Office reception lounge fitted out by CTN

Best Office Fit Out Services in Malaysia

The best office fit out in Malaysia turns the space you lease into a working office: partitions, ceilings, flooring, M&E and air-conditioning coordination, carpentry, workstations and chairs. CTN Interior Solutions has fitted out corporate offices from Petaling Jaya since 2001. We do not rent out fitted offices. We fit out your own leased floor, from bare shell or Cat A handover to a finished Cat B workplace.

Office Fit Out

We Fit Out the Floor You Lease

Searching for the best office fit out in Malaysia brings up two very different things. Some results are serviced or ready-fitted offices you can rent by the month. Others are firms that build out a floor you have leased yourself. CTN Interior Solutions is the second kind. If your company has signed, or is about to sign, a lease on a bare or partly finished office, we design and build the interior so your team can move in.

From bare shell or Cat A handover to a finished Cat B workplace.

We are an office-only interior specialist based in Dataran Prima, Petaling Jaya, trusted by 100+ corporate companies. This page explains what a fit-out includes, what Malaysian landlords usually hand over, what it costs in Kuala Lumpur, and how long it takes by floor size.

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Petaling Jaya, Selangor · Since 2001

A glass-fronted meeting room in a completed office
Open-plan office with workstations, planters and glass rooms

2001Established

Fitting out corporate offices from Petaling Jaya.

100+Clients

Multinationals, the financial sector and professional bodies.

1-StopDelivery

Design, fit-out, carpentry and after-sales.

8–30Weeks

Brief to move-in, from 3,000 to 30,000 sq ft.
01 · Handover Levels

Shell and Core vs Cat A vs Cat B: What Do Malaysian Landlords Hand Over?

Shell and core is the bare structure with base building services. Cat A adds a usable but empty floor: ceiling, lighting, air-conditioning distribution and basic power. Cat B is the tenant’s own fit-out: rooms, finishes, furniture and branding. In Malaysia the handover level varies by building, so read the lease’s handover schedule before you budget.

A bare shell-and-core floor with exposed concrete ceiling, columns and services
01

Shell and core (bare)

What you usually get

Structure, lifts, common toilets, main risers, base fire services

What your fit-out must add

Everything inside the unit, from ceiling and air-conditioning to rooms and furniture
An empty Cat A floor with ceiling grid, lighting, air-conditioning and carpet
02

Cat A

What you usually get

Ceiling, general lighting, air-conditioning distribution, basic power, sometimes raised floor

What your fit-out must add

Rooms, pantry, finishes, cabling, furniture; often re-routed lights and air-conditioning
A previous tenant's fit-out with glass meeting rooms and existing furniture
03

Previous tenant's fit-out

What you usually get

An existing layout that may or may not suit you

What your fit-out must add

Selective strip-out, then Cat B works
A finished Cat B office with timber-slat walls, glass rooms and a long meeting table
04

Cat B

What you usually get

This is the tenant’s work, not the landlord’s

What your fit-out must add

A finished office built around your headcount, brand and way of working

Most UK and Australian guides assume every landlord delivers a clean Cat A floor. In the Klang Valley that is not a safe assumption. A new Grade A tower may hand over close to Cat A. An older building may hand over bare, or with the previous tenant’s partitions still standing. Each case changes your scope and cost, so the best office fit out quotation starts from the real handover condition.

Watch the reinstatement clause. Many Malaysian leases ask you to return the unit to its handover condition when you leave. Whatever you build in Cat B, you may have to remove later. That is one reason to keep heavy built-ins modular. A single design and build contract lets one team plan both the fit-out and the eventual exit.

Key Takeaway

Your fit-out scope starts where the landlord’s handover ends. Get the handover schedule in writing before you compare quotations, or you will be comparing different jobs.

02 · The Market

Why Are So Many Kuala Lumpur Companies Fitting Out New Offices?

Companies are moving from older buildings into newer, greener ones. Real estate consultancies report KL City vacancy fell from 23.6% to 19.2% in a year, while about 70% of KL office buildings date from before 2015. Every move into a new tower starts with a fit-out, which is why choosing the right office interior designer in Malaysia matters.

Office towers in Kuala Lumpur, where many companies are moving into newer buildings

The figures below pull together the latest published market reports from real estate consultancies. Each one points the same way: tenants are upgrading, and new buildings keep arriving.

KL Office Market Signals, 2024–2025

23.6%KL City vacancy, Q2 2024

Source: real estate consultancy reportsStarting point for the year

19.2%KL City vacancy, Q2 2025

Source: real estate consultancy reportsMore floors taken up, so more floors fitted out

231,392KL City net absorption, Q2 2025 (sq ft)

Source: real estate consultancy reportsOne quarter of net new occupied space

23.4%KL prime office vacancy, Q2 2025

Source: real estate consultancy reportsTenants still have choice and room to negotiate

6.8%New completions added to stock, 2025

Source: real estate consultancy reportsNew floors arrive bare or at Cat A

70%KL office buildings built before 2015

Source: real estate consultancy reportsTenants who stay may refurbish instead of moving

16%Older KL stock under asset enhancement

Source: real estate consultancy reportsUpgraded buildings bring new tenants and new fit-outs

Sources

Published KL office market reports by real estate consultancies, 2024–2025.

Real estate consultancies’ Q2 2025 Kuala Lumpur reports say financial and technology firms are upgrading to newer, higher-quality buildings. With prime vacancy still at 23.4%, tenants can negotiate for more rent-free fit-out time.

Key Takeaway

A tenant-friendly market lets you ask the landlord for a longer fit-out period or a better handover level. Ask before you sign, not after.

03 · The Scope

What Is Included in an Office Fit Out?

The best office fit out in Malaysia covers the interior build, the services that feed it, and the furniture that makes it usable. That means partitions, ceilings, flooring, M&E and air-conditioning coordination, carpentry and built-ins, workstations and chairs. CTN delivers all of these under one team, so nothing falls between two contractors.

Here is the scope we cover on a typical Cat B office fit out:

Glass-walled meeting rooms along an office corridor
01

Partitions and glazing.

Drywall and glass walls for meeting rooms, private offices and phone booths, with acoustic insulation where privacy matters.

Feature ceiling with linear lights and timber slats
02

Ceilings and lighting.

New or adjusted ceiling grids, feature ceilings for reception and boardrooms, and lighting laid out to your new room plan.

Carpet tiles in an office meeting area
03

Flooring.

Carpet tiles, vinyl, timber-look finishes or raised-floor adjustments, chosen for traffic, acoustics and the reinstatement clause.

A technician working on ceiling ducts and cable trays
04

M&E and HVAC coordination.

Re-routing air-conditioning diffusers, power points, data points and fire detectors so they match the new walls.

Built-in reception counter and pantry cabinets
05

Carpentry and built-ins.

Reception counters, pantry cabinets, storage walls and boardroom credenzas, built to measure.

Open-plan workstations with task chairs
06

Workstations and chairs.

Open-plan desking, task chairs, meeting tables and breakout furniture supplied as part of the same job.

The hidden risk sits in the services. A meeting room built without moving the air-conditioning diffuser becomes a hot box. A pantry placed far from the water riser needs extra piping. We plan finishes and services together, and we can show you 3D visuals of each space before anything is ordered.

Key Takeaway

Compare fit-out quotations line by line on services coordination, not just on finishes. That is where most cost surprises hide.

Not sure what your floor needs?

Our designers can turn your headcount and department list into a space plan and scope.

04 · Cost

How Much Does an Office Fit Out Cost in Kuala Lumpur?

There is no single price per sq ft. Your cost depends on the handover level, the specification, M&E works and furniture, which is why a design and build approach that costs as it designs helps.

Lounge with orange armchairs and timber shelving

What Moves Your Fit-Out Cost

01
An empty office floor at bare shell with city views

Handover level

A bare shell, a Cat A floor or a previous tenant’s fit-out each start the budget from a different place.

02
Carpet tiles in a work zone meeting timber-look vinyl plank in a pantry with bar stools

Specification and finishes

Partitions, ceilings, flooring and joinery set most of the builders’ works cost.

03
Exposed ceiling with air-conditioning ducts and a cassette unit

M&E and IT works

Air-conditioning, power, fire services, data cabling and AV.

04
Open-plan workstations

Furniture

New workstations and chairs, or reusing what you already own.

05
Programme chart being checked on a tablet

Programme

A tight rent-free window can mean more night or weekend work.

Treat any per sq ft figure as a rough guide, not a quotation. The best office fit out in Malaysia for your budget is the one priced on your actual floor.

We price your actual floor after a site check.

05 · Your Lease

How Do You Fit the Works Around Your Lease Start Date?

Most Malaysian office leases give a rent-free fit-out period between handover and the rent start date. Your design, approvals and build must fit inside that window, or you pay rent on an unfinished office. Start design before handover, and run a test-fit and design brief while the lease is still being negotiated.

A tenant signing an office lease agreement

Most guides treat the programme as a construction question. In practice, the lease decides it. Even the best office fit out in Malaysia cannot rescue a fit-out period that is too short. Work backwards from three dates in your tenancy agreement:

01

Handover date.

The day you get the keys. Site works cannot start before this, but design and approvals can.

02

Rent commencement date.

The end of the rent-free fit-out period. Aim to finish build works before this date.

03

Move-in date.

Leave a buffer after completion for furniture, IT set-up and defect fixes.

Before drawings go too far, bring your legal and property teams into the conversation. Your office fit out KL programme will be shaped by lease terms, landlord rules and local approvals. Review the lease for:

An empty Cat A floor with ceiling grid, lighting, air-conditioning and carpet
01

Category A works

Landlord provided Category A works and any fit out contributions

Signing a written consent document
02

Written consent

Requirements for written consent before you alter partitions, services or signage

Meeting building management at the lobby counter
03

Works restrictions

Restrictions on structural changes, working hours and noisy works

Finished office pantry at handover
04

Make good

Make good obligations at lease expiry

Authority Submissions

Preparation and submission of plans for DBKL, Bomba, and local authorities.

Approvals take time too. Building management will usually ask for drawings and a renovation deposit before work starts. Depending on the scope, the works may also need a permit from the local council, such as DBKL in Kuala Lumpur or MBPJ in Petaling Jaya. Changes to sprinklers or smoke detectors can bring in fire-safety checks. We prepare and coordinate these submissions as part of the fit-out, so they run in parallel with design rather than after it.

Key Takeaway

Negotiate the length of the rent-free fit-out period with your floor size in mind. A short window on a large floor turns into weeks of paid rent on an empty office.

06 · Budget

Where Does an Office Fit-Out Budget Go?

Builders’ works take the largest share of an Asia-Pacific fit-out budget at 38%, followed by M&E services at 25%, according to published industry guides. One design and build contract keeps all five packages under one budget.

38%25%16%14%7%
10,000
sq ft
Fit-Out Budget Split (Illustrative)
Open office with a sunset view and lounge corner
38%

Builders' works

Fit-out crew installing timber panels and partitions

Partitions, ceilings, flooring, carpentry, built-ins

25%

M&E services

A worker in a hard hat pointing at ducts, sprinkler pipes and cable trays in an exposed ceiling

Air-conditioning, electrical, fire services, UPS

16%

Security, IT and AV

Video-conferencing kit and touch panel on a meeting table

Access control, data cabling, meeting-room AV

14%

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

Workstations and storage in an open office

Workstations, chairs, meeting tables, loose furniture

7%

Professional services

Professional reviewing drawings beside a safety helmet

Design, project management, submissions

Total
10,000 sq ft
100%

Illustrative scenario: shares from published industry guides, applied to a 10,000 sq ft Kuala Lumpur office. Not a quotation.

This is a modelled split, not a quotation. A bare shell floor pushes more money into M&E. A good Cat A handover with reusable furniture shifts it the other way. Any firm offering the best office fit out in Malaysia should show you this split in its quotation.

07 · Our Process

How Does CTN Deliver the Best Office Fit Out in Malaysia?

CTN runs every office fit out with an in-house team of interior designers and project managers, from the first site check to after-sales service. You deal with one accountable team instead of separate designers, contractors and furniture suppliers. Our office-only focus since 2001 shapes each step below.

Completed open-plan office floor with workstations and planter boxes

How a CTN office fit-out runs, step by step

These are the stages every CTN office fit-out project follows, from lease decision to handover.

01
Two people measuring out an empty office floor

Space check before you lease.

We evaluate the premises and help size the space your headcount needs, so you do not overpay for floor area.

02
Two designers reviewing office floor plans with material samples on the table

Brief and space plan.

We map departments, meeting rooms and growth, then test-fit the layout on the actual floor plate.

03
Material board with finish samples

Design and specification.

We develop 3D visuals, finishes and a priced scope, with materials and samples for your approval.

04
Building management, council and Bomba submission folders

Submissions.

We prepare drawings for building management and any authority approvals the scope needs.

05
Contractor working on an office ceiling during fit-out

Build and install.

Our project managers coordinate partitions, ceilings, flooring, M&E, carpentry and furniture on site.

06
Finished boardroom ready for handover

Handover and after-sales.

We walk the floor with you, close out defects, and our in-house service team stays on call after you move in.

The same team handles office reinstatement when a lease ends, so the exit is planned from day one. That continuity is a big part of what makes the best office fit out in Malaysia.

Key Takeaway

The best office fit out company in Malaysia for you is one that owns design, build and after-sales together. Split responsibility is where delays and variation claims start.

Have a handover date already?

Send us the floor plan and lease dates, and we will map a realistic programme around them.

08 · Timeline

How Long Does an Office Fit Out Take by Floor Size?

In our modelled estimate, a 3,000 sq ft office fit-out takes about 8–12 weeks from brief to move-in, a 10,000 sq ft floor about 14–20 weeks, and a 30,000 sq ft multi-floor project about 22–30 weeks. Approvals overlap with design. Plan these windows against your lease with a specialist office designer early.

Fit-out workers painting interior walls during an office renovation

Fit-Out Timeline by Floor Size (Modelled)

3,000 sq ft

8–12total weeks

Small office floor with workstations

Brief and design

2–3

Approvals, overlapping

2–4

Build

4–6

Furniture and handover

1–2

10,000 sq ft

14–20total weeks

Office floor mid fit-out with materials laid out

Brief and design

3–5

Approvals, overlapping

3–6

Build

8–10

Furniture and handover

2–3

30,000 sq ft

22–30total weeks

Large open office floor with workstations and a feature ceiling

Brief and design

5–8

Approvals, overlapping

4–8

Build

12–16

Furniture and handover

3–4
Modelled estimate for a standard Cat B fit-out; not a CTN programme guarantee. Totals allow for overlapping phases.

Three things stretch these ranges: a bare shell handover, imported furniture with long lead times, and late design changes after approvals are in. A clear brief and early furniture orders protect the date more than extra site labour does. The best office fit out is the one that hands over on time.

An office pantry with a bar-height island, stools and lit shelving, fitted out by CTN
09 · In Summary

Conclusion Start With the Lease

The best office fit out in Malaysia starts with the lease, not the mood board. Know your handover level, protect your rent-free window, and budget with real figures for your floor, knowing that builders’ works and M&E take most of it. Then hand the job to one team that designs, builds and stays on after you move in. That is what we mean by the best office fit out in Malaysia. If you want design and build under a single contract, see our workplace design and build service.

Good to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

No. CTN Interior Solutions does not rent office space. We provide office fit out services in Malaysia for the floor your company leases or owns, turning a bare or Cat A unit into a finished workplace. For a furnished desk by the month, a serviced office operator is the better fit.

Cat A is the landlord’s base level: ceiling, lighting, air-conditioning distribution and basic power on an empty floor. Cat B is the tenant’s fit-out on top of that, including partitions, meeting rooms, pantry, finishes, cabling and furniture. In Malaysia, some buildings hand over below Cat A, so always check the lease’s handover schedule.

It depends on your floor. Your figure will move with handover level, specification and furniture. We price your actual floor after a site check and brief, rather than quoting a flat rate.

In our modelled estimate, about 8–12 weeks for 3,000 sq ft, 14–20 weeks for 10,000 sq ft, and 22–30 weeks for 30,000 sq ft, from brief to move-in. Starting design before handover shortens the programme.

Usually you need building management approval, and depending on the scope, a permit from the local council such as DBKL or MBPJ. Works that touch sprinklers or smoke detectors may also need fire-safety checks. CTN prepares the drawings and coordinates these submissions as part of the fit-out.

Yes. Office reinstatement is one of our core services. Because we know how the original fit-out was built, we can plan your exit works early and keep the reinstatement scope tight when the lease ends.

Ready to fit out your new office?

Tell us your floor size, headcount and move-in date. We will review the space and your lease dates, then give you a clear scope and programme. Prefer to talk? Call +603-7886 0430.

Floor size
Headcount
Move-in date