Short answer
This glossary defines the terms that appear in office fit-out quotes, drawings and handover documents in India. Each term starts with a two-line answer, followed by the detail and a link to the full guide.
What is a BOQ in an office fit-out?
A BOQ, or bill of quantities, is an itemised list of the work and materials in a quote, with quantities and prices by trade. Ask for one that shows each section separately so quotes can be compared fairly.
It should show civil, interiors, electrical, HVAC, fire, plumbing, furniture and lighting separately, with named materials rather than categories like "vitrified flooring" with no brand or grade. See why contractors quote different prices.
What does MEP mean in an office fit-out?
MEP stands for mechanical, electrical and plumbing. In an office fit-out it covers HVAC, electrical distribution, fire detection and suppression, and plumbing.
On a large fit-out, MEP is usually the schedule risk, because ducting, electrical first-fix and fire systems have to be sequenced with the ceiling and civil programme. Officea's MEP works service engineers and installs these alongside the interior fit-out.
What is cost per sq ft in a fit-out?
Cost per sq ft is the total fit-out price divided by the area being fitted out. Divide by carpet area, the usable floor inside your walls, and check what the rate includes.
Some quotes cover only civil and interiors; others add MEP, loose furniture, AV and IT. See Officea's published rate card.
What are the finish tiers (Basic, Medium, Good, High end)?
They are the grades of materials and detailing used throughout the office, and they set the rate per sq ft. On Officea's rate card they run from Basic at ₹1,800 to High end at ₹4,500 in Delhi NCR, before GST.
Basic is functional and efficient; Medium steps up material quality; Good adds higher-spec finishes and a stronger design identity; High end uses premium materials and detailing throughout. Full descriptions are in the cost index.
What is a test-fit plan?
A test-fit plan is a layout drawing that shows how your team, meeting rooms and support spaces would fit on a specific floor. You get it before you sign the lease, so you can check the space works while you can still negotiate or walk away.
It places your actual seats and rooms on the real floor plate, including columns, core, window lines and irregular corners. Read what a test-fit plan is.
What is design and build?
Design and build is a single contract in which one team handles design and construction. Cost and buildability are checked while the design is developed, and one team is accountable.
See design and build vs a traditional fit-out and Officea's design and build service.
What is a turnkey office fit-out?
Turnkey goes beyond design and build by also covering furniture, IT and AV, signage and final setup, so the office is ready to use on day one.
General contracting, by contrast, means you bring the design and the contractor builds it. Compare all three in design and build, turnkey or general contracting.
What is snagging?
Snagging is the formal inspection of a finished fit-out to find defects, incomplete work and anything that does not match the agreed specification. It happens after substantial completion and before final handover.
See how to conduct an office snagging inspection.
What is the defects liability period?
It is a window after handover, typically six to twelve months, during which the contractor remains contractually obliged to fix genuine defects that surface after occupancy.
It is separate from the snagging pass, which is a concentrated one-time check before the contractor's team leaves site.
What are as-built drawings?
As-built drawings show what was actually constructed, not the original design intent where the two diverged during construction. They are the single most important handover document set.
Every future change, repair or expansion will be planned against them. See what a handover checklist should contain.
What is the efficiency ratio in a test-fit?
It is the resulting square feet per seat for a layout on a given floor. It lets you compare floors and check a layout against your budget assumptions.
Read it alongside attendance and room mix rather than on its own. See the test-fit guide.
What is the difference between central chilled water and VRF?
A chilled water system is a central plant that sends cold water to air handlers on each floor, while VRF (variable refrigerant flow) lets one outdoor unit serve many separately controlled indoor units. In a leased office, the building often decides which you use.
In most Grade A buildings and IT parks the landlord runs a central chilled water plant, while in older commercial buildings the tenant usually installs its own VRF or ducted split units. See the office HVAC guide.
What is a TR in HVAC?
TR stands for tonne of refrigeration, a unit of cooling capacity equal to about 3.5 kW or 12,000 BTU/hr.
Cooling should be sized from a heat-load calculation (people, equipment, glazing, orientation and climate), not from a rule of thumb.
What is the difference between raw power, DG power and UPS power?
Raw (normal) power is grid supply, DG-backed power is picked up by a diesel generator after a short changeover delay, and UPS power is battery-backed with no break. Putting everything on UPS inflates UPS size and battery cost.
UPS runtime is usually short, typically 15 to 30 minutes, enough for a graceful shutdown or for the DG to start. See the office electrical guide.
What is lux, and how much does an office need?
Lux measures the amount of light arriving on a surface. General desk work in an Indian office usually needs about 300 to 500 lux maintained, with higher levels for meeting and detailed-task areas.
Maintained illuminance is the minimum average you must still have after dust and lamp ageing. The National Building Code of India (2016, Part 8) and IS 3646 provide the baseline. See the office lighting guide.
What do NRC and STC mean in office acoustics?
NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) rates how much sound a surface absorbs, and STC (Sound Transmission Class) rates how well a partition blocks airborne sound. Absorbing and blocking are different jobs.
A highly absorbent ceiling does little to stop sound travelling between rooms, and a heavy wall does little to quieten a hard-surfaced room. See the office acoustics guide.
What does Group E (Business) mean for an office?
It is the occupancy class that the National Building Code 2016, Part 4 (Fire and Life Safety), gives to offices. Fire safety is then governed by that code and by each state's fire rules.
A fit-out does not inherit the building's compliance, so changes need landlord approval and, where state rules require it, fire department clearance. See office fire safety requirements.
What is the difference between gross leasing and net absorption?
Gross leasing counts all leases signed in a period, including relocations, while net absorption measures the change in occupied space. If a company gives up 50,000 sq ft and takes 60,000 sq ft elsewhere, gross records 60,000 sq ft and net records only 10,000.
When gross is high and net is falling, much of the activity is re-signing or shifting rather than growth. See renew or relocate.