As one of the UK’s leading office fit out providers, we know a thing or two about how to create great offices that provide inspiring, safe and comfortable working environments. Our specialist teams of fit out contractors work closely with clients to create solutions that work to stay on time and on budget.

We’re proud of our fantastic fleet of tradespeople and contractors who are able to provide a wide range of services, enabling us to offer an all-in-one, end-to-end office fit out service. That means we take care of everything, from start to finish. We’ll survey your property, produce a project plan, organise the right people to do the job and supply quality materials so that our clients can enjoy a high standard of finish.

It’s quite common to see the terminology ‘fit out’ and ‘refurbishment’ used interchangeably. Whilst they do work to do the same thing essentially from a functional perspective and there is a slight overlap in the types of work that are completed, particularly in the latter stage of a fit out, technically they are two different things.

Office fit out services are more concerned with taking a space and making it fit for a specific use. That’s not to say that an existing office space cannot be ‘re-fitted out’ as it were, to create a better office space, or perhaps a coworking space but fit outs tend to be more invasive and occur over a longer period. Rather refurbishment is more cornered with improving an existing space, and making it more visually appealing, functional and suitable for use.

For example, an office refurbishment may involve painting and decorating works, new furniture, flooring and light fixtures and an upgrade to communal kitchen space. Office fit out on the other hand would bring the office right back to basics and may involve structural changes and major works to M&E installations to remodel it for a specific use.

Axis offer both complete office fit outs and office refurbishment works.

The cost of an office fit out depends entirely on the specifications of the overall project, the work required to bring a space to the desired standard and of course the area of the space that we are working with.

For example, a client that requires significant structural alterations in a large office space would expect to pay a higher cost than a client paying for a cat b fit out in a small office space.

Here at Axis, we take care to understand your requirements and available budget to offer fair and reasonable pricing. An initial survey will help us to understand your project needs, giving us an indication of the materials, resources, equipment and expertise required to complete your fit out project to a high quality, and above all, safe standard.

We aim to use the most sustainable materials that offer a long-lasting finish as well as being financially and environmentally efficient. Get in touch with us to find out more about our office fit out services.

Shell and core fit outs are pretty much what it says on the tin. As the first stage, it deals with the fundamental structural, electrical and mechanical elements of an interior space. It is a fit out in its most basic form but it plays a key part thereafter in ensuring that a space is up to scratch, safe and suitable for use. Not all fit out projects require this back to basics level of fit out, however, it is commonly used on projects where a space is being completely repurposed for change of use. An example of this would include a commercial office being changed into a residential property.

Cat a is the next level of fit out. At this stage, specialist contractors enter the project to complete work such as fitting suspended ceilings, partition walls and raised floors. There may also be some additional mechanical and electrical work, such as fitting sockets, plugs and light fixings. It’s a very basic level of finish, yet one that transforms and a shell and core space that looks rather industrial into something that can be used for a range of purposes. Commonly, many landlords request that commercial spaces are returned to category a condition before handing back the property when a tenancy is terminated.

Cat b fit out is the final office fit out stage. This is where clients see their space come to life, as there’s an opportunity to add corporate branding as well as the chance to create functional areas that work for the business and their people. At the end of the category b phase, employees are ready to move into their new workspace. The detail is in the design, and fit out contractors such as Axis, will be able to provide the finishing touches such as installation of work stations and IT, air conditioning, heating and power points, design and decoration, provision of soft furnishings as well as the installation of fully functional office amenities such as kitchens, WCs, meeting rooms and breakout spaces.

What’s involved in an office fit out project will depend entirely on a number of factors including the existing use of the space, the condition and the requirements of the project. However, fit outs are generally broken down into three main stages, or types of fit outs. This includes shell and core fit out, category a (cat a) fit out and category b (cat b) fit out.

Each stage offers a different level of fit out, and requires specialist skills and tradespeople to ensure that work is conducted to a high-quality standard that meets health and safety regulations. Fit out work can include M&E, structural work, demolition, flooring, plumbing and gas, installation of windows, doors, staircases and lift shafts as well as painting and decorating.

Fit out is the process of completing a range of works to transform any interior into a fully functional space that can be used for a specific purpose. For that reason, an office fit out involves taking a space and making it into an office that can be used by those working within the commercial or public sector.