“Fit Out” Sub Leasing Explained
You may be looking at a space for a new office or a building to make it a multi-business operation. However, you may not have the resources, contacts, or experience to fit a building to meet a client’s demand. This is where sub-leasing a fit-out can help.
As you may know, a sublease in a construction project happens when you – the original lessee – make a contract with another person to take over a specific part of your project. You can choose to sublease your fit-out to a company with the experience required to make your client’s project a reality. You can sublease different types of fit-outs, such as Category A, B, and shell and core fit-outs.
D’Lauro & Rodgers can provide you with everything you may need to work with your fit-out. We can put our decades of experience to work for you during your fit-out project. To learn more about our services, call our office today at (215) 542-0100.
What is a Fit-Out Construction?
The word “fit-out” is common within the construction industry. However, the people outside this industry may not know what this term means or its effect. Fit-out refers to a process by which a contractor makes a property’s interior space ready to use. Typically, a fit-out entails the process of installing a property’s flooring, ceiling, furnishing, and any other required parts needed to start occupying the property’s interior.
When people hear what a fit-out entails, they may immediately think of “renovation.” However, while both terms can be used interchangeably, in reality, they both have different meanings. For instance, suppose you are considering an office space. Your contractor talks to you and walks you through an empty building. Your contractor then explains they will outfit the place and provide you with a fully functional office. That is essentially what a fit-out means. Your contractor is taking a space and transforming it for its intended purpose.
Conversely, a renovation has more to do with your current office space’s existing look and overall feel. For example, you already have an operating office, but you simply want to change its looks. Renovation often entails painting the office’s interior, adding updated décor, and changing outdated furniture. Again, your contractor should be able to provide you with the information you may need to outfit your space.
What is a Fit-Out Sublease?
A subleasing is a legally binding contract where the person under whose name is on the original leasing contract finds a subtenant to keep meeting a property’s obligations. Subletting a property does not release the original obligor from meeting their responsibilities as a tenant. For example, if your subtenant does not want to pay or cannot pay, the original tenant would still be held accountable for their obligations.
This is a rule that applies in most subleasing contracts. This is also true in fit-out subleases. If you are looking to sublease the fitting of a structure’s shell – or naked building – you need to be extremely careful about who you are entrusting the work to. Anything and everything the subletter do not comply with – that is tied to the original leasing contract – will be on the lessee – in this case, you.
It is extremely important to know who you are subletting your fit-out project to in order to ensure everything will work properly. The last thing you want is to make a contract with a company that has little or no experience or a “shady” track record. D’Lauro & Rodgers has more than three decades of experience working on many different projects, including fit-outs. We can be the best option for your project and make your fit-out happen.
Are There Different Types of Fit-Outs?
There are different types of fit-outs you can choose for your property. Your choice will depend on what your client is looking for in terms of appearance, functionality, and quality of life. Typically, fit-outs are divided into three different categories. These categories are known as A, B, and shell and core fit-outs. We explain each of these categories below.
Category A Fit-Out
A category A fit-out is generally everything you can find in empty real estate property. Usually, the things you can find in this type of fit-out include things such as electrical wiring, plumbing fixtures, and other basic features. Suppose you are dealing with a category A fit-out. In that case, you will need to provide services aimed at installing things like electrical outlets, HVAC systems, lighting and fixtures, and other essential functional features. Once your category A fit-out is done, you will be left with a building with essential functions but without any additional features intended for a specific purpose. If you cannot do this work, you can sublease your category A fit-out to our professional team at D’Lauro & Rodgers.
Category B fit Out
A category B fit-out picks up where a category A fit-out left off. During this type of fitting, you would take into account all of the details needed to give your empty space a specific purpose. You can think of this category as the aesthetic design fitting of your real estate property. For instance, you may want to create a modern, minimalistic office space for your business. This can require designing and implementing different construction strategies in order to make your office space a reality. This can entail installing specific types of lamps, flooring, and furniture. Our team of professionals at D’Lauro & Rodgers can help you give your property purpose and work with your category B fit-out.
Shell and Core Fit-Out
As the name suggests, a shell and core fit-out requires working with a building’s outer and inner spaces. Think of shell and core fitting as a blank canvas. Here, you have a completely bare structure, and all of the components, both external and internal, must be installed. A shell and core fit-out allows a potential business owner to custom-fit a part or all of the structure to their business needs. If you do not have the resources to work with a shell and core fit-out, you can sublease your fit-out to D’Lauro & Rodgers.
Our Team of Professionals at D’Lauro & Rodgers Can Help with Your Fit-Out
D’Lauro and Rodgers is a committed, experienced, and skilled company dedicated to providing nothing but the highest quality construction services. To learn more about how we can help you with your fit-out project, call us today at (215) 542-0100.
