Budgets · 8 October 2026 · 7 min read
Cat A vs Cat B Fit-Out: Costs and Differences
Quick answer: Cat A is the landlord's base build, finished ceilings, raised floors, lighting, heating, cooling and fire systems, typically £400 to £900 per square metre (£37 to £84 per sq ft). Cat B is the tenant's workspace, partitions, meeting rooms, kitchens, joinery, finishes and furniture, typically £700 to £1,500 per square metre (£65 to £139 per sq ft). Landlords usually fund Cat A, tenants fund Cat B.
Cat A and Cat B are the two terms you hear the moment you start looking at office space, and they are the reason two quotes for the same floor can be £200,000 apart. Here is what each one really means, what it costs in 2026 and how to avoid paying for the same work twice.
What is a Cat A fit-out?
Cat A, short for Category A, is a blank but usable shell. The landlord delivers it so a tenant can move in and build their own workspace on top. Nothing in a Cat A space is specific to how your business works.
- Raised access floors and suspended or exposed ceilings
- Basic lighting, usually a standard LED grid
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
- Fire detection, alarms and emergency lighting
- Toilets, lifts and common areas finished
What is a Cat B fit-out?
Cat B is everything that turns the shell into your office. It is designed around your team, how they work and how you want clients to see you. This is where most of the visible value sits and where our joinery workshop does its best work.
- Partitions, glass-fronted offices and meeting rooms
- Reception desks, kitchens, breakout and storage joinery
- Flooring, decoration, acoustic treatments and branding
- Small power, data, AV and feature lighting
- Furniture and desking
Cat A vs Cat B costs in 2026
These are guide ranges for UK offices, excluding VAT and professional fees. Cardiff and South Wales typically run 15 to 25 per cent below the London equivalent.
| Fit-out type | Per square metre | Per square foot |
|---|---|---|
| Cat A | £400 to £900 | £37 to £84 |
| Light Cat B refresh | £430 to £700 | £40 to £65 |
| Standard Cat B | £700 to £1,400 | £65 to £130 |
| High specification Cat B | £1,400 to £1,500+ | £130 to £139+ |
Who pays for what?
Landlords normally fund Cat A as part of letting the space. Tenants normally fund Cat B. On a new lease, a landlord may offer a rent-free period or a contribution towards Cat B instead of doing the works themselves.
The expensive trap is ripping out brand new Cat A ceilings and lighting to build a Cat B layout. If you are taking new space, ask the landlord early whether they will agree a Cat A plus deal, or a cash contribution instead of works you will remove anyway.
Cat A plus: the middle ground
A growing number of landlords offer Cat A plus, a fitted-out floor with kitchens, meeting rooms and sometimes furniture, so smaller tenants can move straight in. It saves time but leaves little room to make the space your own.
How long does each take?
Cat A works usually take 6 to 12 weeks depending on the building. A Cat B fit-out on a typical 4,000 square foot Cardiff floor runs 4 to 10 weeks on site after 3 to 6 weeks of design and joinery manufacture.
FAQs
Common questions
What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out?
Cat A is the landlord's usable shell with ceilings, floors, lighting, heating, cooling and fire systems. Cat B is the tenant's own workspace on top: partitions, meeting rooms, kitchens, joinery, finishes and furniture.
How much does a Cat B fit-out cost per square foot?
In 2026, roughly £65 to £130 per square foot for a standard Cat B office fit-out in the UK, with Cardiff schemes we price typically landing between £65 and £95 per square foot.
Who pays for a Cat A fit-out?
Usually the landlord, as part of preparing the space to let. Tenants usually pay for Cat B, sometimes with a landlord contribution or rent-free period.
What is Cat A plus?
A landlord fit-out that goes beyond Cat A with ready-made kitchens, meeting rooms and sometimes furniture, so tenants can move in quickly with minimal works.
Send us your floor plan and the landlord's Cat A specification, and we will tell you honestly what your Cat B should cost and where the money is best spent.
Written by
Oli Williams, Founder and Managing Director
RAF veteran who founded OLLYWOOD in 2019, with 20 plus years of project management experience in shopfitting and retail fit-out.
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