What Is a Cat A Fit Out? Cat A vs Cat B Explained
The difference between base-build and tenant fit-out, and reinstatement rules.
A Cat A fit out is the base level of office finish provided by the landlord: raised access floors, suspended ceilings, basic M&E, perimeter trunking. Cat B is the tenant's own fit out on top of Cat A, and most dilapidations reinstatement obligations require the tenant to return the space to Cat A standard.
What Does a Cat A Fit Out Include?
A Cat A fit out includes the functional elements required to make an office space habitable but leaves it as a blank open-plan canvas without any specific tenant zoning or branding.
It features finished internal walls, basic mechanical and electrical services, suspended ceilings, raised access flooring, and functional lighting. It does not include meeting rooms, kitchens, or data cabling.
What Does a Cat B Fit Out Include?
A Cat B fit out includes everything the tenant installs to make the space function for their specific business needs, transforming the open-plan Cat A space into a working office.
This covers internal partitions, private offices, breakout areas, reception desks, IT server rooms, bespoke lighting, and specialized floor finishes. At lease end, this is the layer that must be removed via an office strip out.
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What Does Cat A Reinstatement Mean?
Cat A reinstatement means stripping out all of your Cat B installations and repairing or replacing the landlord's base-build elements so the unit looks exactly as it did before you moved in.
If you cut holes in the suspended ceiling to install bespoke lighting, you must replace the grid and tiles. If your partitions scarred the raised access floor, you must repair or replace the panels. Our Cat A reinstatement contractors handle this process entirely.
Why Do Landlords Insist on Cat A?
Landlords insist on Cat A because a clean, open-plan space is far easier to market to new prospective tenants than an office heavily customized for your specific business.
Unless the next tenant explicitly wants to keep your meeting rooms, the landlord will enforce the reinstatement clause to protect the unit's lettability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shell and Core?
Shell and core is the condition before Cat A. It includes the structural frame, cladding, base plant, and common areas, but the office floorplate itself is bare concrete.
Do I own my Cat B fit-out?
While you paid for it, it usually becomes part of the landlord's property. However, the lease still requires you to remove it at the end of the term.
What is Cat A Plus?
Cat A Plus is a landlord-led fit-out that includes basic Cat B elements like a kitchen and meeting rooms, designed for tenants wanting immediate plug-and-play workspace.
Been served a schedule?
Get a fixed price for the works. We price line by line against your schedule.
Returning an office to base-build standard requires coordination between strip out teams and M&E specialists. We handle complete Cat A reinstatement for a fixed price, ensuring the space is signed off and handed back on time.