From bare shell to a unit you can trade from

What do you actually get in a shell unit?

“Local en bruto” describes a commercial unit handed over without internal finishes. The exact condition varies from building to building and should be written into the lease or purchase contract, but a typical shell has:

• a rough concrete floor, sometimes not level enough to take a finish directly;
• block or brick perimeter walls, unplastered or roughly plastered;
• the structural slab exposed overhead, with pipes from the flats above sometimes passing through;
• supply connections — water, drainage, electricity, telecoms — brought to the edge of the unit or a single point inside it;
• a frontage that may be closed with temporary panels, a basic shutter or nothing at all.

It is a blank canvas, which is the attraction. It is also a long list of work before the first customer walks in.

In what order is a shell unit fitted out?

The sequence matters more than in a refurbishment because nothing is there to start with. On a typical job it runs like this:

1. Setting out the layout on the floor from your technician’s drawings.
2. First-fix services: drainage routes, water supply and the electrical distribution, run by authorised partner installers.
3. Partitions in plasterboard or masonry for toilets, stockroom and offices.
4. Floor preparation: levelling where needed so the final floor sits flat.
5. Ceilings, once everything that runs above them is in place and tested.
6. Wall finishes, tiling in wet areas and painting.
7. Final floor, second-fix services and fitting.
8. Cleaning and handover for the shopfitters or your own furniture.

Specialist packages such as air conditioning and fire protection slot into this sequence at agreed points. We coordinate the timing with your installers so nobody has to undo someone else’s work.

Why is the technical side more important in a shell?

A shell has no existing installation to adapt, so almost every system is new: electrical supply and distribution, water and drainage, ventilation, lighting, and whatever safety measures the activity demands. In many cases that means a technical project by an architect or engineer, and the town hall’s paperwork follows from that project.

We do not prepare projects or file licences. We build to the drawings and specifications your technician provides and raise questions early when something on site does not match them — a drain that is higher than expected, a column that is not on the plan, a ceiling height that leaves no room for a duct. The guide to shell units explains what to check before signing, and the licences guide covers the verified framework.

What should be agreed with the landlord before the works?

Many problems with shell units start in the lease rather than on site. Before work begins, it helps to have in writing:

• exactly what the landlord delivers and what is your responsibility;
• whether works can start before the rent-free period, if there is one, and when that period begins;
• what must be removed or left at the end of the lease;
• whether the frontage, signage or any outlet through the façade needs the landlord’s consent, separate from the community’s;
• where meters, connections and any shared risers are.

We are not lawyers and do not advise on leases. What we can do is visit the unit before you sign, if the landlord allows, and tell you what the shell will need to become your shop. The article on questions before renting a shop lists the practical points.

Which finishes work best in a new commercial interior?

There is no single answer, but a few principles help. Floors should be chosen for the traffic and the cleaning routine rather than only the look. Walls in customer areas take knocks from trolleys, bags and stock, so impact-resistant boards or finishes in vulnerable zones pay off. Wet areas — toilets, a small kitchen, a cleaner’s sink — need water-resistant boards and tiling.

Ceilings are where a shell unit changes character most. A continuous plasterboard ceiling with a recessed cove for indirect light reads as finished and calm; an open ceiling with painted services suits other brands. Our guide on lighting and ceilings in shops goes through the choices.

What affects the cost of fitting out a shell?

The size of the unit matters, but less than people expect. The bigger drivers are the number of rooms and toilets, the ceiling and lighting specification, how far services have to travel from the connection points, how much floor levelling is needed, the materials you choose and access for deliveries and debris.

The quote breaks each of these into separate lines so you can see the effect of each decision. For the reasoning behind the main variables, read the article on fit-out cost factors.

What can surprise you inside a shell unit?

Even an empty unit hides things. The pipes from the flats above may run lower than the ceiling height you had in mind. A column may sit exactly where the counter was drawn. The drainage connection may be at the wrong end of the unit for the toilets you need, or too shallow to give the pipes a proper fall. The floor slab can be several centimetres out of level from one wall to the other.

None of these is unusual, and most have a straightforward solution if they are found early. That is why we measure carefully at the visit, check drainage levels and ceiling voids before finalising the quote, and report anything that conflicts with the drawings to you and your technician straight away, with photos. Each change gets its own line in the quote and nothing proceeds without your approval.