These are the stages of an interior fit-out as we plan them on offices, restaurants, cafés and villas.
1. Site handover and survey
A measured survey of the actual site compared with the drawings, photographs of the existing floors, walls, ceilings and service points, and a signed site handover record that fixes the condition before work starts.
2. Construction drawings and approvals
Design sign-off, then shop drawings for ceilings, floors, walls and joinery coordinated with the MEP drawings, and approvals from the relevant authorities where needed, such as the municipality, civil defence, or the building or mall management.
3. Samples and material approval
Material submittals with samples and data sheets approved before purchase, and early ordering of long-lead items such as imported marble, made-to-order furniture and special light fittings, so work does not stop waiting for them.
4. First works
- Demolition and strip-out if needed, then partitions.
- MEP first fix.
- Waterproofing in wet areas, with a flood test before it is covered.
5. Ceilings, walls and floors
Suspended ceilings with access panels, then wall preparation, then flooring, in a sequence that protects completed work from damage by later trades, with the final coat of paint among the last activities.
6. Joinery and second fix
Installation of factory-made joinery, doors and glazed screens, then the second fix of lighting, switches and equipment, followed by testing and commissioning.
7. Snagging and handover
A joint walk-through with the owner or consultant to prepare the snag list and close it item by item, then handover with as-built drawings, operation and maintenance manuals and warranty certificates.
Three rules: nothing is covered before it is tested, nothing is bought before the sample is approved, and nothing is handed over before the snag list is closed.
Where MEP works are outside the fit-out contractor’s scope, the contract should state clearly who coordinates between the contractors and when each stage is handed over.
