Main contractor, all trades
A single contract, one point of contact, a lump-sum price and one programme for all the work: the usual choice for a project with several work packages or a tight timetable.
Construction & works
Refurbishment and fit-out of business premises
Offices, shops, workshops: describe your refurbishment project and compare quotes from main contractors and individual trades, across all work packages.
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Refurbishing or fitting out business premises means coordinating very different trades: demolition, partitions, ceilings, flooring, electrics, data and low-voltage cabling, ventilation, painting, joinery, sometimes fixtures and fitted furniture. The risk is organisational rather than technical: one late trade holds up the next, and a snag overlooked at handover costs time and money.
Two set-ups coexist. With a main contractor (all trades), you sign a single contract and have one point of contact, who coordinates the work packages with their own teams and subcontractors. With separate trades, you contract with each firm: you keep control over the choice and price of each package, but you handle the coordination yourself or entrust it to a project manager. Neither model is better in itself: it all depends on how complex the project is, how much time you have and how you are organised.
This page is aimed at facilities managers, SME owners, shopkeepers, landlords and public bodies. It explains how to define the need, what drives the price, which approvals to plan for in premises open to the public and how to obtain comparable quotes.
Common services
Separate trades with project management
You consult each trade, often through an architect or project manager who prepares the tender pack, compares the bids, plans and monitors the project through to handover.
Office fit-out
Re-planning of floors, glazed or solid partitions, meeting rooms, acoustics, lighting, power and data cabling, floors and painting, sometimes reception and furniture.
Fit-out of shops and premises open to the public
Layout of sales areas, shopfronts, tills, accessibility, fire safety and works authorisation applications where required.
Refurbishment of workshops and business premises
Floors suited to loads and traffic routes, lighting, ventilation, insulation, toilets and changing rooms, with phasing that protects operations.
Reinstatement and energy refurbishment
Repairs after damage or at the end of a lease, insulation, LED lighting, joinery, controls: work that extends the life of premises and cuts their energy use.
Project management, coordination and handover
Programme, meeting minutes, monitoring of interim payment applications, snagging list, as-built file: coordination is a service in its own right and should be identified in the quote.
Trades involved
Demolition and strip-outStructural work and openingsPartitions, dry lining and suspended ceilingsResilient flooring, tiling and resin floorsPainting and wall coveringsElectrics, lighting and low-voltage systemsPlumbing, sanitaryware and ventilationInternal and external joineryFixtures and fitted furniture
Types of project
- Re-planning an office floor after a reorganisation or a new lease
- Opening, refurbishing or bringing a shop up to standard
- Converting business premises into offices, a showroom or a workshop
- Reinstating premises before handing them back or re-letting
- Refurbishing premises of public bodies, associations or buildings open to the public
- Phased energy refurbishment of a commercial building
What affects the price
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1
Scope and number of trades
The more work packages a project brings together, the more coordination, programming and interfaces weigh. A defined scope, with a list of what is to be kept, removed and created, is the basis of a reliable quote.
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2
Level of finish and range of materials
Coverings, light fittings, joinery, fitted furniture: the gap between a standard finish and a high-end one is considerable. Give a range or references so that everyone prices the same level.
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3
Condition of the building and unforeseen items
Ageing services, deteriorated substrates, asbestos, non-compliances to put right: in an existing building, part of the cost appears only when it is opened up. Require clear contingency items and written agreement before any extra.
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4
Operating constraints and deadlines
Work in an occupied building, night or weekend hours, phasing, limited deliveries, an opening date to meet: these constraints raise labour, protection and coordination costs.
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5
Type of contract
Lump sum, unit rates or daywork: each arrangement shares the risk differently between you and the firm. A main contractor builds its coordination into the price; separate trades need managing, in-house or through a project manager.
Tips for a successful request
Post a request- Describe the premises: area, use, year of construction, floor, access, lift, and attach any plans, photos and surveys you have.
- Say what you expect: number of workstations or rooms, atmosphere, performance (acoustics, lighting, cabling) and equipment to keep.
- State the tender route you want (main contractor, separate trades or both for comparison) and say whether an architect or project manager has already been appointed.
- Set the dates: start, finish, opening or handover of keys, and the periods when the premises must remain accessible.
- Give a realistic budget: it helps firms propose solutions suited to your ambition.
- Arrange a joint site visit before pricing and note the questions asked: they reveal the points to clarify in the specification.
Main contractor or separate trades: how to choose
This decision shapes the whole project. It is made according to the complexity of the project, your capacity to manage it and the role you want to give to competitive bidding package by package.
| Criterion | Main contractor | Separate trades |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | A single contract, one point of contact | One contract per firm |
| Coordination | Handled by the firm | To be handled by you or by a project manager |
| Price | Lump-sum price, coordination included | Package-by-package comparison, more transparency |
| Liability | One firm answers to you for the whole project | Each firm answers for its own package |
A main contractor may subcontract some of the work packages. In France, the law of 31 December 1975 on subcontracting (loi n° 75-1334) requires the contractor to have each subcontractor accepted by you and its payment terms approved: ask for the list of proposed subcontractors before you sign. Between the two options, a consortium of firms, joint or joint and several, bids for a set of complementary trades under the lead of an appointed representative. In every case, a health and safety coordinator (SPS coordinator in France) must be appointed as soon as several firms work on the site.
Approvals, accessibility and safety to plan for
Depending on the nature of the work, several procedures come before the project starts. Ask the local authority or your project manager as early as the study stage: processing times can be long.
- Planning. Alterations to a façade or shopfront, change of use, creation of floor area: prior notification or planning permission depending on the case (in France, déclaration préalable or permis de construire). An architect is sometimes mandatory for the permit.
- Premises open to the public (ERP in France). Fitting out or altering such a building is subject to works authorisation, with review of fire safety and accessibility for disabled people. Reopening after the works may require the opinion of a safety commission.
- Workplaces. The French Labour Code (Code du travail) sets rules on lighting, ventilation, toilets and circulation routes: they also apply to refurbished premises.
- Lease and joint ownership. As a tenant, check how works are split in the lease and obtain the landlord’s written consent for work affecting the structure, façades or technical equipment.
- Asbestos. In a building whose building permit dates from before 1 July 1997 (in France), a pre-works survey is mandatory; order it before you consult firms.
If your teams stay on site, prepare with the firms the prevention of risks linked to shared working (prevention plan, access protocols, protected circulation routes).
Preparing the tender and obtaining comparable quotes
A well-priced refurbishment starts with a clear specification: brief, scope, existing elements kept or removed, performance, finishes, programme and operating constraints. Our specification generator offers a template suited to building work.
Then ask for quotes on a common basis: a breakdown by work package (DPGF in France, a lump-sum price breakdown) or a schedule of unit rates with quantities. Each firm then prices the same works and the difference can be read line by line. Compare what is included or excluded: strip-out, rubble disposal, protection, coordination, testing, as-built file.
Arrange a site visit before pricing and check the insurance certificates of each firm. Before handing the premises back, allow for end-of-works cleaning. The contract, handover and guarantees are set out on our page on building works. By trade: plastering and insulation, electrical work, plumbing and heating, joinery and painting and wall coverings. Is your project ready? Post your request.
Related expertise
Plastering & insulation
Partitions, false ceilings, dry lining, thermal and acoustic insulation
Building electrical work
Installations, compliance upgrades, lighting, low-voltage systems
Painting & finishes
Interior and exterior painting, flooring, tiling
Office cleaning
Regular cleaning of offices, shops and business premises
Frequently asked questions
A question not answered here? Visit the help centre or write to us.
Main contractor or separate trades: which should I choose?
A main contractor suits you if you want one point of contact, a lump-sum price and delegated coordination, for example for several work packages and a tight deadline. Separate trades suit you if you want to control the choice of each firm and have a project manager or the time to coordinate. In both cases, ask for quotes broken down by work package so you can compare.
Do I need an architect to refurbish offices or a shop?
Not always. In France it is mandatory in some cases when applying for planning permission, and useful for a large project or premises open to the public. A project manager (architect, quantity surveyor or design office) prepares the tender pack, consults the firms and monitors the project and handover. Ask the local authority about the obligations that apply to your project.
Can we keep working in premises that are being refurbished?
It is possible with phasing by zone, protection, adapted hours and prevention arranged with the firms, but it lengthens the programme and may raise the cost. Noisy or dusty work is often grouped in the evening or at weekends. State from the outset that the premises remain occupied: each firm will adapt its quote.
Who is responsible if there is a problem on a multi-package project?
With a main contractor, it answers to you for all the work, including that given to subcontractors. With separate trades, each firm answers for its own package, and defects at the interface between two packages need case-by-case analysis, hence the value of strong coordination. Ask for the insurance certificates of each firm.
How can I avoid budget overruns?
Describe the scope precisely, have the premises visited before pricing and require a detailed quote with quantities, items included and excluded, and identified contingencies. Agree that any extra work is subject to written approval and a price before it is carried out. Monitor the interim payment applications and do not forget the items often missing: rubble disposal, protection, cleaning.
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