What can a strip-out package include?

Soft strip and interior removals

The agreed package may include non-structural partitions, suspended ceilings, floor finishes, joinery, kitchens, counters and other fixtures. Say whether components are to be disposed of, stored or carefully removed for reuse.

Tell us about items owned by a landlord or another occupier before removal. A bare room, a clean shell and a surface ready for new finishes are different handover conditions.

Enabling works and interfaces

We can coordinate protection, access arrangements, waste routes and opening-up around the following trades. Confirm any temporary screens and the areas that need to stay in use.

Structural demolition, hazardous-material removal and live-service work need a separately defined scope and specialist responsibilities. They are not assumed to be part of a general soft-strip quotation.

Plan surveys, isolations and retained areas first

Appropriate asbestos information is needed before work that may disturb the building fabric. A refurbishment or demolition survey may be required for the affected area, and an existing management survey does not necessarily cover intrusive work. Any findings have to be resolved before the relevant removal begins.

Agree who isolates and verifies electrical, gas, water, fire-alarm and other affected systems. Dust, noise, working hours, escape routes and shared lifts matter in occupied or multi-tenant buildings. These arrangements belong in the programme and method of work before the first day on site.

What affects strip-out costs?

Floor area does not describe the amount of material to remove. A useful quotation lists each removal package, waste route and required handover condition.

Quotation item	What to make clear
Removal schedule	Materials, quantities, thicknesses, fixtures and elements that must remain.
Logistics	Floor level, loading access, lift protection, permitted hours and waste movements.
Surveys and services	Existing survey information, isolations, specialist removals and responsibilities.
Handover	Extent of clearance, temporary protection, making good and readiness for subsequent trades.

The written quotation identifies inclusions, exclusions, supply responsibilities and any provisional items. Confirm VAT treatment and payment stages for the agreed package.

Compare quotation scopes

Questions before you start

Can you strip out an occupied office or shop?

Phased work may be possible where the areas, access and services can be separated appropriately. Tell us the operating hours and the facilities that must stay available.

Is making good included?

Only where the scope says so. Removing a partition can leave breaks in floors, ceilings and services, so tell us which of these need reinstating.

Can items be retained for reuse?

Yes. Include a salvage list when you enquire. Careful removal, storage and ownership need agreeing, because they can change handling time and the programme.

What to send for a useful quotation

Send the postcode, plans or marked photographs, removal and retention lists, survey information, floor level and access restrictions. Include the required completion date and describe the condition in which the next contractor needs the space.

Related work

Commercial dilapidations

Commercial refurbishment

Structural alterations

Further guidance

HSE: soft-strip demolition ↗

HSE: asbestos surveys ↗

Strip-out contractors in London

Tell us what needs to come out.