Commercial Strip-Outs in the Sydney CBD and North Sydney
Commercial strip-outs in the City of Sydney and North Sydney happen in buildings that never really empty. Offices sit above and below, retail stays open, and the loading dock is shared. We carry out office, retail and hospitality strip-outs and lease-end make-goods, mostly after hours, to each building's rules.
- Hazardous materials survey before work starts
- Asbestos handled by SafeWork NSW licensed removalists
- Dilapidation reports on neighbouring properties
- Dust, noise and traffic planned for city streets
What we strip out
Most CBD and North Sydney work is one of three kinds:
- Office strip-outs and make-goods: partitions, glazed offices, ceilings, carpet and raised floor coverings, joinery, kitchenettes, data and AV cabling
- Retail strip-outs: shopfitting, signage, display joinery, ceilings and floor finishes, back of house
- Hospitality strip-outs: bars, kitchens, exhaust hoods, cool rooms, seating and fitout
At lease end, a make-good returns the tenancy to the condition the lease requires. That is often the base building condition, but leases vary, so the scope starts with the lease and the landlord's requirements.
Working with building management
Every tower has its own rules, and they decide the schedule. Before a strip-out starts we usually need:
- Contractor inductions and insurance documents for building management
- Loading dock and goods lift bookings
- Lift, lobby and corridor protection
- Fire system isolations arranged through the building's own fire contractor
- Hot works permits for any cutting or grinding
- A method statement and risk assessment
After-hours work
Noisy work such as breaking out joinery, pulling ceilings or cutting is usually limited to after hours or weekends in occupied buildings. Quieter tasks can run during the day where the building allows. We plan the job in shifts, leave the floor safe and secure at the end of each one, and keep waste moving out through the dock within the booked windows.
Hazardous materials
Many towers in the CBD and North Sydney date from the 1960s to the 1980s, and older fitouts can contain asbestos in ceiling tiles, floor coverings, risers and around old services. The building will usually hold an asbestos register, which we check against the areas being stripped. A pre-strip-out hazardous materials survey covers anything the register does not. Any asbestos is removed first by SafeWork NSW licensed removalists, with a clearance certificate before general strip-out continues.
Waste and recycling
Commercial strip-out waste is mostly metal, plasterboard, ceiling tiles, carpet, glass and joinery. Sorting it on the floor before it reaches the dock keeps metal and some other materials out of landfill and reduces the number of dock bookings needed.
Kerbside and street rules
Where a building has no usable dock, waste may need to leave from the street. In the City of Sydney and North Sydney that needs council approval for any work zone, hoarding or skip on the road or footpath, plus a traffic and pedestrian plan. These approvals take time, so we raise them early.
Getting a quote
Send the building address, floor and suite, photos of the space, the lease end date and any make-good schedule or landlord requirements you already have.
Common questions
What is included in an office make-good?
It depends on the lease. Typically partitions, ceilings, carpet, joinery, kitchenettes and tenant cabling are removed, and the space is returned to base building condition or whatever the lease specifies.
Can the strip-out happen while other tenants are in the building?
Yes. Noisy work is done after hours or on weekends, quieter work during the day where the building allows, and lifts and corridors are protected throughout.
Do you arrange loading dock and lift bookings?
Yes. We work with building management on inductions, dock and goods lift bookings, fire isolations, hot works permits and the method statement.
What if the floor contains asbestos?
We check the building's asbestos register and any survey, and any asbestos in the areas being stripped is removed first by SafeWork NSW licensed removalists, with a clearance certificate before work continues.
Planning a demolition or strip-out in Sydney?
Send us the address and a few photos. We will look at access, neighbours and approvals, then come back with a written quote.