End of Lease Dilapidations Works
We carry out end of lease dilapidations works for a fixed price, priced against your schedule line by line.
- Fixed-price quotes within 48 hours of a site visit
- Works priced line by line against your schedule of dilapidations
- £10m public liability, SafeContractor accredited teams
Accreditations & certifications
If you are a commercial tenant approaching lease expiry, or a landlord taking a unit back, we carry out the full end of lease dilapidations works and price them line by line against your schedule – a fixed quote within 48 hours of a site visit, works completed to your date, and a photographic sign-off pack at the end.
What do end of lease dilapidations works cover?
Dilapidations works cover the full scope of repair, redecoration and reinstatement needed to return a commercial property to the condition set out in the lease. The exact requirements are dictated by the landlord's schedule of dilapidations.
Typical works include:
- Structural repairs and making good
- Redecoration (walls, ceilings, floors)
- Carpet tile and flooring replacement
- Suspended ceiling removal or replacement
- Partition removal and making good
- M&E strip and disconnection
- Lighting and trunking removal
- Sanitary ware replacement
- External works and yard reinstatement
- Photographic sign-off pack
How are end of lease dilapidations priced?
The works are priced by assessing the specific remedies requested in the schedule and calculating the real-world cost to carry them out. We review the schedule line by line, visit the site, and provide a fixed quote covering the exact scope required. This means you only pay for what the lease actually demands, not the inflated estimates often found in an initial claim. You can see typical rates by scope on our dilapidations pricing guide.
Where the schedule calls for removing a tenant fit-out, we price that as an office strip-out element; where it calls for a shop returned to shell, we price a retail strip-out. The wider internal clearance is handled as soft strip demolition.
Why do the works rather than settle in cash?
Completing the works yourself before the lease ends typically costs 20% to 40% less than paying the landlord's costed claim. The landlord's surveyor prices the schedule to protect the asset, not to save you money. When you commission the works directly, you control procurement, hire a contractor at market rates, and effectively end the negotiation. Our guide to dilapidations costs explains where the savings come from.
How long do end of lease dilapidations take?
Most commercial dilapidations works take between 2 and 6 weeks, depending on property size and the complexity of the schedule. We agree a clear programme upfront, working backwards from your lease expiry date. You can read how we run a project from site visit to sign-off before you instruct.
Who is this for?
We are instructed by commercial tenants looking to limit their exit liabilities and hand back a compliant unit on time, and by landlords who need an empty unit returned to lettable condition quickly. Building surveyors managing the process for either side also instruct us directly. Where a landlord needs the office brought back to base-build standard, we carry out Cat A reinstatement; on warehouses and factories we handle industrial unit reinstatement, including mezzanine removal where the lease demands it.
Where do we carry out dilapidations works?
Based in Great Dunmow, we cover the East and South East from a single yard, and each town has its own dedicated page. In the capital we handle end of lease dilapidations across London, from City and Docklands office floors to out-of-hours working in managed buildings. Closest to base, we run dilapidations works in Chelmsford with the fastest mobilisation on the patch, then follow the A12 for lease-end reinstatement in Colchester and its business parks, and on to office and waterfront handbacks in Ipswich.
South along the A127 we take on industrial dilapidations around Basildon and retail and small-suite reinstatement in Southend-on-Sea. Further north we cover lab and R&D reinstatement in Cambridge and, along the M1, airport-adjacent and industrial handbacks in Luton. Wherever your unit sits, the fixed-price, 48-hour promise is the same.
Been served a schedule?
Get a fixed price for the works. We price line by line against your schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dilapidations works process?
It starts with a free site visit to walk the schedule with you. We then provide a fixed-price quote within 48 hours. On instruction, we carry out the works to your lease expiry date and hand over a photographic sign-off pack on completion.
How much do end of lease dilapidations works cost per sq ft?
Costs typically range from £8 to £20 per sq ft for standard offices, depending on the scope of the schedule and the specification required. A detailed schedule lets us price the works precisely, line by line.
Can we start works before the lease ends?
Yes. Starting early lets you hand the unit back fully compliant on your expiry date, which typically prevents any claim for lost rent or mesne profits from the landlord.
What if additional items are found on site?
Because we price line by line against the agreed schedule, any additional items need your sign-off before we proceed. There are no hidden costs.
Is doing the works cheaper than settling in cash?
Doing the works yourself before the lease ends typically costs 20% to 40% less than paying the landlord's costed claim, because the landlord's surveyor prices the schedule to protect the asset, not to save you money.
How it works
Site visit
We visit the property and walk the schedule with you. No charge.
Fixed quote in 48 hours
You receive a written fixed price, priced line by line against your schedule.
Works completed to schedule
Our teams strip, remove, make good and reinstate to the agreed spec. We work to your expiry date.
Photographic sign-off pack
We provide a full photographic record of completed works. Your landlord gets evidence; you get closure.