Two Words That Decide Who Pays for What
If you are leasing office space in Accra and the conversation turns to “Cat A” and “Cat B,” those two terms are deciding a great deal about your budget. They define where the landlord’s work ends and yours begins — and getting the boundary clear before you sign protects you from paying twice or finding a “finished” floor that is nowhere near ready to occupy.
This guide explains what each category covers, who typically pays, and why each is costed against a scope Bill of Quantities rather than a per-square-metre rate.
Category A — The Landlord’s Base Build
A Category A fit-out brings the space to a consistent, lettable base standard — but not to a state you can move into. Typically it covers:
- Raised access floors and suspended ceilings
- Basic mechanical and electrical services to the floor — distribution, not your final layout
- Fire detection and life-safety systems to base standard
- Finished internal surfaces to a shell-and-core-plus standard
- Toilets and common areas
Category A is usually the landlord’s scope, delivered before you take the space or as part of the lease. It is deliberately generic — a blank, serviced canvas. It is not your office yet.
Category B — Your Office, Made Real
A Category B fit-out turns that base into a working space designed around how your organisation actually operates. Typically it covers:
- Partitions, meeting rooms, and your space plan
- Finishes — floor, wall, and ceiling specification to your brand
- Reconfigured and extended MEP to suit your layout
- Joinery, reception, tea points, and fitted furniture coordination
- Data, AV, and specialist equipment installed and commissioned
- Branding and the final occupied-ready details
Category B is usually the tenant’s scope — your investment, your specification, your opening date. This is the discipline a fit-out specialist exists to deliver.
Where the Boundary Sits — and Why It Matters
| Element | Usually Cat A (landlord) | Usually Cat B (tenant) |
|---|---|---|
| Raised floor / suspended ceiling | Installed to base | Adapted to layout |
| MEP distribution | To the floor | Reconfigured to your plan |
| Partitions & rooms | None | Your space plan |
| Finishes | Generic base | Your specification |
| Joinery & furniture | None | Fitted and coordinated |
| Data, AV, equipment | None | Installed and commissioned |
The exact line varies by lease. Some “Cat A-plus” spaces include light partitioning; some shells arrive below Cat A. Confirm the boundary in writing before you sign — it directly sets how much Cat B work, and therefore how much budget, falls to you.
Why Neither Category Has a Per-Square-Metre Rate
It is tempting to ask “what does a Cat B fit-out cost per square metre?” There is no honest answer, because Cat B is entirely a question of scope and finish: a light partition-and-paint floor and a high-specification interior with bespoke joinery, heavy MEP reconfiguration, and AV are completely different numbers on the same floor area. Published per-square-metre estimates diverge three to five times over (roughly GH₵1,200 to GH₵6,500-plus) for exactly this reason.
The real cost of your Cat B works comes from a Bill of Quantities measured by a quantity surveyor (GhIS discipline) against your defined scope. On materials we price against genuinely published figures — cement at roughly GH₵85 to GH₵130 a bag, finishes by specification — and never the inflated numbers that circulate online (cement at GH₵185 to GH₵240, rods at GH₵19,000 to GH₵25,500), which sit roughly double the corroborated price.
How Installers Ghana Delivers Your Cat B
We scope your Category B works against the base the landlord hands over, prepare a BoQ so you commit on a measured cost, and install and coordinate every trade — partitions, finishes, MEP, joinery, equipment — to the Ghana Building Code (GS 1207:2018) and Ghana’s building regulations (L.I. 1630), sequenced so the trades do not clash and your opening date holds. Since 1988.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out? Cat A is the landlord’s generic base build (raised floors, ceilings, base MEP, common areas); Cat B is the tenant’s fit-out that turns that base into a working office — partitions, finishes, reconfigured MEP, joinery, and equipment to your specification.
Who pays for a Cat B fit-out? Usually the tenant. Cat A is typically the landlord’s scope delivered with the lease; Cat B is your investment in making the space your own. Confirm the exact boundary in writing before signing.
How much does a Cat B office fit-out cost in Ghana? There is no honest per-square-metre rate — Cat B cost depends entirely on scope and finish. The real number comes from a Bill of Quantities measured against your scope by a quantity surveyor.
Is a Cat A space ready to move into? No. Cat A is a serviced blank canvas — lettable, but not occupied-ready. Your Category B works turn it into a working office.
Related
- Office Fit-Out — workspaces delivered to date
- Fit-Out Contractors in Accra — interior fit-out, specialist discipline
- MEP Integration — services coordinated with finishes
Request a scope and BoQ: +233 23 063 0032.