Commercial fit-out
White box fit-out in London
What the landlord hands over, what your fit-out adds, and the approvals in between.
Studio photograph
A white box unit gives you a clean starting point, but not a finished shop. Before you sign the agreement for lease, it pays to know exactly what the landlord hands over, what your fit-out has to add, and which approvals sit in between. Our Treelogy and 60 Degrees Coffee fit-outs both started from white box units in managed buildings.
- Federation of Master Builders member
- Itemised schedules of works
- Reviews on Trustpilot
White box fit-out in London: at a glance
- White box includes
- Walls, floor, capped services
- Check the landlord’s specification
- You add
- Ceilings to counter
- Lighting, services, WC, joinery, finishes
- Before work starts
- Licence for alterations
- Required by most commercial leases
- Coffee shop budget
- £135,000 to £201,000
- 750 sq ft, inc. equipment and VAT
The handover line
What the landlord gives you and what you add
Definitions vary between landlords. The fit-out guide or agreement for lease is the document that counts.
Usually in a white box
- Walls plastered or boarded and painted
- A basic floor, often a screed ready for your finish
- Electrical supply to a distribution board, capped off
- Water and drainage capped off at a point in the unit
- Base-build fire alarm, ready for your devices to be connected
- A shopfront, usually glazed
Usually your fit-out
- Ceilings and lighting
- Power, data and any three-phase supply for equipment
- Plumbing and drainage from the capped points to your sinks, machines and WC
- WCs and staff areas
- Counter, shelving and joinery
- Flooring and wall finishes
- Fire alarm devices and emergency lighting to suit your layout
- Signage and any extraction
Before and after
From an empty white box to a working coffee shop
White box projects
Fit-outs from white box
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SW1P Coffee shop fit-out from white box
60 Degrees Coffee
Greycoat Store Building, Greycoat Place, St James’s
Between handover and opening
A white box is a starting point, not a shop.
Services, counter framing, finishes and the landlord’s approvals all sit between the empty unit and the day you trade. We read the fit-out guide before we price any of it.
Studio photograph
Before you sign
Questions to ask the landlord
- Handover specification
- Ask for the written white box specification. Check where services are capped and whether the electrical supply is enough for your equipment.
- Fit-out guide
- Most managed buildings have one. It sets working hours, noise limits, deliveries, insurance and how fire alarm work is carried out.
- Licence for alterations
- Find out who reviews your drawings, how long approval takes, and whether you pay the landlord’s surveyor and legal fees.
- Rent-free period
- Compare the rent-free period with a realistic programme for approvals, equipment lead times and the build.
- Reinstatement
- Check what you must remove at the end of the lease. It affects how you build the fit-out.
Questions
Questions about white box units
What is the difference between shell, white box, Cat A and Cat B?
A shell has little more than the structure and a supply to the building. A white box adds finished walls, a basic floor and capped services, and is common for shops and cafés. Cat A is the office equivalent, with ceilings, lighting and air conditioning in place. Cat B is the occupier’s own fit-out on top of Cat A.
How much does it cost to fit out a white box coffee shop?
Our planner gives £135,000 to £201,000 for a 750 sq ft coffee shop from white box at a standard finish, including equipment, contingency and VAT.
Can you review the landlord’s pack before I sign?
Yes. Send us the fit-out guide and handover specification with your enquiry, and we will point out anything likely to add cost or time.
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Tell us about the project
Two minutes on our enquiry form, or call us. Drawings help but are not needed.
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We visit and measure
We look at the property, the access, and anything that affects price: structure, services, neighbours, the landlord’s requirements.
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You receive a priced schedule of works
Every line itemised, with provisional sums and exclusions stated, so you can compare it line by line with any other quote.