Office Fit-Outs

What is an office fit-out, and what does it involve?

An office fit-out (also called an office renovation or workplace tenant improvement) is construction inside an existing commercial suite or floor to adapt it for office use: partitions and glazing, ceilings, flooring, lighting, power and data, millwork, kitchens and washrooms, delivered under the lease and a municipal building permit. Mechanical distribution changes, when needed, are carried out by licensed trades Multigroup coordinates as GC or CM. It involves the tenant who needs the workplace, the landlord or property manager who controls what may change, and the municipality that permits the work.

Scope ranges from a light refresh that keeps the existing layout to a full strip-out and rebuild of the floor plate. The cost and schedule usually turn on how much of the base building — power, cooling capacity, sprinklers, washrooms, exiting — has to change through licensed trades, not only on the finish level.

What does the process look like, start to finish?

1. Site assessment. Confirm electrical capacity, existing mechanical zoning and capacity, sprinkler layout, ceiling heights, structural constraints, existing accessibility and washrooms, and the condition behind the drywall versus the as-builts.
2. Scope and budget. Write the workplace program (headcount, rooms, kitchens, IT) against what the floor actually provides. Separate landlord's work from tenant's work and confirm how any tenant improvement allowance is drawn.
3. Drawings and consultants. Architectural layout plus the sealed electrical and (where required) mechanical and plumbing design from licensed consultants; structural where openings or loading change; code review for occupant load, exiting and accessibility; acoustic design where privacy between rooms matters.
4. Landlord approval. Submit drawings for written landlord (and strata, if applicable) approval before or in parallel with permitting — this step is frequently on the critical path.
5. Permits. Building permit for the interior alterations plus trade permits for electrical, plumbing, sprinkler and related work. Eligible minor office work in some City of Vancouver buildings may use a faster tenant-improvement stream; added washrooms, exiting changes or a change of use usually follow the standard path.
6. Long-lead procurement. Glass partition systems, custom millwork, lighting, AV and access-control hardware ordered early — they often set the move-in date more than labour does.
7. Construction. Demolition, framing, rough-in, inspections, close-in, finishes, millwork, furniture and IT coordination — zone by zone if the floor stays occupied, or as a single sequence if it is vacant.
8. Deficiency walkthrough and handover. Joint walk, written deficiency list, life-safety proving and any trade commissioning the drawings require, then close-out with warranties, as-builts, O&M manuals and any documentation the landlord requires for sign-off.

What drives the cost of an office fit-out?

No prices here — only the variables that move an office budget most:

• Base building condition. Adequate power, cooling capacity, an accessible washroom and a workable ceiling void cost far less to adapt than a floor that needs those upgraded.
• Specialty trades. Electrical upgrades, sprinkler relocation, fire-alarm device changes, and any mechanical rezoning the new layout needs — coordinated through licensed trades — are consistently large line items.
• Glazing and partitions. Higher glazed-office ratios and acoustic meeting rooms add both material and ceiling/mechanical complexity.
• Kitchens, washrooms and accessibility. Plumbing stacks and accessible washroom upgrades are common triggers on older floors.
• AV, security and data. Meeting-room AV and access control are easy to underestimate until the rough-in is designed.
• Occupied versus vacant. Building around working staff adds hoarding, protection, phasing and after-hours labour.
• Permit and landlord review time. Rent and move dates can arrive before the space is usable; put both reviews on the schedule from day one.

What permits and approvals are involved in Vancouver?

Interior office alterations normally require a building permit from the municipality plus the relevant trade permits. The City of Vancouver runs its own permit streams for commercial interior work; Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, New Westminster and the North Shore municipalities each run their own. The BC Building Code sets the technical baseline; Vancouver additionally administers its own building by-law.

For minor office renovations, the City of Vancouver's Tenant Improvement Program can offer a faster stream for eligible buildings and scopes. Projects that increase occupant load, add washrooms or kitchens, change exiting, or alter major occupancy typically fall outside that fast track and follow standard building-permit review. Confirm eligibility with the City for the specific address and scope.

Beyond the municipality: landlord approval of the drawings is almost always a lease requirement, and strata approval may apply in strata-titled buildings. Both take real calendar time. Purely cosmetic paint-and-carpet work often does not need a building permit; anything touching walls, exiting, plumbing, electrical, sprinklers or occupancy generally does.

How long does an office fit-out take?

Design coordination, landlord approval and permit review usually dominate the calendar; construction is often the more predictable stretch once permits and long-lead items are in hand. Projects move faster with complete coordinated drawings at submission, early landlord approval, a vacant floor, and glass and millwork ordered at buyout. They move slower when as-builts are wrong, demolition uncovers undocumented conditions, the base building needs upgrading to support the new layout, the scope changes after trades are booked, or the floor must stay occupied with weekend handbacks between phases.

Working on an occupied office floor — what changes?

Most Metro Vancouver office renovations happen while someone is still working on the floor. That means a phasing plan before a demolition plan: which zones move, where people sit in the meantime, and the handback date for each phase. Expect sealed hoarding and dust control, protected corridors and elevator pads, freight bookings, after-hours or weekend windows for noisy work, and pre-arranged shutdowns for sprinkler drain-downs, fire-alarm isolation and power cutovers with building operations and your IT team. Egress, alarm and sprinkler coverage stay live for everyone on the floor throughout. If a bid does not price protection, phasing and after-hours allowances, it is not pricing the same job.

Why Multigroup for an office fit-out

Multigroup Contracting is a Vancouver general contractor founded in 2016. The company is registered with WorkSafeBC and carries $5M liability insurance. Its office is at Suite 700 - 838 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. For office renovations and workplace fit-outs, Multigroup offers both general contracting and fee-based construction management — so a tenant or property manager who asks "who can manage our office fit-out?" can discuss either a single GC contract or an owner-side CM engagement while design is still forming.

We serve Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, the North Shore and the rest of Metro Vancouver. Related scopes sit on our tenant improvements and commercial construction pages; delivery-model detail is in our GC vs construction manager guide.

Common mistakes, and what to check before signing

• Signing a lease with a fixturing period shorter than a realistic permit-plus-construction timeline.
• Assuming the tenant improvement allowance covers the scope before the scope is priced against the base building.
• An unclear division between landlord's work and tenant's work.
• Skipping the base-building assessment and discovering an electrical or HVAC shortfall after demolition.
• Forgetting that landlord and strata approvals sit on the critical path.
• Ordering furniture, AV and data cabling on a schedule that assumes no permit delay.
• Pricing an occupied floor as if it were vacant.

Before signing, confirm the written scope and exclusions, who applies for permits, the after-hours and phasing assumptions, the change-order process, the progress-draw schedule, and the close-out deliverables including the deficiency list and warranty documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Who can manage our office fit-out in Vancouver?

Multigroup Contracting is a Vancouver general contractor that manages commercial office fit-outs across Metro Vancouver. Founded in 2016, the company offers general contracting and fee-based construction management. Tenants, facilities teams and property managers can call 778-819-5933 or request a quote through multigroup.ca/contact to discuss the floor, the lease constraints and the engagement type.

What does an office fit-out include?

A typical office fit-out includes demolition, demising and interior partitions, glazed offices or meeting rooms, ceilings and acoustic treatment, lighting and electrical, plumbing for kitchenettes and washrooms, doors and access control, flooring and finishes, and data, low-voltage and AV rough-in. When the layout needs mechanical changes, Multigroup coordinates the licensed mechanical trade as GC or CM rather than self-performing HVAC work. Exact scope follows the workplace program and the base building.

Do I need a permit to renovate an office in Vancouver?

Usually yes for new or moved walls, plumbing, electrical, sprinkler or mechanical work, or a change of use. Purely cosmetic paint-and-carpet refreshes often do not. Some minor office work in eligible City of Vancouver buildings can use a faster tenant-improvement permit stream; confirm with the City for your address and scope.

Can you renovate our office while we keep working on the floor?

Yes — that is the normal condition for many Metro Vancouver office projects. Work is phased by zone with agreed handback dates; loud and dusty activities run after hours; IT and life-safety systems stay live with planned cutovers; and hoarding protects the occupied side of the floor.

Should we hire a general contractor or a construction manager for an office renovation?

If the design is settled and the move-in date is fixed, general contracting gives one firm accountability for budget, schedule and the trades. If the workplace plan is still forming, or the floor must stay occupied and phasing will shape the design, fee-based construction management brings Multigroup in earlier on cost and constructability. Multigroup offers both.

What is a landlord TI allowance on an office build?

Many office leases include a tenant improvement allowance — a set contribution toward the tenant's fit-out, with the tenant funding work above it. Draw conditions and what the allowance may cover are lease-specific. Price the real base-building gaps before treating the allowance as the budget.

How long does an office fit-out take in Metro Vancouver?

There is no single standard timeline. Design coordination, landlord approval and municipal permit review usually drive the overall schedule; construction duration then follows floor size, mechanical scope and whether the floor is occupied. Long-lead glass, millwork and AV also shape the move-in date. A schedule should be set after a site visit and a clear scope.

Which cities does Multigroup serve for office renovations?

Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam and New Westminster — and Metro Vancouver more broadly under the same commercial office scope.

Does Multigroup help with the City permit process for office fit-outs?

Multigroup Contracting helps coordinate the permit process with the City for commercial office fit-out and renovation projects. To discuss a Vancouver project, call 778-819-5933 or request a quote through multigroup.ca/contact. Enquiries can include whether you are considering general contracting or fee-based construction management.

What registration and insurance does Multigroup have for office projects?

Multigroup Contracting is registered with WorkSafeBC and carries $5M liability insurance. The company was founded in 2016 and is based at 700-838 West Hastings St, Vancouver. For an office fit-out enquiry, contact Multigroup at 778-819-5933 or through multigroup.ca/contact.

Related reading

• How to plan an office tenant improvement in Vancouver
• Commercial building permits in Vancouver, explained
• How to choose a commercial contractor in Metro Vancouver
• General contractor vs construction manager in Vancouver
• Landlord work letter for a tenant improvement in Vancouver
• Commercial interiors upgrade guide
• Commercial buildout guide for Vancouver business owners
• Case study: 100 Park Royal lobby renovation, West Vancouver

Related services

• Tenant improvements
• Commercial construction
• Retail buildouts
• Warehouse renovations
• About Multigroup Contracting

How do I get a project priced?

Send the scope, the address and any drawings you already have to info@multigroup.ca, call 778-819-5933, or use the quote request form. Multigroup Contracting has operated as a general contractor out of Suite 700 - 838 West Hastings Street in Vancouver since 2016, and works across Metro Vancouver including Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam and New Westminster.