Cat A against Cat B fit-out: who pays for what

Shell and core, Category A and Category B

It helps to see the three levels in order, because each builds on the last:

• Shell and core: the base building, structure, external envelope, core services, lifts and common areas, but with the office floors left as bare, unfinished space.
• Category A: the landlord's finish of the office floors to a basic, lettable standard, raised access floors, suspended ceilings, basic lighting, mechanical and electrical distribution, and finished surfaces. It is complete but blank, with no layout.
• Category B: the occupier's fit-out that makes the space theirs, the layout, rooms, branding, finishes, furniture and technology.

A Category A space looks finished but empty and generic. Everything that makes it a particular company's office, the meeting rooms, the kitchen, the design, the brand, is Category B.

What Category A covers

Category A is about making the floor usable and lettable, not about how any particular tenant will use it. It typically includes raised access flooring, suspended ceilings, basic even lighting, the mechanical and electrical services distributed to a base standard (heating, cooling, ventilation and power), finished perimeter walls, and basic fire detection and life-safety provision. What it deliberately does not include is any layout: there are no meeting rooms, no kitchen, no design and no furniture. It is the neutral, finished canvas.

What Category B covers

Category B is where a blank floor becomes a working office tailored to the occupier. It typically includes the space planning and layout, partitions and glazed walls, meeting rooms, offices and collaboration spaces, the tea station or kitchen, branding and design finishes, floor and wall finishes beyond the base, feature lighting, and the furniture and IT. Any changes to the Category A services to suit the new layout, extra air and power for enclosed rooms, for example, are part of Category B too. This is the fit-out most people picture when they think of an office fit-out.

Who pays for what?

The general convention is straightforward, though it is always subject to the specific lease:

• Landlord: typically delivers the Category A space, or provides it and sometimes a contribution, as part of making the floor lettable.
• Tenant: typically funds the Category B fit-out, because it is specific to their business and their use.
• Negotiated incentives: in practice, landlords may offer a fit-out contribution, a rent-free period or a capital contribution towards Category B as part of the deal, so the real split depends on what is negotiated.

Getting the Category B right

Once you know what Category A you are inheriting, the Category B fit-out is where your workplace is actually created, and where a good fit-out partner earns their keep, turning your requirements into a space that works, on budget. Arkomax delivers Category B office fit-outs and renovations across Dublin and Ireland. See our commercial office renovations service and our projects for examples, and get in touch to discuss your space.

For the base building standards behind a Category A finish, see the National Building Control Offices.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out?

  A Category A fit-out delivers an office to a basic, unoccupied standard, raised floors, ceilings, basic lighting and M&E, and finished walls, complete but blank with no layout. A Category B fit-out is the occupier's fit-out that adds the layout, partitions, meeting rooms, branding, finishes and furniture that make it a working office.
• Who pays for a Cat A and Cat B fit-out?

  Typically the landlord delivers the Category A space (or provides it with a contribution) as part of making the floor lettable, and the tenant funds the Category B fit-out because it is specific to their business. In practice landlords may offer a fit-out contribution or rent-free period, so the real split depends on the lease negotiated.
• What is shell and core?

  Shell and core is the base building, its structure, external envelope, core services, lifts and common areas, with the office floors left bare and unfinished. Category A is the landlord's finish of those floors to a lettable standard, and Category B is the occupier's fit-out on top. Shell and core sits beneath both.
• Does a Category A office need more work before we move in?

  Yes. A Category A space is finished but blank, with no layout, meeting rooms, kitchen, branding or furniture. Turning it into a working office requires a Category B fit-out. It is important to confirm exactly what Category A finish is provided so you can budget for the Category B work you will need.