Office Fit-Out in Portugal — Design-Build
Updated: June 2026
From the day you sign a lease, the clock is money. WALLNUT designs and builds corporate offices in Portugal under one contract — space planning, engineering, licensing and construction — so a single accountable team owns the move-in date instead of handing it between a designer, a contractor and a project manager.
Cat A, Cat B and the lease clock
Cat A is the base condition a landlord delivers; Cat B is your company’s actual workspace — layout, finishes, meeting rooms, technology and branding. The traditional route runs designer, then tender, then builder, adding weeks before site. A design-build contract overlaps design, procurement and construction, so the move-in date is driven by one team rather than negotiated across three.
What it costs
Indicative fit-out budgets in Greater Lisbon run roughly €850–1,550/m² depending on Cat A vs Cat B and specification, with end-of-lease reinstatement (dilapidations) a separate line of roughly €115–225/m² (market sources, 2024–25). The number is moved by specification (HVAC, IT, acoustics, meeting density), the base condition of the floor, and programme. Real figures come from a real floor and brief — which is what the feasibility review produces.
How long it takes
A typical Cat B fit-out runs roughly 8–14 weeks on site once design and licensing are settled; design-build shortens the path to site by overlapping stages and removing the tender gap. We run the works in BIM, with clash detection on the services that decide whether an office opens on schedule.
Frequently asked
How long does a fit-out take?
Roughly 8–14 weeks on site for a typical Cat B, after design and licensing — design-build compresses the lead-up. We scope the real calendar in the feasibility review.
What is reinstatement / dilapidations?
The contractual obligation to return the space to its original condition at lease end — budget it from the start; we factor it into the plan.
Where do you work?
Across Greater Lisbon — including the Oeiras business parks. See also our Lisbon practice.