Office fit-out in Mumbai: process, approvals and timeline

Start with the brief and budget

Agree headcount, seating density, meeting and collaboration space, brand requirements and budget before design begins. A clear brief avoids redesign, and redesign is where schedules slip.

Read the landlord's fit-out rules first

Most buildings publish fit-out guidelines. Check them before you design. Typical items include:

• Approval of drawings by the landlord or property manager.
• Rules for contractors, working hours and material movement.
• A fit-out deposit and insurance requirements.
• Limits on structural changes, services and signage.
• Fire safety, air conditioning and electrical requirements.

Choose the design and build route

Decide whether to appoint a designer and a separate contractor, or a single design-and-build firm. Compare bids on scope as well as price, and ask for programmes and references from comparable projects.

Align the programme with the lease

Tie the fit-out period to the rent-free period and the lock-in. If the building is handed over late, or approvals slip, you should not be paying rent on space you cannot use. Write the handover date and the fit-out access period into the lease.

Approvals and safety

Fire and life safety requirements apply to any fit-out. Make sure the design, the materials and the completed work comply, and that you can obtain the completion documents the building asks for.

Handover checks

Before you accept the space and pay the final bills, inspect the finish, test power, air conditioning, lighting and fire systems, and collect the as-built drawings and warranties. Agree a defects list with dates.

Plan for the exit

Ask now what reinstatement will be required at the end of the lease, and record it. It affects the design and the cost.