When you start exploring office fit outs, you quickly run into technical terms like Cat A and Cat B. And since you’re exploring office fit outs, you want to make smart decisions about your workspace.
This means you need to understand the difference between fit out types to ensure you choose the right one. Whether you’re relocating, expanding, or rethinking how your team uses the office, this is crucial. So, what are the differences between Category A (Cat A) and Category B (Cat B) fit outs?
This article helps you make the right investment at the right time by explaining Cat A and Cat B fit outs. For personalised advice, contact our team at HQ Renovations today.
What is a Cat A Fit Out?
A Cat A fit out is a landlord-ready blank canvas that brings a building up to basic working standards.
It involves preparing an empty office space to be functional, safe, compliant, and usable, without yet deciding how your team (or the team you lease to) will use the space.
It typically includes:
- Basic electrical services
- Standard lighting
- Raised flooring or basic floor coverings
- Suspended ceilings
- Heating
- Cooling
- Ventilation
- Fire detection and safety systems
- Toilets
Why Choose a Cat A Fit Out?
If you want to set up the essentials and provide a blank slate for you or a tenant to build on, a Cat A fit out is a great choice.
A well-executed Cat A fit out provides a compliant, neutral environment that supports creativity and productivity.
Meanwhile, a poor one, or choosing a Cat B when a Cat A would suit you better, can limit your future layout options or lead to extra costs.
We recommend choosing a Cat A fit out if you’re looking for:
- A functional, compliant office space ready for basic occupancy
- A blank canvas you can later customise with a Cat B design
- A fast handover before you finalise branding or layout
- Flexibility to adapt the space as your business grows
- Lower upfront investment costs while you plan for the long-term
- A space for short-term occupancy
- A way to test a new location before committing to a full design
- A neutral environment that can support a wide range of future uses
- A simple, compliant foundation without needing to focus on aesthetics
How Long Does a Cat A Fit Out Take?
Cat A timelines can vary, so it helps to understand what influences timelines before you begin planning.
Essentially, there is no fixed duration. The timing depends on the floor plan size, the building’s age, and the extent of mechanical and electrical work required.
A small, modern commercial space may take a couple of weeks. On the other end of the scale, a large or older building (especially those requiring compliance upgrades) may stretch into several months.
For example, we did a 24,000 sq ft Cat A fit out at 1 Dorset Street, Southampton, which took 14 weeks to complete. We renovated the entire building, installed air conditioning, fan coils, and pipework throughout, and transformed the 1980s blank canvas into a 2020s facility.
The result was a building that exceeded efficiency criteria, lowering operational costs and creating a versatile space ready for new occupants.
What is a Cat B Fit Out?
A Cat B fit out is a fully customised, designed, and branded workspace complete with all the finishing touches.
Instead of preparing the space for general use, Cat B focuses on tailoring layouts, branding, furniture, technology, and amenities so your business is ready to go from day one.
It typically includes:
- Partitions
- Tailored office layouts
- Meeting rooms and collaboration zones
- Breakout areas and social spaces
- Reception design
- Floor finishes
- Company branding, signage, and styling
- Kitchens
- Furniture
- Workstations
- Storage
- Technology, including AV integration and connectivity
Why Choose a Cat B Fit Out?
If you or your tenant wants to get stuck into work straight away with all the office furnishings taken care of, a Cat B fit out is for you.
This fit out turns a compliant interior into a high-performing environment built for comfort, well-being, and communication. Without a customised Cat B, even the most modern office remains generic and uninspiring.
We recommend choosing Cat B if you’re looking for:
- A workspace customised around how your team operates
- Defined zones for focus, collaboration, and socialising
- A branded environment
- Ergonomic, comfortable furniture and workstations
- Integrated connectivity from day one
- A refreshed workspace that supports culture and morale as much as it does productivity
- A space that helps attract and retain top talent
- A finished environment you can walk into, sit down, and start work
How Long Does a Cat B Fit Out Take?
Cat B fit out timelines vary based on the level of customisation.
In general, a straightforward refresh for a small office might take a few weeks, especially if it only requires minimal structural work. A larger workplace with custom joinery, specialist technology, or a full redesign may take several months from concept to handover.
In any case, planning ahead helps every Cat B fit out run more smoothly, especially if you need to phase work around operational occupancy.
One of our favourite Cat B fit outs is one we did for an Egham office. Their training room and breakout areas were tired and rundown, and needed to entice workers back to the office after COVID-19.
We achieved just that, redoing the flooring, modernising the breakout area and reception, and completing electrical work to make training more streamlined. Eight weeks later, employees returned to a high-tech, rejuvenated workplace that supported their happiness as much as their productivity.
Cat A vs Cat B: The Main Differences
While both fit out categories create usable commercial space, they deliver very different outcomes. The simplest way to think about it is that:
- Cat A prepares a space for occupation, making it functional
- Cat B prepares a space for performance, making it usable, comfortable, and aligned with your brand
Ready to Get Started?
Whether you choose Cat A or Cat B, we’re ready to help by designing a space that supports your business today and into the future. To get started on your Cat A or Cat B fit out, contact our experienced HQ Renovations team today.
