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch and municipal conditions that apply to your store.

Do I need a permit to build out a retail store in Vancouver, BC?

Most retail build-outs do — the common triggers are moving interior walls, altering the storefront, changing how the space is used, or altering plumbing, electrical, gas or mechanical systems. A new storefront or sign can trigger a development permit, and trade permits usually roll into the building permit. Cannabis and liquor retail also carry separate provincial licensing and municipal business-licence steps. Confirm current rules with your municipality and consultants.

Can you do the work after hours so the mall stays open?

Yes. Retail fit-outs in enclosed malls and centres are routinely built after hours and overnight to landlord and centre-management rules — loud work scheduled outside trading hours, storefront hoarded and sealed, deliveries coordinated at the loading dock, and exits and life-safety kept live throughout.

How long does a retail fit-out take in Metro Vancouver?

A straightforward in-line store often runs a couple of months of construction. Construction itself is typically 4–12+ weeks, but design and landlord coordination, permitting and — for cannabis and liquor — licence conditions usually drive the overall schedule.

Should I hire a GC or a construction manager for my store?

Hire a general contractor when the design and brand standard are settled and you want one firm to hold the contract and hand you a finished store. Hire a construction manager when you want to stay owner-side with an open-book budget while design is still moving or you're rolling out multiple stores. GC to build it, CM to steer it — Enduro offers both.

Does Enduro self-perform the trades?

No. Enduro is the prime contractor and construction manager — we hold the contract, plan and sequence the work, run daily site control and quality, and manage the subcontracted trades as your single point of accountability. One company answers for budget, schedule and the finished store.

Are you licensed and insured to work in BC?

Yes — Enduro is a licensed BC builder, bondable and insured, and WorkSafeBC registered. On commercial work we file the WorkSafeBC Notice of Project where required and coordinate any hazardous-materials survey the demolition scope calls for.

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