A founder signs a lease for a new floor in the IFSC or Sandyford. The first conversations usually centre on desks, meeting rooms and the look of reception. Then someone asks the question that determines whether the project runs smoothly: can the building support the business the team plans to operate?
A commercial office fit out is a building-services project before it becomes an interiors project. Power, lighting, data, fire systems, energy performance, landlord approvals and certification all need to work together. The decisions made during the early design period can either protect the programme or create expensive changes after the strip-out has started.
Table of Contents
- Why a Dublin Office Fit Out Deserves More Thought Than the Furniture
- Getting the Basics Right Before Work Starts on Site
- The Electrical Scope That Shapes Every Office Fit Out
- How Long a Commercial Office Fit Out Really Takes
- Choosing and Working with the Right Fit Out Contractor
- Testing, Certification and Handover Without Surprises
- A Short Pre-Project Checklist Before You Commit
Why a Dublin Office Fit Out Deserves More Thought Than the Furniture
A Dublin occupier choosing between a newly specified floor and a cheaper second-generation office is making an infrastructure decision, not just selecting finishes. Office take-up reached 243,000 square metres in 2025, while CBRE forecasts more than 200,000 square metres in 2026. Prime headline rents reached €727 per square metre in Q2 2026 and are forecast to reach €753 per square metre during the year, according to CBRE's Dublin office market figures.
High demand does not mean every available floor is ready for occupation. Approximately 80% of 2026 completions are already pre-let, while Dublin's office vacancy rate is projected by the Central Bank to remain around the high teens in 2026 before easing later, according to the same CBRE Dublin office market reporting. The practical choice is whether to pay for a more complete base build or fund the electrical and building-services work needed to make existing stock usable.
The first decision is rarely about decoration
A second-generation office can offer attractive rent terms, yet the incoming electrical supply, distribution boards, containment, lighting controls and emergency systems need surveying before the space is treated as a bargain. A landlord contribution may also appear generous until specialist lighting, extra cooling loads, data containment or fire-alarm alterations fall outside the allowance.
For workspaces where lighting does more than illuminate, review Forward Electrical's commercial lighting design service. The specification affects energy use, controls, maintenance access and the number of changes required after installation.
Fit-out costs show why a broad allowance causes trouble. A 2024 EMEA guide placed Dublin all-in office fit-out costs at €1,390 per square metre for low-specification work, €2,060 for medium specification and €2,850 for high specification. A later 2026 guide reported average high-specification costs of €3,693 per square metre. Irish guidance for 2025 to 2026 puts Category A office fit-outs at €700 to €1,000 per square metre and Category B work at €2,200 to €3,000 per square metre, as outlined in Cushman & Wakefield's Ireland fit-out cost information.
Site reality: A low rent does not compensate for an undersized supply, poor landlord access or a missing approval route.
What this guide focuses on
From the electrical contractor's side, the working questions are electrical scope, compliance, procurement, testing and handover. Furniture, branding and workplace styling still matter, but they cannot compensate for infrastructure that has not been surveyed, specified or approved.
Energy performance belongs in that assessment. Ireland has about 18,000 office units, and 59% have a Building Energy Rating of D1 or lower. The same presentation records that 85% of Irish office buildings are below a B rating, helping explain why refurbishment projects often include lighting, controls, power distribution and other electrical upgrades. These figures are cited in the CITA presentation drawing on CSO and SCSI data.
Getting the Basics Right Before Work Starts on Site
The best projects begin with documents, not demolition. Before the contractor prices the electrical package, the tenant and project team need a clear record of the space, the lease obligations and the building's existing services.
Start with the lease and the existing condition
A Condition Report or Schedule of Condition should record the premises before alterations begin. It gives the tenant and landlord a shared reference for finishes, services and defects, particularly where the lease includes reinstatement or dilapidations obligations. Leaving this until handover creates avoidable arguments, because the original condition becomes difficult to prove.
The building survey should then establish what the floor can support:
- Incoming supply: Confirm the ESB Networks supply capacity, the meter position and the available route to the tenant's distribution equipment.
- Landlord access: Check access rules for electrical plant rooms, risers, roof areas and shared service zones. A contractor may need permits, escorts or booked access windows.
- Existing records: Request the current BER information and any available PC-15 documentation, as well as electrical drawings, fire-alarm information and maintenance records.
- Base-build boundaries: Identify which items belong to the landlord and which will become the tenant's responsibility after completion.
A supply that appears adequate on a drawing may not suit the actual equipment list. Server rooms, commercial kitchens, print areas, specialist production equipment and future electric vehicle charging can all alter the load assessment.
Put the right people around the same table
The tenant representative, project manager, M&E consultant, fit-out contractor, IT provider and building manager should review the developing design before it reaches tender. The IT provider needs to understand containment routes. The building manager needs to approve riser access and base-build interfaces. The electrical contractor needs the equipment schedule, not just a furniture plan.
Budget banding should happen before detailed design. Dublin market reporting places mid-range Category B office fit-out costs at approximately €80 to €130 per square foot, with high-end finishes at approximately €130 to €180 or more per square foot, as set out in the Irish office fit-out checklist from Chawner and Trench. These are not quotations for a particular project, but they show why a Cat A-plus concept needs a defined scope before tendering.
A useful pre-construction pack includes the lease, condition report, measured survey, equipment schedule, outline M&E brief, landlord rules, approval requirements and a provisional programme. If one of those is missing, the tender may look competitive while excluding work the tenant still expects.
The Electrical Scope That Shapes Every Office Fit Out
Electrical work is easier to procure when the package is split into clear buckets. Each one affects drawings, approvals, procurement and commissioning in a different way.
Power distribution
The power design normally begins at the landlord riser and follows the sub-main into floor distribution boards. From there, the design team allocates circuits for general sockets, kitchens, server equipment, printers, meeting-room technology, cleaning equipment and any specialist loads.
Desk power needs more thought than placing a socket beside each workstation. Floor boxes, dado trunking, power poles and underfloor containment each create different coordination requirements. The final circuit count depends on the equipment the occupier is moving in, so a generic desk layout isn't enough to complete the design.
The technical baseline for low-voltage commercial installations is I.S. 10101:2020+A1:2024, which covers design, erection and verification. The HSA guidance on electricity and legislation also states that every new installation and every major alteration or extension must be inspected and tested by a competent person before being made live.
Lighting and controls
Office lighting includes general illumination, meeting-room scenes, reception and feature lighting, task areas, circulation routes and emergency lighting. Controls may use DALI, KNX, occupancy sensors or daylight response, but the selected system must suit the controls strategy, facilities team and maintenance plan.
Emergency lighting is not decorative lighting with a battery added. I.S. 3217 covers escape-route indication, minimum illumination and operating duration when normal lighting fails. NSAI describes I.S. 3217:2023 as providing guidance on design, installation, commissioning and maintenance, as explained in the NSAI information for I.S. 3217.
Data and communications
Structured cabling needs its own coordinated route. Cat 6A, fibre backbones, patch panels and wireless access points all require containment, access and room for future changes. Power and data pathways shouldn't be treated as an afterthought, particularly where landlord risers are congested or ceiling voids contain mechanical services.
Fire detection and compliance
Fire detection and alarm design may involve an L1 or L2 arrangement under I.S. 3218, subject to the building's fire strategy and the appointed fire specialist. Disabled refuge provisions may also apply. The electrical contractor needs the approved fire design before first fix, not during the final week.
For coordinated commercial electrical packages covering lighting, power, distribution, containment and data points, see Forward Electrical's commercial electrical services. The useful test is whether the tender describes what gets installed, who supplies each item and who verifies it at completion.
How Long a Commercial Office Fit Out Really Takes
A realistic programme separates design time from construction time. On a live Dublin project, the sequence usually includes the following phases:
| Phase | Main work | Where time is commonly lost |
|---|---|---|
| Initial survey and brief | Existing-condition review, load assessment and operational brief | Incomplete landlord information |
| Design and pricing | Layouts, M&E coordination, specifications and tender | Late equipment or furniture decisions |
| Approvals | Landlord consent and statutory approvals where required | Revisions to drawings or fire strategy |
| Procurement | Switchgear, luminaires, controls, fire equipment and specialist items | Long-lead components |
| Installation | Strip-out, containment, first fix, second fix and testing | Access restrictions and design changes |
| Commissioning and handover | Verification, snagging, certificates and manuals | Booking certifiers too late |
The timeline supplied for a typical project describes one to two weeks for the initial survey and brief, three to four weeks for design and pricing, four to six weeks for landlord approvals, four to eight weeks for procurement, eight to twelve weeks for on-site installation, and two weeks for commissioning and handover. Those phases can overlap, but they shouldn't be assumed to disappear.
Cat A and Cat B do not carry the same programme
A Cat A delivery may provide the base mechanical and electrical infrastructure with limited tenant-specific work. A Cat B fit-out adds partitions, final lighting, desk power, meeting-room services, specialist equipment and finished operational spaces. That extra coordination usually increases both design effort and site activity.
The supplied Dublin benchmark for a fully fitted 5,000 square foot floor is 10 to 14 weeks once a contractor has been appointed. It is a useful planning reference, not a promise, because floor condition, landlord rules, approval requirements and client decisions still control the actual programme.
The recurring delays are familiar: switchgear and luminaires ordered after drawings are approved, board upgrades that require an ESB Networks application, and client changes after strip-out exposes the existing installation. Locking the design before tender, releasing long-lead orders early and booking the Safe Electric certification process before handover week all reduce that risk.
Choosing and Working with the Right Fit Out Contractor
A contractor who joins the project after the lease is signed can still expose expensive gaps in the scope. Check that the company is a Safe Electric registered contractor, then ask for evidence of comparable commercial work. If the project team uses RECI terminology or another registration reference, confirm what the registration covers and who will issue the certification.
References should match the job rather than offer general praise. Ask about offices with similar landlord interfaces, live-building access rules, data requirements and emergency-lighting obligations. Requesting a sample completion pack also shows whether the contractor manages records as carefully as the installation.
Ask what the quotation includes
A written quotation should identify:
- Included work: Distribution boards, sub-mains, containment, lighting, controls, emergency lighting, fire alarm interfaces, data pathways and testing.
- Excluded work: Builder's work, access equipment, decoration, fire stopping, IT equipment, furniture power modules and landlord fees.
- Provisional sums: The reason for each allowance and how the final value will be calculated.
- Attendance: Who provides access, permits, lifting, temporary power, out-of-hours supervision and protection for finished areas.
- Working hours: Whether noisy works, isolations and deliveries can take place during normal building hours.
- Variations: How work outside the agreed scope will be priced, approved and recorded.
Read every “by others” qualification closely. If a cable passes through a fire-rated wall, identify who installs and records the fire stopping. If the main board needs alteration, confirm who books the ESB Networks appointment. If the landlord rejects a luminaire, establish who pays for the redesign before procurement starts.
These details matter more when a tight Dublin Grade A supply leaves an occupier choosing between a ready-to-use floor and a costly retrofit. The contractor's exclusions can change that comparison quickly.
Keep communication practical
Use one site contact to reduce crossed instructions. The project manager should issue a weekly update covering completed work, upcoming access requirements, decisions needed and risks to handover. Decisions on equipment, landlord comments and board changes should be recorded rather than left to site conversations.
Forward Electrical is one Dublin option for coordinated commercial electrical work, including office fit-outs, lighting, power, containment, data points, testing and handover documentation. Compare the people doing the work, the exclusions and the close-out process, not only the headline total.
Contract check: A variation should be priced and signed off before extra work proceeds, unless an immediate safety issue requires urgent action.
Testing, Certification and Handover Without Surprises
A finished office isn't finished when the lights turn on. Handover closes the chain between design intent, installed equipment, testing and future maintenance.
The electrical file should reflect the installation that exists on site. It should normally include the Electrical Installation Completion Certificate, distribution-board test results, an as-fitted single-line diagram, emergency-lighting records, fire-alarm certification and operation and maintenance manuals.
Certification starts before handover week
Irish electrical rules require the installation or major alteration to be inspected and tested before energisation. Safe Electric also states that a Registered Electrical Contractor must issue a Completion Certificate for electrical works except minor works, including relevant commercial work, as explained in Safe Electric's completion certificate guidance.
The assigned certifier needs access to test results, drawings and any required declarations. Initial verification confirms the new or altered installation before occupation. Periodic inspection is different. It forms part of the building's ongoing operational control, based on the installation's nature, location and use.
Emergency systems need an operating record
Emergency lighting needs more than a commissioning sheet. Irish guidance states that escape routes up to 2 metres wide should have at least 1 lux along the centre line, with the central band receiving at least 50% of that value. It also identifies positions such as exit doors, staircases, changes in floor level and final exits, as described in the ORS emergency-lighting guide.
The same guidance describes quarterly in-house inspections and testing every four years to check illumination levels. Layout changes can affect coverage, so the log book should be updated after alterations, lamp changes and remedial work.
The handover meeting should cover keys, plant-room access, isolator locations, user controls, warranty information, test records, as-fitted drawings and the planned defects period. A clean folder gives the facilities team something usable rather than a pile of unrelated certificates. For guidance on the electrical documentation relevant to commercial premises, see Forward Electrical's commercial electrical safety certificate information.
A Short Pre-Project Checklist Before You Commit
Before signing the fit-out contract or setting a start date, the project lead should be able to answer these questions:
- Review the lease: Are permitted use, alteration clauses and reinstatement obligations understood?
- Confirm the brief: Are headcount, desk density, meeting rooms, kitchen loads, server equipment and future requirements recorded?
- Set the budget: Does the allowance cover electrical, mechanical, finishes, furniture, IT, audio-visual work, approvals and a contingency?
- Choose the scope boundary: Are furniture, IT, audio-visual systems and landlord works clearly included or excluded?
- Appoint the team: Is there one internal decision-maker working with the architect, project manager, M&E consultant and electrical contractor?
- Check approvals: Do the works require landlord consent, planning permission, a Building Control Fire Safety Certificate or a Disabled Access Certificate?
- Confirm supply: Can the incoming ESB Networks supply support the proposed loads, and is the meter and plant-room access agreed?
- Protect the programme: Do landlord access windows, fit-out rules, base-build handover dates and lease commencement work together?
- Review the contractor: Is the electrical contractor Safe Electric registered, experienced in comparable work and able to provide certification?
- Request close-out examples: Will the contractor provide a written programme, marked-up single-line diagram and sample handover folder?
A budget can absorb a design choice more easily than it can absorb an unknown building constraint. The strongest commercial office fit outs define the electrical scope early, coordinate it with the landlord and IT provider, and treat testing and documentation as part of the work rather than an administrative task at the end.
Forward Electrical provides Dublin commercial electrical fit-out services covering surveys, power distribution, lighting, containment, data points, testing and certification. If you're planning an office move, refurbishment or landlord-led upgrade, visit Forward Electrical to discuss the existing installation, proposed scope and handover requirements with the team.