What’s the difference between a Cat A and Cat B fit out?

22nd July 2019

Knowing your Cat A from a Cat B can be a tad confusing if you’re not familiar with the industry jargon. In this blog, we explain what they actually mean.

When you’re looking for a commercial property to rent, a Cat A space is fitted out with the bare essentials. And, although there’s no standard specification, typically includes – neutral decoration to the internal walls, floor finishes, heating, basic mechanical and electrical services such as lighting and air conditioning, suspended ceilings, toilets, fire detection services and smoke alarms.

It’s basically a functioning blank canvas – ready for you to adapt the interior with finishes that suit your business and teams. As the tenant, you’re now in the process of changing it from a featureless Cat A space to a vibrant Cat B space – with the help of a fit out specialist. They’ll work with you to bring this blank canvas to life, by creating a space to reflect your business, people and branding. And there’s more work to it than you might think.

Your fit-out partner will work with you to plan and design the best use of your space – with flexibility in mind, so that you can adapt it as your business grows.

They’ll want to understand your business and your work culture, so that they can come up with the right office design to reflect your brand, so that it creates the right visual impression.

This isn’t just about choosing desks and furniture – but about making sure that your office is somewhere that your employees will love to work. Your fit out partner can transform your space by:

changing wall colours and floorings

adding door and window treatments

installing lighting and partitioning

designing the right mix of workstations

creating defined zones like private offices, meeting rooms, reception area, trendy breakout area – plus, that all important kitchen to make a cosy cuppa.

And, to finish off, they’ll fit the whole place out with office furniture of every shape, size and colour – as well as adding more specialist finishes such as frosted glass, signage and additional lighting.

Here at Onyx Interiors, we offer both Cat A and Cat B fit outs. Whether you’re relocating or refurbishing – if you’ve got any A or B questions, on what’s the right fit for you, just get in touch. We’re more than happy to talk through your design and build concepts.