We guide companies through the entire office preparation process: from space analysis, space planning, and CAPEX budgeting, through design, MEP coordination, and landlord approvals, to general contracting, commissioning, and delivering a ready-to-use workspace.
An office fit-out is more than just finishing works. It's a process where space planning, MEP systems, building requirements, budget, and construction must move in perfect sync. That’s why at Ecoffices, we integrate: briefing, office design, CAPEX budgeting, MEP coordination, landlord approvals, general contracting, FF&E, AV/IT, and handovers. This gives you full visibility of the scope, control over cost decisions, and a clear understanding of what actually goes into a turnkey office.
We don't start by drawing walls. First, we analyze your work model, headcount, and the technical constraints of the unit. This stage proves whether the space fits your planned layout before the design and execution start generating actual CAPEX.
An office fit-out shouldn't start with crews mobilizing on site. First, we verify the premises, functional brief, CAPEX budget, building requirements, and a realistic schedule. Only then does the design move through MEP coordination, landlord approvals, construction, FF&E, AV/IT, and handovers. This ensures you are not just buying a renovation, but a controlled space adaptation process leading to a ready-to-work office.
At the start, it's not about an attractive layout, but a sound investment decision: whether the floor area, initial condition, MEP systems, and building requirements will allow the office to be delivered on budget and on time.
A well-executed fit-out is truly visible only after the office is operational: in meeting room acoustics, workstation ergonomics, finishing quality, functioning AV/IT, coordinated MEP systems, and closed-out documentation. The projects below showcase different starting points: a new shell space, adaptation of a second-generation office, refurbishment of an existing layout, and Design & Build delivery.
The cost of a fit-out depends on more than just the floor area. The same unit may require an entirely different scope of works depending on the starting condition, the number of meeting rooms and private offices, MEP standards, glazing ratio, acoustics, HVAC, AV/IT, FF&E, logistics, and the landlord's requirements. That is why at Ecoffices, we analyze the budget in layers: hard fit-out, civil & MEP works, base-build systems, furniture and equipment, AV/IT, landlord approvals, logistics, as-built documentation, and contingency.
Adjust the core parameters and see how decisions regarding floor area, headcount, lease term, and resource re-use affect the initial CAPEX, total cost of ownership, carbon footprint, and workplace fit.
Indicative office fit-out cost in the selected standard.
Civil & Finishes
38%MEP & Systems
29%Furniture / FF&E
18%AV / IT
8%Contingency & Logistics
7%CAPEX is just part of the decision. Rent, service charges, and operational costs apply throughout the lease.
Check TCO0% reuse does not reduce the decision's footprint.
Calculate ESGCheck if the space accommodates the work program, rooms, facilities, and growth buffer.
In an office fit-out, the difference isn't just about who prepares the design. The key is whether a single responsible team can integrate the brief, space planning, detailed design, CAPEX, landlord approvals, general contracting, handovers, and workspace delivery.
Base parameters are synchronized with the CAPEX model. You can specify the starting condition and decision stage to see the recommended delivery model.
In the classic model, you first order an office design, then gather construction bids, and only at the end confront the concept with actual costs, delivery times, building guidelines, and execution capabilities. In more complex adaptations, this means a higher risk of revisions.
We integrate design, budgeting, MEP coordination, and execution. As a result, decisions regarding layout, standard, MEP systems, glazing, AV/IT, FF&E, and logistics are evaluated from the start against cost, time, building requirements, and feasibility.
A fit-out doesn't end with a rendering. What matters is whether the office design complies with building requirements, stays within the assumed budget, fits the schedule, and is formally handed over for use. That is why at Ecoffices, aesthetics are linked to engineering, costs, and execution responsibility from the very first decision.
Need a fit-out ready for execution?
Explore our scope of servicesA fit-out schedule doesn't depend solely on the floor area. The biggest impacts come from: brief quality, starting condition, office design, MEP coordination, landlord approvals, technical decisions, deliveries, FF&E, and AV/IT. A well-managed process allows you to identify risks early, before they start blocking construction, handovers, or the move-in date.
This is where the actual functional office program is established. The time is consumed not by drawing lines, but by reconciling the needs of the team, the board, the building, and the budget.
In commercial buildings, costly problems usually arise when the office design is managed separately from the building's requirements. That's why Ecoffices integrates the brief, functional program, MEP engineering, budget, building fit-out guidelines, landlord approvals, logistics, execution, and handovers into a single process. This ensures risks are not merely fire-fought on site, but eliminated early—before they impact the budget, schedule, or scope of works.
The number of workstations, meeting rooms, private offices, kitchens, common areas, and technical rooms affects more than just wall layouts. It changes MEP systems, glazing, HVAC, electrical, AV/IT, FAS, the schedule, and the budget.
Program changes after concept approval.
Function verification before MEP and pricing.
Test-fit options and locking key decisions.
Managing the concept, MEP, approvals, pricing, and construction separately increases the risk of revisions. In the Ecoffices model, these areas are verified in parallel, so you see faster which decisions impact the budget, schedule, engineering, and handovers.
We can analyze the layout, building guidelines, scope, budget, logistics, and handover risks before the design generates costly revisions.
Let's discuss fit-out risksAn office fit-out involves more than just the cost of construction works. Before making a decision, it's worth assessing four layers: floor area & capacity, fit-out CAPEX, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and ESG carbon footprint. That is why Ecoffices provides calculators that structure this analysis before you even start discussing office design, budgets, or execution.
In a fit-out, the same words can imply different scopes of responsibility. That's why we show the market term alongside its explanation: Shell & Core — base building, Cat A — developer's standard, Cat B — tenant fit-out, hard fit-out — civil & MEP works, all-in — total turnkey cost. These differences impact the budget, schedule, offer comparison, and negotiations with the landlord or property manager.
Shell & Core refers to a space in a raw or base-building state, where a significant portion of the infrastructure and tenant finishes remain to be done. Such a unit offers great flexibility for office design but requires a broader scope of MEP engineering, approvals, and construction works.
Starting from Shell & Core usually increases the cost and time compared to Cat A, as more systems, technical decisions, and building approvals need to be factored in. It is a good starting point for large, customized offices, but requires a mindful CAPEX budget.
High, because the base scope is larger than with a ready developer's standard.
Underestimating MEP systems, approvals, and the time needed to mobilize works.
Verify exactly what is covered by the landlord and what falls under the tenant's responsibility.
The most common mistake is comparing a single sqm rate without checking if the proposal includes the hard fit-out (civil & MEP works), FF&E (furniture & fixtures), AV/IT, project management, approvals, contingency, and the landlord's contribution. In practice, the scope matters more than the label itself.
We can help break down the fit-out cost into layers and verify if you are comparing the same standard, scope, and responsibilities.
Let's discuss the scopeBelow you will find questions that typically arise before starting an office fit-out: regarding cost, schedule, Shell & Core (base building), Cat A (developer's standard), Cat B (tenant fit-out), hard fit-out (civil & MEP works), all-in (total turnkey cost), landlord approvals, FF&E (furniture, fixtures & equipment), AV/IT (audiovisual & network) and Design & Build.
These are three different starting points that directly impact the cost, time, and scope of an office fit-out.
Fit-out cost depends on the starting condition, standard, MEP scope, and whether you calculate only the hard fit-out or the full all-in variant.
Hard fit-out (civil & MEP works) shows only a portion of the budget. All-in (total turnkey cost) is closer to the real CAPEX of a ready office.
A typical process includes workplace strategy, design with approvals, execution, and handovers. Indicatively, you can assume:
In total, this usually takes about 16–28 weeks, but the actual time depends on the floor area, starting condition, client decisions, lead times, and building procedures.
The most common delays stem from late decisions, approvals, MEP clashes, and deliveries, not just the pace of construction crews.
In a modern commercial building, the design must pass through property management requirements, building systems, and formal procedures.
The landlord or property manager can halt the project if solutions conflict with building engineering, fit-out guidelines, safety requirements, or site work procedures.
To start, a floor plan, information on the starting condition, and a functional brief are usually enough.
Every functional decision has technical consequences. Meeting rooms, private offices, kitchens, server rooms, open spaces, and common areas affect HVAC, electrical, LAN, lighting, fire safety, BMS, and acoustics.
A well-managed fit-out doesn't separate interior design from MEP engineering. These layers must be coordinated concurrently; otherwise, costly clashes will only surface during pricing or on the construction site.
They can be, but you must clearly define whether the proposal covers a hard fit-out or an all-in variant.
Yes. AV/IT (multimedia and network) should not be bolted on at the end, as it affects the layout, electrical, acoustics, furniture, and schedule.
Design & Build means a single partner manages the design, cost, schedule, approvals, and execution. In the traditional model, you procure the design, MEP engineering, pricing, and construction separately.
Yes. Ecoffices manages projects in the Design & Build model: from concept and documentation to execution, handovers, and preparing the office for work.
Often yes, but it depends on the lease agreement, lease length, floor area scale, and the building owner's strategy.
No. A fit-out can apply to a new space, a relocation, an in-situ refurbishment of an operational office, or an adaptation of a second-generation space.
The final stage is not just cleaning and handing over the keys. It involves handovers, systems testing, and preparing the office for operational use.
All we need is a floor plan, an approximate headcount, and information on whether you are planning a new office, a relocation, a refurbishment, or preparation for a fit-out. Based on this, we'll advise whether to start with space planning, a design concept, or execution documentation.