diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-create.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-create.js
index 451c2e766b..1a893050e9 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-create.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-create.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const path = require('path');
 const { yup } = require('@strapi/utils');
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const inquirer = require('inquirer');
@@ -95,6 +94,7 @@ async function createAdmin({ email, password, firstname, lastname }) {
   const appDir = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
 
   if (isTSProject)
     await tsUtils.compile(appDir, {
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ async function createAdmin({ email, password, firstname, lastname }) {
       configOptions: { options: { incremental: true } },
     });
 
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   const app = await strapi({ appDir, distDir }).load();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-reset.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-reset.js
index 4470220ce4..3afdd2af4c 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-reset.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/admin-reset.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const path = require('path');
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const inquirer = require('inquirer');
 const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
@@ -47,6 +46,7 @@ async function changePassword({ email, password }) {
   const appDir = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
 
   if (isTSProject)
     await tsUtils.compile(appDir, {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ async function changePassword({ email, password }) {
       configOptions: { options: { incremental: true } },
     });
 
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   const app = await strapi({ appDir, distDir }).load();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/build.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/build.js
index efa397b224..bc1f595903 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/build.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/build.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 'use strict';
-const path = require('path');
 
 const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
 const { buildAdmin, buildTypeScript } = require('./builders');
@@ -12,13 +11,14 @@ module.exports = async ({ optimization, forceBuild = true }) => {
   const srcDir = process.cwd();
 
   const useTypeScriptServer = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(srcDir);
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(srcDir);
 
   // Typescript
   if (useTypeScriptServer) {
     await buildTypeScript({ srcDir, watch: false });
 
     // Update the dir path for the next steps
-    buildDestDir = path.join(srcDir, 'dist');
+    buildDestDir = outDir;
   }
 
   await buildAdmin({
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationDump.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationDump.js
index 448794f213..72258cee83 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationDump.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationDump.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const fs = require('fs');
-const path = require('path');
 const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
 const strapi = require('../index');
 
@@ -17,14 +16,14 @@ module.exports = async function({ file: filePath, pretty }) {
   const appDir = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
-
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
   if (isTSProject)
     await tsUtils.compile(appDir, {
       watch: false,
       configOptions: { options: { incremental: true } },
     });
 
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   const app = await strapi({ appDir, distDir }).load();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationRestore.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationRestore.js
index 6bea42927c..a9f0fa1488 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationRestore.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/configurationRestore.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const fs = require('fs');
-const path = require('path');
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
 
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@ module.exports = async function({ file: filePath, strategy = 'replace' }) {
   const appDir = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
 
   if (isTSProject)
     await tsUtils.compile(appDir, {
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ module.exports = async function({ file: filePath, strategy = 'replace' }) {
       configOptions: { options: { incremental: true } },
     });
 
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   const app = await strapi({ appDir, distDir }).load();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/console.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/console.js
index 416c124f7f..ded57dbf86 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/console.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/console.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const REPL = require('repl');
-const path = require('path');
 const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
 
 const strapi = require('../index');
@@ -12,8 +11,8 @@ const strapi = require('../index');
 module.exports = async () => {
   // Now load up the Strapi framework for real.
   const appDir = process.cwd();
-
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
 
   if (isTSProject)
     await tsUtils.compile(appDir, {
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ module.exports = async () => {
       configOptions: { options: { incremental: true } },
     });
 
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   const app = await strapi({ appDir, distDir }).load();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/develop.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/develop.js
index f749447c7d..184c68b8d7 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/develop.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/develop.js
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ module.exports = async function({ build, watchAdmin, polling, browser }) {
   const appDir = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   try {
     if (cluster.isMaster || cluster.isPrimary) {
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/routes/list.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/routes/list.js
index 0c24995c62..78369a694c 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/routes/list.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/routes/list.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const path = require('path');
 const CLITable = require('cli-table3');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
 const { toUpper } = require('lodash/fp');
@@ -12,7 +11,15 @@ module.exports = async function() {
   const appDir = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
-  const distDir = isTSProject ? path.join(appDir, 'dist') : appDir;
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
+
+  if (isTSProject)
+    await tsUtils.compile(appDir, {
+      watch: false,
+      configOptions: { options: { incremental: true } },
+    });
+
+  const distDir = isTSProject ? outDir : appDir;
 
   const app = await strapi({ appDir, distDir }).load();
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/start.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/start.js
index 5ca79e4315..6f4d2a8da2 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/start.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/start.js
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 'use strict';
-const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils')
+const fs = require('fs');
+const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
 const strapi = require('../index');
 
 /**
  * `$ strapi start`
  */
 module.exports = async specifiedDir => {
-    const appDir = process.cwd();
-    const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir)
-    const distDir = isTSProject && !specifiedDir ? 'dist' : specifiedDir;
+  const appDir = process.cwd();
+  const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(appDir);
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(appDir);
+  const buildDirExists = fs.existsSync(outDir);
+  if (isTSProject && !buildDirExists) throw new Error(`${outDir} directory not found. Please run the build command before starting your application`);
+  const distDir = isTSProject && !specifiedDir ? outDir : specifiedDir;
 
-    strapi({ distDir }).start()
+  strapi({ distDir }).start();
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/watchAdmin.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/watchAdmin.js
index 33510783cd..343e46211e 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/watchAdmin.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/commands/watchAdmin.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const path = require('path');
 const strapiAdmin = require('@strapi/admin');
 const tsUtils = require('@strapi/typescript-utils');
 const { getConfigUrls, getAbsoluteServerUrl } = require('@strapi/utils');
@@ -13,7 +12,8 @@ module.exports = async function({ browser }) {
   const currentDirectory = process.cwd();
 
   const isTSProject = await tsUtils.isUsingTypeScript(currentDirectory);
-  const buildDestDir = isTSProject ? path.join(currentDirectory, 'dist') : currentDirectory;
+  const outDir = await tsUtils.resolveOutDir(currentDirectory);
+  const buildDestDir = isTSProject ? outDir : currentDirectory;
 
   const strapiInstance = strapi({
     distDir: buildDestDir,
diff --git a/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/index.js b/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/index.js
index c655a8b4a4..ef3dd023ca 100644
--- a/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/index.js
+++ b/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const getConfigPath = require('./get-config-path');
 const reportDiagnostics = require('./report-diagnostics');
 const resolveConfigOptions = require('./resolve-config-options');
 const formatHost = require('./format-host');
+const resolveOutDir = require('./resolve-outdir');
 
 module.exports = {
   isUsingTypeScript,
@@ -14,4 +15,5 @@ module.exports = {
   reportDiagnostics,
   resolveConfigOptions,
   formatHost,
+  resolveOutDir,
 };
diff --git a/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/resolve-outdir.js b/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/resolve-outdir.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1cf589af9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/utils/typescript/lib/utils/resolve-outdir.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+'use strict';
+const path = require('path');
+const resolveConfigOptions = require('./resolve-config-options');
+const isUsingTypescript = require('./is-using-typescript');
+
+const DEFAULT_TS_CONFIG_FILENAME = 'tsconfig.json';
+/**
+ * Gets the outDir value from config file (tsconfig)
+ * @param {string} dir
+ * @param {string | undefined} configFilename
+ * @returns {string | undefined}
+ */
+module.exports = async (dir, configFilename = DEFAULT_TS_CONFIG_FILENAME) => {
+  return (await isUsingTypescript(dir))
+    ? resolveConfigOptions(path.join(dir, configFilename)).options.outDir
+    : undefined;
+};