Cat A Office Fit Out and Reinstatement Services
Whether you are preparing an office for a new occupier or returning it to base-build condition at the end of a lease, Creed-Miles provides complete Cat A Office Fit Out and reinstatement services.
We remove unwanted Cat B alterations and reinstate raised floors, suspended ceilings, lighting, power, HVAC and other required elements, leaving the space clean, functional and ready for inspection, handover or re-letting.
Based in Kingston upon Thames, we undertake Cat A projects across South West London, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and Middlesex for landlords, tenants and property professionals. We don’t just carry out Cat A Office Fit Outs, we undertake office refurbishment, install office furniture, flooring and much more. We really are the local number one office and commercial property experts and we’ve been doing this for 60-years with the expertise and knowledge to help you.
What Is A Cat A Office Fit Out?
A Cat A Office Fit Out creates a clean, functional base-build workplace, ready for marketing or for an incoming occupier to complete their own Cat B Fit Out. A Cat B Fit Out is tailored to that occupier and may include meeting rooms, private offices, kitchens, reception areas, specialist lighting, flooring, furniture and branded finishes.
When the occupier leaves, the lease may require some or all of these additions to be removed. The work typically involves stripping out partitions, kitchens, cabling, branding and other bespoke features, making good affected surfaces and reinstating floors, ceilings, lighting, power and HVAC to an agreed Cat A standard. This is often described as Cat A reinstatement.
The precise finish required should be able to be confirmed from the lease, any Licence to Alter and any Schedule of Dilapidations before works begin. Once that finish is clear, our team can plan and undertake the reinstatement efficiently, helping tenants meet their obligations and landlords prepare the space for its next occupier.
What Does A Cat A Office Fit Out Include?
The work required will depend on the condition of the premises and the terms of the lease, but a typical Cat A reinstatement may include:
- Removing partition walls, meeting rooms and private offices
- Removing kitchens, tea points and reception installations
- Reinstating raised access floors
- Repairing or replacing suspended ceiling grids and tiles
- Removing tenant-installed lighting and reinstating base-build lighting
- Removing or reinstating power, data and perimeter trunking installations in accordance with the agreed specification
- Altering or reinstating HVAC and other mechanical services
- Removing floor coverings such as carpet tiles, where required
- Making good walls, ceilings, floors and other affected surfaces
- Redecorating to an agreed Cat A standard
- Testing and commissioning relevant building services
- Clearing the premises and leaving them ready for handover
For example, if a bespoke lighting installation has required alterations to the suspended ceiling, the affected grid and tiles may need to be repaired or replaced. Where partitions have damaged raised access floor panels, those panels may also require replacement.
Who Needs A Cat A Office Fit Out Or Reinstatement?
Tenants Approaching The End Of A Lease
Commercial leases frequently require tenants to remove alterations and return the property to an agreed condition. However, not every element of a Cat B Fit Out will necessarily need to be removed, as explained in “Do You Need to Remove Everything?” below.
Completing the agreed reinstatement work directly gives the tenant greater control over the programme and cost while reducing the risk of unresolved issues at handover.
Landlords And Asset Managers
Where a departing tenant has not completed the necessary work, landlords and asset managers may need to reinstate the office before it can be marketed again.
An office fit out tailored to one occupier, including its meeting rooms, private offices, kitchens and specialist facilities, will not necessarily suit the next. Returning the floor to an open-plan Cat A condition creates a neutral, flexible starting point, allowing prospective tenants to see the size and potential of the space and plan a fit out of their own to suit their specific operational requirements.
Do You Need To Remove Everything?
Not necessarily. A landlord may prefer to retain good-quality elements that make the property easier to market or are likely to suit the next occupier. These might include glazed meeting rooms, upgraded lighting, flooring, kitchens or improvements to mechanical and electrical services.
Removing serviceable installations only for the landlord or incoming tenant to replace them can create unnecessary cost, waste and disruption. It is therefore worth establishing exactly what the landlord wants before stripping out a Cat B Fit Out.
What must be removed will depend on the lease, any Licence to Alter and the nature of the installations. Even where the tenant paid for the work, some fixtures and alterations may have become part of the premises and remain subject to reinstatement obligations. Tenants should review the relevant documents and discuss the landlord’s requirements as early as possible. Where appropriate, a dilapidations surveyor or other property adviser can help identify what is contractually required and what may be open to negotiation.
Once the position is agreed, Creed-Miles can survey the premises and prepare a scope covering what needs to be removed, retained, repaired or replaced. Any agreement allowing elements of the existing fit out to remain should be properly documented to avoid uncertainty at handover.
Cat A Reinstatement And Dilapidations
Cat A reinstatement often forms part of a tenant’s wider dilapidations obligations at the end of a commercial lease. A Schedule of Dilapidations may identify alterations to be removed, repairs to complete and areas requiring redecoration, so reviewing it early allows more time to establish and plan the required work.
The cost of physically reinstating every alteration will not necessarily be the final basis of a dilapidations settlement. The landlord’s intentions, the terms of the lease and the value of existing improvements may all be relevant, so tenants should take appropriate professional advice before committing to substantial works.
Once the required scope has been agreed, Creed-Miles can survey the premises, prepare a quotation and undertake the work needed to return them to the appropriate condition, coordinating with tenants, landlords, property managers and their professional advisers.
What Is The Difference Between Cat A and Cat A Plus?
Cat A provides a largely open-plan blank canvas, normally including the fundamental services and finishes needed for an incoming tenant to carry out its own fit out.
Cat A Plus goes a step further by providing a basic, ready-to-occupy workplace. Depending on the property, this might include meeting rooms, a fitted kitchen or tea point, floor finishes, lighting and a selection of office furniture.
Cat A Plus can appeal to businesses looking for a space they can occupy quickly without commissioning a complete bespoke fit out.
Our Cat A Office Fit Out And Reinstatement Process
- Site survey and document review
We inspect the premises and review the available information, including drawings, the proposed scope of work, any Schedule of Dilapidations and relevant lease requirements.
Where a lease expiry date is approaching, it is usually sensible to review reinstatement obligations as early as possible so surveys, quotations, landlord approvals and the works programme can be planned in the right order.
- Agreeing the reinstatement scope
We identify which Cat B elements must be removed, which features have been agreed for retention and what needs to be repaired, replaced or reinstated.
- Preparing the programme and quotation
You receive a clearly defined proposal covering the work and anticipated programme, which takes into account any deadlines linked to a lease expiry or proposed re-letting date.
- Strip-out and reinstatement
Our team coordinates the removal of the agreed elements of the existing fit out and the reinstatement of ceilings, floors, mechanical and electrical services, decorations and other required elements.
- Testing, cleaning and handover
Relevant services are tested, outstanding items are completed and the premises are cleaned and prepared for inspection and handover.
Cat A Reinstatement Across South West London, Surrey And Middlesex
Based in Kingston upon Thames, Creed-Miles carries out Cat A reinstatement projects for landlords, tenants, property managers and commercial agents across South West London, Surrey and Middlesex.
Whether you are working towards a lease deadline, responding to a Schedule of Dilapidations or preparing vacant premises for re-letting, we can provide a clearly defined scope and programme for the required work.
Serving London, Surrey & South West London From Our Kingston Office
Our offices are conveniently located in Kingston upon Thames, allowing us to undertake Cat A Office Fit Out projects quickly and efficiently throughout London, South West London, Surrey and Middlesex. We regularly work with businesses in Kingston, Richmond, Wimbledon, Surbiton, Esher, Cobham, Leatherhead, Sutton, Twickenham and the surrounding areas, while also undertaking projects across Central London and the South East.
Because our project managers and installation teams are based locally, we’re able to provide site surveys and prices promptly, coordinate efficiently with clients and respond quickly throughout every stage of a Cat A Office Fit Out project.
Why Choose A Kingston-Based Office Cat A Office Fit Out Contractor?
Being based in Kingston upon Thames means we can respond quickly to projects across South West London and Surrey. Clients benefit from local project management, faster site visits, straightforward communication and a team that understands the practical requirements of providing CAT A Office Fit Out ptojects efficiently throughout the area.
Discuss Your Cat A Office Fit Out or Reinstatement Project
Whether you are working towards a lease deadline, responding to a Schedule of Dilapidations or preparing vacant premises for marketing and re-letting, we can assess your requirements quickly and provide a clearly defined scope, programme and practical approach to the work.
Contact us today about your premises and anticipated timescale and we will provide you with help so that together we can manage the best way to complete your project.
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.FAQs About CAT A Office Fit Outs
Cat A reinstatement involves removing the outgoing tenant’s Cat B alterations and returning the premises to an agreed base-build standard, typically raised floors, suspended ceilings, lighting, power, HVAC and decorations. The exact scope depends on the lease and the property’s condition.
It depends on the size of the premises and the extent of the work involved. A small, straightforward office might take one to two weeks; a larger or more complex project could take four to eight weeks or more. We can give a firm programme once we’ve surveyed the premises.
Not quite. A strip-out removes the outgoing tenant’s installations, while Cat A reinstatement also repairs or replaces the necessary base-build elements. A strip-out is typically one stage within a wider reinstatement project.
Yes, if the landlord agrees and the arrangement is documented. Retaining serviceable elements, such as meeting rooms, kitchens, flooring or lighting, can avoid the cost and waste of removing something only to replace it later.
Cat A is an open-plan space with the fundamental building services in place. Cat A Plus adds facilities such as meeting rooms, a kitchen and floor finishes, letting a new tenant occupy the office more quickly.
