• Cat A office fit outs focus on meeting basic requirements, including health and safety, environmental compliance, and building regulations. They are often found in rented office spaces and provide only essential amenities, referred to as a “landlord fit out.”
• Cat A fit outs include features such as simple lighting, suspended ceilings, basic finishes, legal requirements like air conditioning and ventilation, but do not emphasize design aesthetics. The occupier can make additional interior customizations within the tenancy contract’s parameters.
• Cat B office fit outs offer a more bespoke service that allows businesses to create a unique office space reflecting their brand and catering to employees and visitors. This category includes interior architecture, IT infrastructure, office furniture, kitchen and reception areas, meeting rooms, signage, and tailored lighting options.

Want to fit out your offices but not sure what it is you want? This month, Arc Business Interiors are here to explain to you, your options and discuss the differences between Cat A fit outs and Cat B fit outs. In short, Cat A fit outs will provide you with the bare essentials and Cat B fit outs offer a more bespoke service, that reflects the personality of your company. For more detail, read on.

What is a Cat A Office Fit Out?

Cat A fit outs meet basic requirements such as health and safety, environmental compliances and building regulations. Rented office spaces tend to have Cat A fit outs. This option is usually referred to as ‘a landlord fit out’ because it’ll only ensure the essentials you’d expect to see when moving into an unfurnished office. This however, must meet adequate standards and regulations, so that signed tenants can move in and set up with ease. Cat A fit outs provide a functional area and does not focus on design aesthetics.

What does Cat A Office fit out include?

• Simple lighting options and sockets
• Suspended ceilings and raising flooring
• Window coverings – blinds
• Lifts
• Stairs and stairwells
• Basic finishes – generic internal walls
• Legal requirements: air conditioning, ventilation and smoke alarms

The rest of the internal decoration will be up to the occupier to tailor – as long as it’s within the parameters signed in the tenancy contract agreement. Usually, in the copy of your signed contract there will be a section of what you can and can’t do to the interior. This is likely to state the things you can or can’t do to the premises, such as paint the walls.

What is a Cat B Office Fit Out?

Cat B allows you to create a unique space that reflects your business. This type of fit considers employees and visitor’s needs and requirements as far as design is concerned. Focusing on choice of design (keeping in line with branding) and decorative qualities that’ll be visually pleasing for all who enter the office. Cat B fit outs include decoration and furnishings – customising the office in a way that best reflects the company. Cat B is typically chosen by companies that have recently moved offices or are growing and need to cater to more employees and their needs.

What does Cat B Office Fit Out include?

• Interior architecture (i.e. office partionings)
• IT infrastructure (i.e. phones and computers)
• Office furniture (i.e. chairs, tables, desks, artwork)
• Kitchen areas
• Reception areas
• Meeting rooms
• Signage and branding
• Tailored lighting options

Arc Business Interiors provide first-rate office design and office refurbishment to customers across Nottingham, Derby, Coventry, Northampton, Sheffield, Leicester, Loughborough and the surrounding areas, so if you’re looking for flawlessly functional and inviting interiors – contact us today. We have a wealth of experience within our sector and a long history of happy customers.