- 608-445-2370
- anne@bulldogcommercialrealestate.com
- 1609 Landmark DrCottage Grove, WI 53527
Downtown, west side, Middleton and Fitchburg — plus the space that never gets listed.
Madison’s office market isn’t one market, and the rent you’ll pay depends more on which side of the Beltline you land on than on how nice the space is.
A suite on Capitol Square, a build-out in University Research Park and a second-floor office off Junction Road are three different products with three different tenant pools and three different rate structures. Downtown you’re paying for walkability and paying again for parking you may not get. On the west side you’re paying for proximity to UW Health, Exact Sciences and the biotech cluster. South and east, you’re paying less and driving more.
We represent office tenants across Madison and Dane County — and because the landlord's commission is typically split with the tenant's broker whether or not you bring one, representation usually costs you nothing directly.
Tell us the headcount, the budget and the commute you’re willing to ask people to make, and we’ll come back with what actually fits. Call (608) 445-2370.
The Map
Downtown
Older converted stock alongside newer mixed-use, plus the East Washington Avenue redevelopment corridor. You're buying walkability, proximity to the Capitol and the UW, and a location that helps with recruiting.
The constraint is parking. Downtown suites frequently come with fewer stalls than a comparable suburban space, and reserved parking is often a separate monthly charge per stall rather than something included in your rate.
West
The research park and the corridor running west toward Junction Road. Where the biotech, health-tech and UW-adjacent tenants concentrate — tightest availability and highest rates in the county for quality space.If your business benefits from being near UW Health, Exact Sciences or the research ecosystem, the premium is often worth it. If it doesn't, you're paying for an adjacency you won't use.
Northwest
Its own municipality with its own zoning and its own permitting timeline — worth knowing if your space needs build-out requiring approvals. Strong suburban inventory, easier parking than downtown, and a west-side location that works for staff coming from Waunakee, Cross Plains and Verona.
South
More affordable per square foot, generally easier parking, and faster municipal approvals than the City of Madison in most cases. A good fit for back-office, operations and any business whose clients don't visit often.
East
Office and flex product along I-90/94. Strongest option if your team commutes from Sun Prairie, Cottage Grove or DeForest, or if you need office attached to warehouse or shop space.
Not sure?
For most Dane County businesses, where your staff already live constrains the search more than budget does. Tell us where people are driving from and we'll narrow the map before we start touring.
Three lease structures are common in Madison, and the same nominal rate means very different things under each.
Base rent covers utilities, janitorial, taxes, insurance and common area maintenance. Simplest to budget. Most common downtown.
The landlord covers some operating expenses and you cover others. Which ones varies by deal — and this is where the surprises live.
Base rent only. You pay your proportional share of taxes, insurance and CAM on top. The quoted rate looks dramatically lower.
Compare the fully loaded annual cost across the whole term, including escalations — not the rate on the flyer. A modified gross space at a higher headline number can cost less than a triple net space at a lower one.
You're quoted on rentable square footage, which includes your share of lobbies, corridors and restrooms. Usable is what you can actually put desks in. That load factor commonly adds meaningfully to what you're billed for — and it varies building to building. Ask for both numbers.
Specialty
Medical office isn't general office with exam rooms. It's a different product with different economics.
Plumbing to individual rooms, medical gas where required, specialized electrical, shielding for imaging, and finishes meeting infection-control standards. TI allowances rarely cover it, so the gap comes out of your capital.
We can't list inventory publicly the way a national platform can, and we don't pretend otherwise. What we do have is direct relationships with Dane County owners, and a real share of what we transact never gets posted anywhere.
Referral patterns, hospital and system proximity, and patient drive times matter more than the amenity package.
We work with practices on new locations, expansions and relocations across Dane County — including finding second-generation medical space where a prior tenant's build-out can be reused, which is often the difference between a project that pencils and one that doesn't.
Right-Sizing
Most tenants over-lease, then pay for the mistake for five years. Traditional private-office layouts run considerably more square footage per person than open or hybrid plans — and post-2020 hybrid schedules have changed the math again.
We’ll size it with you before we start showing space. It’s a shorter conversation than the one where you realize in year two that you’re paying for twenty percent you’ve never used.
Especially downtown. Get stall count and monthly cost in writing.
Two spaces quoted at the same rentable square footage can differ meaningfully in usable space.
Get contractor pricing before you sign, not after.
A modest annual increase across a seven-year term is a larger number than it looks like in year one. Model the whole term.
The renewal is where tenants without representation lose the most money, because the leverage is gone once you're established in the space.
You inherit the original lease's terms and depend on the original tenant's performance. Read the master lease.
If you're going to be in the same space for a decade, buying is worth modeling. Owner-users can look at SBA financing designed specifically for purchasing the building you operate from, and it converts an expense into an asset with a fixed occupancy cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rates vary substantially by submarket and lease structure. Downtown and University Research Park carry the highest rates in the county; Fitchburg, the south side and the east corridor run lower. More important than the rate is the structure — a triple net quote and a full service quote aren’t comparable numbers. We’ll run the fully loaded cost on anything you’re considering.
You’re not required to have one. But the landlord is typically already paying a commission that gets split whether or not you bring representation — so tenant rep usually costs you nothing directly. Without it, you’re negotiating against someone who does this professionally.
Rentable includes your proportional share of lobbies, corridors, restrooms and mechanical space. Usable is what you can actually occupy. You’re quoted and billed on rentable, and the gap — the load factor — varies by building. Always ask for both.
Three to seven years is common, with longer terms on larger spaces or where the landlord is funding significant build-out. Shorter terms are available but usually come with a higher rate and a smaller TI allowance.
Often, yes. A meaningful share of Dane County office space is filled through broker relationships before it’s marketed. If you tell us your requirement, we can approach owners directly in the buildings and corridors you want.
Madison and all of Dane County — including Middleton, Fitchburg, Verona, Sun Prairie, Cottage Grove, Monona, DeForest, Waunakee, Oregon and Stoughton.
Send us the headcount, the budget, the submarkets you'd consider and when you need to be in. We'll work the listed market and go direct to owners at the same time.
