Flex space for lease in Erie, Longmont and Lafayette.

The short answer To lease flex space, start with your must-haves (door size, power, clear height, office share, parking and use), then compare every option on its all-in monthly cost, not the quoted rate. Most flex leases are quoted triple net, so you pay base rent plus your share of taxes, insurance and common area costs. A tenant rep broker, usually paid by the landlord, runs the search and negotiation for you.

Goff CRE Group, brokered by Nassar Realty, represents businesses leasing flex and office warehouse space in Erie, Lafayette, Longmont, Broomfield and the rest of Boulder County and southwest Weld County. Flex is most of our leasing work.

What should you look for when leasing flex space?

• Overhead doors. Count them, measure them (width and height), and check whether your truck or trailer can actually turn in and reach them. A door that is too small is very hard to fix.
• Power. Ask for the amperage and voltage serving the unit and whether three-phase power is available. If your equipment needs more than the unit has, find out who pays for an upgrade before you sign the letter of intent.
• Clear height. Measure to the lowest obstruction, not the roof deck. It decides how high you can rack and whether a lift or overhead crane is possible. See clear height.
• Office build-out. How much finished office there is, its condition, and whether it matches your layout. Extra office you do not need still costs rent. Removing or adding office is negotiable, often through a tenant improvement allowance.
• Parking and yard. Employee and customer parking, and whether you can store trailers, vehicles or materials outside overnight. Many multi-tenant flex buildings do not allow it.
• Use permits. Zoning, the building's rules, and what the town will require to permit your use. Fitness, assembly, food production and some manufacturing uses can trigger code upgrades. Confirm before you negotiate.
• Shop heat, restrooms and drains. Small items that are expensive to add after move-in.

How are flex leases usually structured?

Many flex leases are quoted on a triple net (NNN) basis. You pay base rent to the landlord, plus your pro rata share of the building's property taxes, insurance and common area maintenance (often estimated monthly and reconciled once a year). Your share is usually your square footage divided by the building's square footage. Our CAM and pro rata share guide explains how that math and the year-end reconciliation work.

Some flex space is quoted modified gross or another way, where the landlord covers some of those costs inside the rent. Neither structure is automatically cheaper. What matters is the total. Other terms to watch: annual escalations, the length of the term, renewal options, free rent, who maintains the roof and HVAC, and the restoration clause (what you must remove or repair when you leave).

What flex leases have we negotiated?

Two recent flex leases, both representing the tenant:

How does tenant representation work?

The landlord's listing broker works for the landlord. A tenant rep works for you. We write down your requirement, search listed and unlisted space, tour with you, compare every option on the same all-in basis, negotiate the letter of intent, and work with your attorney on the lease. In most commercial leases the landlord pays the commission, so you usually do not pay your broker directly; the compensation is disclosed in a written agreement. Read more about tenant representation and what a tenant rep broker costs.

Plan on several months from the start of a search to move-in, and longer if the space needs build-out or new permits. Your current lease's notice date is the real deadline. Before you sign, run through our commercial lease checklist.

Should you buy instead?

If your needs are stable and you plan to stay, owning a flex condo can replace rent with a mortgage payment on an asset you control. See flex space for sale.