Commercial construction has the term “fit out”, which describes the work of building interior commercial space to meet the occupant’s requirement. The commercial fit-out is representative of office construction. Fit-outs are tailored to the tenant’s requirements; they are referred to as tenant improvements. Some of the commercial fit outs include supplementary details, such as:
- Signage installed
- Raised floors
- Meeting and office rooms finished
- Additional IT, electrical, and mechanical elements
- Reception areas
- Internal finishes
- A/V equipment
- Blinds and window furnishing
- Suspended ceilings
- Furniture installed
- Special lighting fixtures
- Kitchen areas completed
The fit-out elements are different than the white box elements, which include:
- Finished exterior
- HVAC
- Basic plumbing and electrical
- Basic ceilings and floors
- Doors and windows
- Bathrooms
- Stairs and elevators
- Emergency evacuation routes
These will describe the fit-out and the white box elements, including:
- Bathrooms
- Basic ceilings and floors
- Basic plumbing and electrical
- Emergency evacuation routes
- Doors and windows
- Finished exterior
- HVAC
- Stairs and elevators
But these definitions and items would be uncertain and vague. It is invaluable to form strong legal contracts, which explain:
- Who will cover the costs of the commercial fit-out, between the occupant and the landlord
- How the costs are covered
- The time difference when the white box construction will be completed as opposed to the commercial fit-out construction beginning
- Options permitted by the landlord, such as:
- provisions for tenant generators
- extra equipment
- uninterrupted power supply, etc.
- What specific furnishings were installed by the landlord versus the tenant
- The extent of finishing provided by the white box construction firm, such as:
- Electrical
- Doors
- plumbing
- Definitions of the terms, such as:
- shell and core
- white box
- fit out
- Both fit-outs and box shells are instrumental in commercial interior construction.
What does fit-out mean?
In the construction industry, the word fit-out is a term usually used to explain the process of making the interior space of the building fit for occupation by the tenant. These fit-outs encompass the following:
- interior walls
- plastering
- electrical
- flooring
- decoration
- lighting
- mechanical installations
- Furnishings
Look for a fit-out contractor
The tenant commonly employs a fit-out specialist to accomplish the interior construction work with the landlord’s approval. But, you should not be confusing the construction jargon, a fit-out specialist, not a builder who is an expert in construction work and interior renovations. The distinctions between a fit-out contractor and a regular builder are:
- Regular builder. It constructs a building from the ground up structurally, including:
- Shell
- The core of the building
- Fit-out contractor. It is generally not involved with any structural work. Once the exterior parts are ready, the fit-out contractor has to build interior spaces fit for a particular tenant’s needs.
Are you a tenant or a landlord? For any of these, you might be needing the help and expertise of a commercial fit-out contractor.
