How to plan an office renovation timeline in Singapore

Most office renovations run late for the same reason: the timeline is built backwards from a hoped-for move-in date instead of forwards from what the work actually takes. Here is a realistic way to plan it.

Start from the lease, not the launch party

Your real deadline is usually your lease — either the start of the new one or the end of the old. Work out the fixed dates first: when you can access the new unit, when the old one must be handed back, and when staff must be productive.

The phases that eat time

Three things quietly stretch a programme: authority and landlord approvals, long-lead items (custom joinery, imported furniture, specialist AV), and M&E coordination. Identify these early because they sit on the critical path.

A realistic sequence

For a typical small-to-mid office, expect design and approvals to run in parallel, then construction and M&E, then AV/IT and furniture, then snagging and handover. Building in the approval lead time from day one is what keeps the move-in date honest.