A Cat B office fit out turns an office interior into a workplace arranged around a particular business. It can include partitions, meeting rooms, furniture, kitchen facilities and changes to power, lighting and other services.
The aim is to prepare the space for the people who will use it. However, the label does not guarantee that every item is included in a proposal. Understanding the scope is essential when planning a move, agreeing a budget or comparing contractors.
Key Takeaways
- Cat B adapts an office to the occupier’s working requirements.
- Cat A provides the basic specification; Cat B adds the business-specific layout and facilities.
- Furniture, technology and service alterations need to be clearly included or excluded in the quotation.
- Costs and timescales depend on the starting condition and agreed scope.
- Coordinate design, approvals, procurement and move-in requirements before work begins.
Modernised office space at The Courts Service of Ireland as part of an office fit out completed by iGate Interiors.
What Does Cat B Fit Out Mean?
A “Cat” (Category) B fit out is the part of the office fit-out process that creates an interior for a particular occupier, rather than leaving it as a general-purpose space.
Imagine taking an office with basic lighting, heating and finishes already installed. Your team still needs workstations, meeting rooms, storage and somewhere to take a break. Cat B brings those requirements together in a coordinated design.
It is not simply a decorating stage. The layout may require changes to building services as well as new furniture and finishes.
Cat A vs Cat B: what is the difference?
A Cat A office fit out generally provides basic finishes and services, such as lighting, ventilation and floor or ceiling systems. Cat B develops that starting point into an office suited to the occupier.
Shell and core describes an earlier condition, before the tenant’s office interior is fitted out. These categories describe different scopes, not competing quality grades.
Why the agreed specification matters
There is no single package that every contractor means by “Cat B”. Furniture or audiovisual equipment might be included, supplied separately or left as an allowance.
Check the drawings, specifications and exclusions together. A category label is not a substitute for an agreed scope of works.
GoFundMe partnered with IGate Interiors to design and furnish their new Irish office, creating flexible layouts and collaborative spaces to support their growing team and global branding continuity.
What Does a Cat B Office Fit Out Include?
The exact package depends on the building and the business. The following are typical elements to consider when developing the brief, rather than a promise that every Cat B quotation includes them all.
Layout, partitions and meeting spaces
Start with office space planning to establish where people will work, meet and move through the building. Include the balance of desk work, private conversations and group activity.
The design may combine open workstations with partitioned rooms and meeting booths. Check room sizes against their intended use rather than fitting a standard meeting table into whatever space remains. A room used for video calls needs more consideration than simply closing a door.
Furniture and storage
Agree the desks, task chairs, meeting tables and storage required in each area. Reception furniture and soft seating for informal discussions may also form part of the package.
Review furniture dimensions alongside the layout, including chair movement and equipment space. Ask employees what they need to store before choosing cabinets or lockers. Confirm whether delivery, assembly and removal of packaging are included, particularly where furniture is being ordered separately from the construction work.
Kitchens, tea points and breakout areas
A tea point might provide drinks and basic refreshment facilities, while a larger kitchen may need more equipment, worktop space and storage. Plan these around the number of people likely to use them at once.
Consider canteens and breakout spaces early enough to coordinate seating, appliances and service connections. Identify the equipment you intend to supply yourself, so the drawings and quotation still account for its dimensions and installation requirements.
Power, lighting, ventilation and technology
Existing services may need adapting to suit new rooms and workstation positions. Review power outlets, data cabling, ventilation and office lighting alongside the floor plan.
For example, a proposed meeting room should prompt checks of airflow, lighting controls and the connections required for its screen or conferencing equipment. Ask the design team to coordinate these details before approving the partition layout.
Providing cabling does not automatically include computers, network equipment or software licences. Agree those responsibilities with your IT supplier.
Finishes, acoustics and branding
Floor coverings, wall finishes, signage and selected branded features help complete the interior. Choose finishes for their intended use and maintenance needs, not only how they look in a sample.
Agree acoustic requirements while planning the rooms. Acoustic panels may form part of the design, but confidential meeting spaces need their overall construction and acoustic performance considered. Ask what performance the proposed specification is intended to provide.
How Much Does a Cat B Office Fit Out Cost?
There is no reliable flat price for every Cat B project. The starting condition, amount of partitioning, service alterations and chosen specification all affect the budget.
An office needing extensive ventilation changes and several enclosed rooms presents a different scope from a largely open space with suitable services already in place. Furniture, kitchen equipment and meeting-room technology also need to be accounted for.
When reviewing office fit-out costs, compare quotations against the same drawings and specification. Check whether professional fees, furniture, audiovisual equipment and delivery are included or excluded. Identify provisional allowances rather than treating them as confirmed prices.
A cost per square metre is only useful when you know what it covers. A benchmark starting from shell and core is not directly comparable with a quotation for adapting an existing fitted office.
Ask for a breakdown that separates essential work from optional upgrades. Agree how design changes will be priced and approved, and discuss an appropriate contingency for uncertainties identified during the survey. This gives you a clearer basis for decisions than a single headline figure.
How Does the Cat B Fit Out Process Work?
Confirm the starting condition and business brief
Review what the landlord is providing and what already exists. Request available drawings, service information and the agreed handover specification, then check these against the actual space.
Build the brief around attendance, room requirements, equipment, storage and expected changes to the team. Identify what you intend to retain as well as what needs replacing.
Nominate someone to coordinate decisions internally. Collect requirements from IT, facilities and the teams using the office before signing off the design.
Coordinate the design and required approvals
Develop the layout, furniture plan and building-service requirements together. 2D and 3D office design can help you review the proposed arrangement before installation.
Confirm landlord consent and ask the project team which statutory approvals, notices and certificates apply. For an Irish project, this may involve planning and building-control requirements, including fire safety and disability access certification where applicable.
The route depends on the building and the proposed works. Have the relevant professionals establish the requirements before fixing the construction programme.
Coordinate procurement and installation
Set out who orders, installs and connects each element. This matters when the fit-out contractor, furniture supplier and client’s IT team have separate responsibilities.
A meeting-room screen supplied by your IT company still needs its mounting, power and data requirements included in the design. Confirm these before walls are finished, not when the screen arrives.
Include delivery access, storage arrangements and installation sequencing in planning the office fit-out. Confirm product lead times before promising a move-in date.
Test, inspect and prepare for occupation
Allow time for testing and commissioning the installed systems, followed by an inspection to identify defects or unfinished work. Agree how these will be recorded and resolved.
Request the relevant certificates, operating information, warranties and equipment demonstrations as part of handover. Include your own suppliers in the readiness checks.
Define “ready to use” in practical terms. Finished desks are not enough if the network is not connected or access arrangements are still unresolved. Make these dependencies visible in the programme.
How Long Does a Cat B Fit Out Take?
The programme depends on the project’s size, complexity and starting condition. There is no single number of weeks that applies to every office.
Distinguish the full project programme from the period of work on site. Surveys, design development, approvals and procurement can take place before installation begins. Testing, snagging and move-in preparations also need time afterwards.
Ask the project team to identify long-lead products, restricted delivery hours and work that depends on another supplier. Agree decision dates for items such as furniture and finishes so outstanding choices are visible.
If staff will remain in the building, discuss phasing and temporary arrangements before confirming dates. Work backwards from the intended occupation date, but keep it conditional on a realistic programme rather than asking every stage to fit an arbitrary deadline.
Turning Your Fit-Out Brief into a Working Office
A successful Cat B fit out begins with a clear understanding of what the space provides and what your team still needs. Define the scope, coordinate the suppliers and agree what completion means before work starts.
iGate Interiors can help bring layout, furniture and project delivery together through its commercial office fit-out services. Start with the available floor plans and your working requirements, then build a specification that supports the business rather than relying on the category label alone.
Cat B Office Fit Out FAQs
Who pays for a Cat B office fit out?
The tenant commonly pays for works specific to their business, but the landlord may agree a contribution or deliver certain elements. Confirm the responsibilities and any contribution in the lease or fit-out agreement. Do not assume the category label determines who pays for every item.
Is Cat B the same as Cat A+?
No. Cat A+ generally describes a landlord-provided fitted office intended for relatively quick occupation. Cat B is designed around a particular occupier’s requirements. Their contents can overlap, so compare the actual layout, furniture, technology and exclusions rather than judging the offer by its name.
Can an existing office have a Cat B fit out?
Yes. Cat B work can form part of an office refurbishment when the interior is being adapted for an occupier. The survey and agreed scope establish what can stay, what needs altering and whether existing services suit the new layout.
Can existing furniture be reused in a Cat B fit out?
Yes, where its condition, dimensions and suitability support the proposed design. Assess it before finalising the furniture order, and include any relocation, reassembly or storage costs. Reuse should be planned into the layout rather than decided after new desks and cabinets have been specified.
Channel Mechanics wanted a modern, adaptable office space reflecting their ethos, supporting current needs, and future growth. They required a versatile layout, new electrics, extensive IT cabling, and carefully selected furniture to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing environment
