Fit-outs rarely stall on construction
In our experience, the works themselves, partitions, electrical, paint, and flooring, run on schedule when the crew is competent. What stalls a Metro Manila office fit-out is everything around the works: a permit that took three weeks instead of three days, a building rule nobody read, a power allocation that could not carry the new equipment.
This checklist covers the items to clear before mobilization day, in roughly the order they bite.
Building admin requirements
Every managed building in BGC, Makati, Ortigas, and similar districts has a fit-out guideline document. Request it on day one, because it governs almost everything else:
- Fit-out permit application and approval lead time
- Construction bond and insurance certificates
- Contractor accreditation requirements, including crew IDs
- Working hours for noisy versus quiet works
- Freight elevator booking and material staging rules
- Hot works and welding permits
Power, data, and cooling loads
Count the equipment the finished office will run, not the equipment the old office ran. Workstations, servers, pantry appliances, and additional air-conditioning all draw from an allocation the building fixed years ago. If the load exceeds it, the application for additional capacity should start before the fit-out does, because it moves on the utility's timeline, not yours.
Data cabling is cheapest while the ceiling is open. Decide the network layout at design stage and pull extra runs to future desk positions; the marginal cable is cheap, the return visit is not.
The after-hours schedule
Most buildings restrict noisy works, demolition, drilling, and hammering, to nights or weekends. A realistic fit-out schedule separates the noisy scope from the quiet scope and prices the after-hours labor honestly. A quote that assumes all works happen at standard hours in an occupied building is a quote that will grow.
One contractor or four?
A fit-out touches at least four trades: construction, electrical, air-conditioning, and cabling, plus hauling and post-construction cleaning at the end. Hiring them separately means you become the coordinator, and coordination is where schedules die. A single accountable contractor who fields all trades, the way MERGE Buildwise runs fit-outs, means one schedule, one point of contact, and no gap between trades for problems to hide in.
Quick answers
How long does a typical office fit-out take?
Small offices with light works can finish in three to six weeks; full fit-outs with new partitions, electrical, and air-conditioning commonly run eight to twelve weeks, plus building permit lead time.
Who processes the building fit-out permit?
The tenant usually applies, but the contractor prepares most of the attachments: plans, crew lists, insurance, and method statements. We prepare that package as part of mobilization.
Can a fit-out run while the office is occupied?
Yes, with phasing. Quiet works run during the day, noisy works after hours, and the space is sequenced in zones so teams keep working through the project.