Begin with the tenancy, the intended use and what must change. A room list and a finishes mood board are useful, but they do not explain the landlord obligations, existing services or the decisions that affect whether the premises can open as intended. Bring those matters into the brief before seeking a construction price.
Define the tenancy scope
Walk through the premises with the available drawings. Mark retained items, new partitions, joinery, amenities and equipment. Separate landlord works from tenant works and identify make-good requirements. A drawing showing a wall does not explain whether an existing ceiling, sprinkler or air-conditioning zone can remain unchanged. Record those interfaces as questions for the relevant consultants.
Check use, approvals and building information
Discuss the proposed use and work with your certifier and relevant planning or services advisers. Gather previous approvals and certification records so the team can assess what needs to change.
Plan access before the programme
Find out who controls deliveries, lifts, loading areas, parking and work outside normal hours. If the building remains occupied, identify separation, noise and shutdown constraints. An opening date should be tested against documentation, approvals, ordering and site access. Do not treat the date on a lease as proof that construction can finish in that window.
Prepare a brief that can be priced
Provide current plans, a scope list, preferred finishes, equipment information and the building rules. Ask the builder to identify assumptions and exclusions. If information is incomplete, an early review may be more useful than requesting a final price from several contractors using different interpretations of the same sketch.
Discuss your scope with our team: Commercial fitouts and refurbishments in Brisbane.
Practical example
Before ordering partitions
For an office tenancy changing from open-plan workpoints to several meeting rooms, ask the consultants to review the ceiling and service layout at the same time as the partitions. Mark the intended occupancy and equipment for each room. The useful decision is a coordinated room design, not a partition quote followed later by a separate attempt to adapt the air conditioning and lighting.
Project checklist
- Obtain tenancy drawings and the landlord works schedule.
- Record intended business use and staff/customer needs.
- Check proposed approval responsibilities with your advisers.
- List access, operating hours and shutdown restrictions.
- Separate essential opening works from possible later upgrades.
General project-planning guidance prepared with AI assistance; not independently professionally reviewed. Confirm property-specific design and approval requirements with your advisers.
Further reading
Confirm current guidance with the relevant authority before relying on it.
