How does the number of floors affect commercial construction cost differently than residential?

Commercial buildings often need wider floor plates and longer structural spans to suit office or retail layouts, which changes how cost scales with additional floors compared with a residential building of similar height. Lift capacity, fire stair requirements and MEP riser sizing also become more significant considerations as floor count rises in a commercial context. The calculator's storey input reflects this directionally, but a structural engineer should confirm span and load assumptions for your specific floor plate design.