{"id":54,"date":"2026-10-26T04:28:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T22:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simfyrelive.in\/blog\/?p=54"},"modified":"2026-10-27T09:26:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:26:22","slug":"category-a-vs-category-b-fit-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simfyrelive.in\/blog\/category-a-vs-category-b-fit-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat A vs Cat B Fit-Out in India: Bare Shell, Warm Shell and Cost"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by:<\/strong> Simfy Re’Live Design & Execution Team  \u00b7  Published:<\/strong> 26 October 2026<\/p>\n

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Two leases can quote the same rent for the same size of floor, and one of them can cost you twice as much to move into. The difference is hidden in a single phrase about the condition the space is handed over in.<\/p>\n

That phrase is where Category A and Category B come in. They are British property terms that have spread to international firms and many large Indian office parks. Most Indian leases use their own words instead, such as bare shell, warm shell or plug and play. This guide explains what Category A vs Category B fit-out means, how it maps to the words in an Indian lease, and what to get in writing before you sign.<\/p>\n

What is Category A and Category B fit-out?<\/h2>\n
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Category A is the landlord’s basic finish: a usable but empty space with ceilings, basic lighting, air conditioning distribution and fire detection in place. Category B is the tenant’s fit-out on top of that: rooms, partitions, pantry, furniture, IT, branding and any changes to lighting or air conditioning to suit the layout.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Think of it as two layers. Category A makes the floor legal and workable as an open space. Category B makes it your office. In the UK, where the terms come from, a Category A floor typically includes a raised access floor, a suspended ceiling, open plan lighting, air conditioning outlets spread evenly across the floor, fire detection, and finished toilets and lift lobbies.<\/p>\n

Before Category A there is shell and core. That is the bare building: structure, facade, lifts, stairs and common areas, with your floor left as raw concrete. After Category B some landlords offer a fully furnished or plug and play office, where they do everything and recover the cost through a higher rent.<\/p>\n

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Lease and fit-out<\/p>\n

Four stages from empty building to working office<\/p>\n

Who pays for each stage is set by your lease. The words used for them vary between landlords.<\/p>\n

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  1. 1<\/span>Shell and core<\/strong>Structure, facade, lifts, stairs and common toilets. Floors are bare. Nothing inside your space.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. 2<\/span>Category A, or warm shell<\/strong>Landlord adds ceiling, basic lighting, AC distribution and fire detection. Usable but empty.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. 3<\/span>Category B<\/strong>Your fit-out: rooms, partitions, pantry, furniture, IT, branding, and changes to lights and AC.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. 4<\/span>Furnished or plug and play<\/strong>Landlord delivers a ready office. You pay for it in the rent, often for years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Watch out<\/strong>Bare shell and warm shell mean different things to different landlords. Get a written list of what you receive.<\/div>\n<\/div>
    The handover stage decides how much of your budget goes into the space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Empty
    A bare shell floor: slab, columns and glass. Everything else is fit-out. Illustrative photo from Pexels<\/a>, not a Simfy Re’Live project.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    How the terms map to an Indian lease<\/h2>\n
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    In India, bare shell is usually close to shell and core, warm shell is usually close to Category A, and plug and play or fully furnished is close to a completed Category B office. But there is no fixed legal definition of any of these, so two landlords can mean quite different things by the same word.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    This is the single most important point in this guide. Warm shell in one tech park may include a finished floor, a false ceiling, light fittings and air conditioning units already running. Warm shell in another building may mean plastered walls, a power cable to your distribution board and a chilled water connection left capped at the door. Both landlords are being honest. The word simply has no fixed meaning.<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Item<\/th>\nBare shell (usual)<\/th>\nWarm shell (often)<\/th>\nAsk in writing<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Floor finish<\/td>\nRaw concrete or screed<\/td>\nSometimes tiles or raised floor<\/td>\nIs the floor level and finished?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    False ceiling<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nSometimes a grid ceiling<\/td>\nType, height, and can we remove it?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Lighting<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nSometimes basic open plan fittings<\/td>\nFitting count and light levels<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Air conditioning<\/td>\nConnection point only<\/td>\nUnits or ducts, varies widely<\/td>\nCapacity in tonnes, and who maintains it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Power<\/td>\nSupply to one point<\/td>\nSupply plus distribution board<\/td>\nLoad sanctioned in kW, and backup<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Fire detection and sprinklers<\/td>\nBuilding level only<\/td>\nOften spread over the floor<\/td>\nWill it need changing for our rooms?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Toilets and pantry points<\/td>\nCommon toilets only<\/td>\nSometimes water and drain points<\/td>\nWhere are the wet points?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    Why the handover condition changes your budget<\/h2>\n

    The handover condition decides how much of your fit-out budget goes into things that are not visible. Moving from bare shell to a working office means paying for flooring, ceiling, air conditioning, electrical distribution and fire systems before you spend anything on the rooms and finishes people actually see. Starting from a good warm shell skips much of that.<\/p>\n

    But warm shell has a catch that catches many first-time tenants. The landlord’s ceiling, lights and air conditioning outlets are laid out for an open floor. The moment you add cabins, meeting rooms and a server room, some of that work must be moved, changed or removed.<\/p>\n

    Sprinkler heads and smoke detectors have to be shifted to suit the new rooms. Air conditioning outlets that now sit above a wall have to be relocated. You pay to change work that was just installed.<\/p>\n

    If you already know your layout before the landlord starts, it is often worth asking them not to install parts you will tear out, and to offer a fit-out contribution or a longer rent-free period instead. Many landlords will agree, because it saves them money too. Our guide to commercial interior design cost in Hyderabad<\/a> covers how these items split the budget.<\/p>\n

    Leasing office space in Hyderabad<\/h2>\n

    In Hyderabad’s office markets, such as HITEC City, Gachibowli and the Financial District, landlords commonly offer space as bare shell or warm shell, and sometimes as plug and play. What each word includes varies from building to building, so the written handover schedule matters more than the label.<\/p>\n

    Two points are worth checking early here. Air conditioning hours and capacity, because teams that work late in summer feel any limit first. And the building’s own fit-out rules, which often set working hours, permits and how materials move through the lobby.<\/p>\n

    Five questions to ask the landlord before you sign<\/h2>\n
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    1. Is the ceiling and lighting in the handover, or only the slab?<\/li>\n
    2. Are the AC units installed, or only the ducts and drain points?<\/li>\n
    3. Do the fire sprinklers already cover the full floor, and will they need to move once cabins<\/a> go in?<\/li>\n
    4. How many kW of power are allotted to your floor, and who pays for more?<\/li>\n
    5. What are the work hours and rules for fit-out in the building, and is there a fit-out deposit?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Get the answers in writing as part of the term sheet. Our guide to fit-out and reinstatement clauses in a lease<\/a> covers what else to check. Most fit-out cost surprises we see come from one of these five being assumed rather than checked.<\/p>\n

      When we are not the right fit<\/h2>\n

      We deliver the Category B fit-out, and where needed the base services too, for offices in Hyderabad<\/a>, with design and execution under one contract. We do not act as a property broker, and we cannot give legal advice on your lease. That needs a property lawyer. If you have a space in mind and want to know what it will take to make it work, send us the floor plan and the landlord’s handover note<\/a> before you sign.<\/p>\n

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      \nWhat is warm shell in India?<\/summary>\n

      Warm shell usually means the landlord has added some services and finishes beyond the bare structure, often a ceiling, lighting, power distribution and air conditioning. There is no fixed definition, so ask for a written list of what is included.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n

      \nWhat is bare shell office space?<\/summary>\n

      Bare shell is space handed over with only the structure and building-level services. Floors are raw, there is no ceiling or lighting, and the tenant installs everything inside the space, including air conditioning distribution and electrical work.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n

      \nWho pays for Category A fit-out?<\/summary>\n

      Normally the landlord, as part of delivering the building. Category B is normally paid by the tenant, sometimes helped by a landlord contribution or a rent-free period agreed in the lease.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n

      \nWhat is a Cat A+ fit-out?<\/summary>\n

      Cat A+ sits between Cat A and Cat B. The landlord adds some of the fit-out a tenant would normally do, such as meeting rooms, a kitchen or pantry, and furniture, so the space is ready to move into. It is common in smaller suites and is often called plug and play in India.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

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      Sources we checked<\/strong><\/p>\n