The complete fit-out checklist
Printed in full below. Take sections one and two into your first meeting with the building's project manager and do not leave until both are closed.
1 · Lease and landlord
- Fit-out manual received and read before the layout is drawn
- Fit-out period, free-rent window and penalty dates diarised
- Nominated vendor list checked for sprinkler, fire alarm and facade work
- Landlord drawing approval turnaround confirmed in working days
- Fit-out deposit, insurance certificates and contractor indemnity lodged
- Reinstatement obligation at lease end read and priced now
2 · Base build survey
- Slab-to-slab and slab-to-false-ceiling heights measured on site
- Sprinkler grid, beam grid and column spacing plotted on the base plan
- Incoming power in kVA against the connected load you are about to create
- AHU or VRV capacity and duct drop positions confirmed
- Fresh air, toilet exhaust and pantry exhaust provision identified
- Fibre entry, riser access and telecom room location confirmed
3 · Planning and headcount
- Headcount at day one and at 24 months, both stated on the plan
- Density checked: 60 to 80 sq ft per person for a Mumbai floor
- Meeting-room-to-desk ratio set against how the team actually meets
- Egress widths and travel distances checked before partitions are drawn
- Storage, print, pantry and wellness room areas allocated, not left over
4 · MEP coordination
- Reflected ceiling plan coordinated across lights, sprinklers, grilles and speakers
- UPS, raw and DG power separated with clearly labelled distribution boards
- Data cabling category, rack layout and patching schedule agreed
- Access control, CCTV and visitor management positions fixed
- Lux levels verified against the task: 300 general, 500 at desk
5 · Statutory and safety
- Fire NOC route agreed with the consultant before ceiling closes
- Smoke detectors and sprinkler heads relocated under sign-off, not quietly
- Emergency lighting, signage and assembly point marked
- Electrical contractor licence and test certificates collected
- Night-work permission and noise window agreed with building management
6 · Handover and move-in
- Snagging done zone by zone, not as one walk on the last day
- All systems witnessed live: HVAC balance, DBs, access control, AV
- As-built drawings, O&M manuals and warranties handed over
- Furniture delivered, built and cleaned before the IT migration
- Move-in weekend lift booking, security passes and parking confirmed
- Defects liability period start date recorded in writing
How to run it on a live fit-out
- Close sections one and two before drawing a layout. A test fit drawn against an unread fit-out manual gets rejected and costs two weeks.
- Submit statutory drawings in week two, not when the ceiling framing is ready. Fire NOC coordination is the cheapest programme insurance available.
- Snag by zone. A single walk on the last day finds the same defects three weeks too late to fix them cheaply.
- Record the defects liability start date in writing on the day of practical completion, not in the final account.
What it stops going wrong
- A reinstatement bill at lease end that nobody priced. Section one forces the obligation to be read and costed on day one.
- Ceilings closed before the fire consultant has signed. Section five puts the NOC route ahead of the ceiling programme.
- A connected load higher than the incoming supply. Section two checks kVA against the load you are about to create.
Download the checklist (PDF) →
For rates and programme, see office interior cost per sq ft and our office fit-out service.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for a bare shell as well as a warm shell?+
Mostly. A bare shell adds HVAC, fire systems and flooring to your scope, which means section two grows considerably and the programme adds four to six weeks. The checks themselves still apply; you simply own more of them.
Who should hold this checklist — us or the contractor?+
You should. The contractor will run their own build programme. This sheet is the tenant-side list, and several items — insurance lodgement, drawing approval, lift bookings — are yours to close regardless of who builds the floor.
How early should section one be done?+
Before the lease is signed, ideally. The fit-out period, the reinstatement obligation and the nominated vendor list all affect what the floor costs you, and all three are negotiable before signature and fixed after it.
What is the most commonly missed item?+
Reinstatement. Tenants price the fit-out and forget that at lease end they may have to return the floor to shell condition at Rs 180 to Rs 420 per sq ft. It belongs in the business case, not in a surprise at year five.
Can we phase the fit-out while occupying part of the floor?+
Yes, and it is common in Mumbai. It needs night and weekend working permissions, dust separation, and a programme written in zones. Expect 15 to 25 per cent more time and roughly 10 per cent more cost than an empty-floor fit-out.