Office Fit-Out Planning Checklist

Landlord approvals come before contractor quotes

Commercial renovations in Singapore almost always require landlord or building-management approval before work can proceed. Request the written fit-out guide, approved-contractor list (if any), allowed working hours, and deposit / performance-bond requirements before scoping work.

If the building needs BCA, SCDF, or NEA sign-offs for the scope you are planning (wet works, gas, demolition, stairs), note those as hard dependencies on your timeline. No contractor quote is meaningful until these constraints are written down.

Define workflow, not just square metres

An office fit-out scope that describes only the floor plan misses the point. Document the workflow: how staff enter, where they collaborate, where they focus, how clients are received, where payments happen, where stock lives. The layout should follow the workflow, not the other way around.

List the fixed constraints you cannot change (meter position, riser location, fire-refuge door, beam depth) so every contractor prices around the same physical reality.

Handover standards need to be explicit

A clear handover standard avoids the most common end-of-project dispute: is this done? Write down what 'complete' means — keys counted, defect list resolved, as-built drawings provided, test-and-commissioning reports signed, warranty papers received, and the space cleaned. Tie final milestone payment to the handover list, not to a calendar date.

Frequently asked questions