Question 1

What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out?

Accepted Answer

Cat A (Category A) is a landlord-led fit-out that delivers a tenant-ready empty space, typically including raised floors, suspended ceilings, lighting, basic mechanical and electrical services, fire detection and a finished base condition for occupier reconfiguration. Cat B (Category B) is the occupier's fit-out on top of Cat A: partitioning to the occupier's plan, finishes to the occupier's brand, kitchens and tea points, meeting rooms, IT and AV, and any feature work. The terms are widely used in UK office leasing and fit-out, but specifications vary by landlord, region and lease, so always confirm the Cat A scope and the handover condition with the landlord's specification.

Question 2

Do you provide design as well as construction?

Accepted Answer

We are a specialist construction contractor, delivering against a designed scheme rather than originating one. We can work from a fully developed architect's package, from a design-and-build brief where we engage with the architect, or from outline drawings where the brief is being developed. For occupier fit-out projects without an existing design partner we can recommend designers we have worked with, but the design contract sits with them.

Question 3

Can you act as principal contractor on a fit-out project?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for our trade scope on smaller refurbishment, fit-out and tenant works we routinely act as principal contractor, holding CDM 2015 duties, coordinating any third-party trades the project requires, and managing the client relationship directly. On larger projects we deliver our specialist scope as a sub-contractor to a main contractor running the wider building programme, and we have repeat-work relationships with main contractors including GF Tomlinson and Kingfisher Construction.

Question 4

How long does a commercial fit-out take?

Accepted Answer

Programme depends on area, complexity, services scope, and whether the building is occupied. As a rough guide, a small Cat B office fit-out of around 500 m² typically runs four to six weeks of trade time after services are sequenced; a complete office floor of 1500–2500 m² runs eight to twelve weeks; a full multi-floor Cat A and Cat B programme runs three to six months depending on services complexity. Retail rollouts and overnight refurbishments compress to days or single weekends per unit. We size programmes to the brief and confirm at the pre-construction stage.

Question 5

Can you work in occupied buildings?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a substantial part of our work is in live offices, retail, healthcare and education environments. We sequence in zones with temporary screens and dust protection, run out-of-hours and weekend programmes for high-disruption activity, write method statements that align with the building's permit-to-work requirements, and coordinate access for materials and waste with the client's facilities team.

Question 6

What sectors do you fit-out?

Accepted Answer

We deliver commercial fit-out across offices (Cat A and Cat B), retail (rolling shopfit programmes and one-off store refurbishment), education (schools, colleges and universities), healthcare (hospital and clinical refurbishment programmes), industrial (office, welfare and customer-facing space inside warehouses and factories), and leisure and hospitality (gyms, hotels, food and beverage venues). Our specialist ceiling, dry lining and acoustic capabilities give us a strong position on any project where those trades are central to the fit-out scope.

Question 7

Do you handle mechanical and electrical services?

Accepted Answer

Mechanical and electrical services sit outside our trade scope; we coordinate sequencing with the M&E contractor on every fit-out programme but the M&E contract is held by a specialist. Where the project is delivered through a principal contractor, M&E is normally part of the principal contractor's package. Where we act as principal contractor on smaller works we sub-contract M&E to a vetted partner.

Question 8

Can you deliver under main contractor frameworks?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have repeat-work relationships with main contractors including GF Tomlinson and Kingfisher Construction, and we deliver our specialist scope under their frameworks across the Midlands and beyond. We hold the relevant insurances, supply our own RAMS, attend pre-construction and progress meetings, and provide weekly programme returns to the contractor's project manager.

Question 9

What is your typical handover process?

Accepted Answer

Our handover process covers final snag walks against the architect's specification, O&M record packs covering the products and systems installed, manufacturer warranty registration where applicable, and a defects-period commitment to return for remedial works during the contractual defects window. Where the project is delivered to a principal contractor, the principal contractor leads handover and we contribute our trade-scope documentation into their package.

Commercial Fit-Out in Belfast

Local delivery, national back-office

We do more than fit-out here

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Frequently asked questions

Planning commercial fit-out in Belfast?