Fit-out guides//Updated /10 min read
Turnkey Renovation Singapore: What It Includes, From Bare Unit to Move-In
Turnkey renovation in Singapore: one contract from bare unit to move-in, covering design, approvals, every trade and furniture. See what is included.
Turnkey renovation in Singapore is a single contract in which one contractor takes your office from a bare unit (or an old layout) to a floor you can move into: design, landlord submission, every building trade, furniture, and handover. You hand over a brief and the keys; you get back a working office with desks powered, rooms usable, and locks live.
The word only helps if the contract lists every trade that makes “working” true. A quote that covers paint and partitions with furniture and aircon “by others” is not turnkey, whatever the cover page says.
For the wider picture, see our office fit-out and renovation guide. Budgeting a shell? Read office fit-out cost and the bare unit renovation checklist. Vague “turnkey” language is also a classic office renovation mistake: ask for a trade list, not a slogan.
What is included in a turnkey office renovation?
A complete turnkey scope in Singapore normally covers eight things. If one is missing, someone else has to own it.
- Layout and design detailed enough for landlord submission and for building
- Approvals: preparing and following up the building management submission
- Finishes: flooring, painting, ceilings
- Electrical: power, lighting, and data containment
- Aircon: zoning and related mechanical works
- Rooms: drywall partitions and acoustic glass where specified
- Security and doors: doors, digital locks, and agreed CCTV
- Furniture and handover: workstations, meeting furniture, reception pieces, final clean, snagging, and defects liability
If any line sits outside the contract, write the owner’s name next to it. Gaps are how turnkey becomes multi-vendor by accident.
Turnkey vs design-and-build vs separate contractors
All three can deliver a good office. The difference is how many contracts you hold and who answers when two trades disagree.
| Turnkey | Design and build | Separate contractors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracts you sign | One | One for design and works | Several (designer, builder, M&E, furniture, IT) |
| Furniture and loose items | Included | Often excluded or optional | Bought separately |
| Who coordinates trades | The contractor | The contractor, for built works | You or your project manager |
| Landlord submission | Contractor prepares it | Contractor prepares it | Designer prepares it, builder follows |
| What you receive | A usable office | A finished fit-out, ready for your items | Each trade’s finished package |
| Best for | SMEs, fixed move-in dates, bare units | Teams with their own furniture plan | Large firms with in-house facilities or IT teams |
For a closer look at the middle option, read design and build office renovation. If you are weighing contractors rather than models, use the office renovation contractor checklist.
How long a turnkey project takes
A turnkey job follows the same clock as any office fit-out, with fewer hand-offs. On a typical SME floor, plan roughly 2 to 5 weeks for brief, survey, and design, 2 to 4 weeks for landlord endorsement once a complete pack goes in, then about 4 to 10 weeks on site. Furniture is ordered during design so it lands before handover rather than after. The fit-out timeline shows the week-by-week sequence.
How to brief a turnkey contractor
- NLA, bare vs fitted, and target move-in
- Headcount and meeting mix
- Finish level and glass acoustic expectations
- Furniture included vs client-supplied IT/AV
- Security baseline
Send the same brief with the fit-out checklist, then compare quotes using the quotation guide.
Red flags on turnkey proposals
- Furniture excluded after the sales pitch
- No mention of landlord submissions
- Aircon and data left as client items without owners
- Move-in date that ignores endorsement time
- No written snag / warranty terms
FAQ: turnkey office renovation Singapore
What does turnkey renovation mean?
It means one contractor delivers the whole project, from design and landlord approval to every trade, furniture, and handover, so the office is ready to use the day you get the keys.
Is turnkey more expensive?
The sticker may look higher than a paint-only quote because it includes more. The full cost of a working office is often lower than partial packages plus emergency vendors. As a planning range, a bare unit fit-out runs SGD 80 to 180+ per sq ft of NLA.
Does turnkey include IT servers and AV systems?
Usually containment, power, and mounts, not always specialist AV programming. Confirm IT scope in writing.
Can turnkey work on an existing fitted floor?
Yes. Strip-out becomes part of the same programme. See existing office renovation.
Plan your turnkey office fit-out with Adex Offices, or send your unit brief for a move-in-ready scope.
Planning a Singapore office project? Start a fit-out or reinstatement inquiry.
