Why do fitout companies have a page of exclusions?
They are giving you a very, very tightly defined scope of works. If it’s not listed, you aren’t getting it. One of the issues we discover when we are quoting our design, we will quote, for example, 235 double general power points. When we do the cost comparison (when the client asks us to assess the two or three quotes and provide some professional advice on that which we do as part of our professional service – We’re brilliant sports and we’re happy to point out if someone has a better offer) , we might see the other companies have quoted say 100 power points. That allows for one general power point for each work zone, which means in operation the client would need to use double adapters which is unsafe and can make the switchboard trip.
In your mind, you may believe that they are quoting you for a total fitout including all reasonable provisions so that you can move in and work. However, when you turn to the exclusions page, oh no, they haven’t. Then you have to be some sort of a mind reader and forensic lawyer to go through every single part to make sure that you’re getting everything that you need, so your team can move in and work from day one without all the hidden costs and hidden disappointments.
What happens is, you sign up, then sorry that wasn’t allowed for, that’s an extra cost. Sorry that wasn’t allowed for, another extra cost. And so it goes on.
We worked on a project at the Melbourne Airport. The actual shell of the building was signed off at 6 million, but the final bill was 9 million by using a process of variations with a 50% premium on any changes.
Avoid the heartache and please ensure that your total fitout costs are known and don’t have a whole bunch of hidden poison pills in the exclusion zone.
If you’re looking to relocate or refurbish and you want someone that’s going to drill down and make sure everything is included, instead of only quoting what you specifically asked for and then excluding the rest, which they know full well should be included, give us a call.
We would love to help you through these steps. We want your team to thrive and grow and do their best work from day one to help your business and your customers get better and better service.
Some other videos in this series that you may be interested in:
How can I ensure there are no aircon costs outside of the quote?
How do I know how much to allow for my Fitout budget?
How can the 150K write-off benefit us?
How can I maximise my tax write-off?
Do we need an insurance policy to cover ICON INTERIORS project completion?