Commercial and shop fit-out builders Melbourne
Commercial fit-outs finished to the same standard as our homes, delivered to programme and staged around a business that still has to trade.
- Registered commercial builder
- Office and retail
- Staged delivery
Workplaces
Office fit-outs and refurbishments
An office fit-out is judged on whether the space works on the Monday after handover. Power and data in the right places, meeting rooms you can actually hear in, and lighting that suits the way the team works matter more than the render did.
We deliver fit-outs and refurbishments as a registered commercial builder, coordinating the services trades, the joinery and the compliance so you have one contract rather than five.
- Full and partial office fit-outs
- Meeting rooms, acoustic treatment and glazed partitions
- Data, power and comms coordination
- Custom reception and workstation joinery
- Lighting design and mechanical services coordination
Retail and hospitality
Shopfronts, retail and hospitality
Retail and hospitality fit-outs are deadline driven. A lease start date or an opening date is fixed, and the programme has to be built backwards from it with the long lead items ordered early.
We handle shopfront replacement, internal fit-out, and the compliance work that comes with food and beverage spaces, including the coordination with landlords and centre management that usually causes the delays.
- Shopfront replacement and signage structures
- Retail joinery, display and point of sale
- Hospitality and food premises compliance
- Landlord and centre management coordination
- Long lead item procurement planned from the opening date
Working around trade
Staged works and make good
Most commercial work happens around an operating business. That means staged handovers, after hours work where the noise or dust would stop trade, and a site that is safe to have staff and customers beside.
We also do end of lease make good, returning a tenancy to the condition the lease requires without over capitalising on a space you are walking away from.
- Staged works so the business keeps trading
- After hours and weekend programmes
- Dust, noise and access management in occupied buildings
- End of lease make good works
- Tenancy refurbishment between tenants
Why choose us
Why fit out with Santa'lana
Registered commercial builder
Registered for commercial work, not a residential builder stepping outside its licence, with $20 million in public liability cover.
Programme driven
Fit-outs live and die on dates. We build the programme backwards from your opening or lease date and order long lead items early.
Residential level finish
The same joinery and detailing standard we bring to high end homes, which is a noticeable step up in most commercial spaces.
One point of contact
We coordinate the services, joinery and compliance trades so you are not chasing five contractors between meetings.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does an office fit-out take?
A straightforward tenancy fit-out is often 6 to 12 weeks on site once approvals are in place. Heavier work involving mechanical services, new partitioning or hospitality compliance takes longer. The controlling factor is usually long lead items and landlord approvals rather than the construction itself.
Can you work outside business hours?
Yes, and for occupied buildings we often have to. Noisy or dusty work goes after hours or on weekends, and we stage the programme so the business keeps trading. Building access rules and any noise restrictions get confirmed with the landlord before we set the programme.
Do you handle landlord approvals and building permits?
We do. Fit-out approvals through the landlord or centre management, building permits, and the compliance documentation that goes with food premises or changes of use. This is where most fit-out programmes slip, so we start it early.
Do you do end of lease make good?
Yes. We read the make good clause, price the works it actually requires, and return the tenancy to that condition. It is worth getting a builder to look at this before you negotiate the exit, because make good obligations are often broader than tenants expect.
Is a residential builder the right choice for commercial work?
It depends on the registration. We hold commercial builder registration as well as domestic, so commercial work sits inside what we are licensed to contract for. The advantage is that the finish standard we are used to in high end homes is above what a lot of commercial fit-outs deliver.
Other services
What else we build
Let’s talk
Get a price on your office and shop fit-outs project.
Come to us with finished plans, or just a site and an idea. Either way you get an honest read on what it takes to build it.
- 0421 258 240
- stefan@santalana.com.au
- 12 Nelson Place, South Melbourne VIC
Request a consultation
One business day response, every time.