Gallardía
Gallardía
A 150 m² office is fitted out in 6 to 10 weeks. What delays it most is not the building work: it is the building permissions and the working-hours restrictions almost nobody allows for when planning.
Get your estimate in 2 minutes · Remodelling Cost Calculator| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 12.7 mm plasterboard (dry areas), both faces | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| 12.7 mm moisture-resistant green board (washrooms, kitchenettes) | m² | B/. 10.00 | |
| 12.7 mm fire-rated board, pink type | m² | B/. 10.00 | |
| Demolition of lightweight drywall partition | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| Demolition of cement board or Durock partition | m² | B/. 10.00 |
Drywall is the office system par excellence: fast, light — which matters on upper floors — and reconfigurable when the company grows. Fire-rated board is not optional where the building rules or the fire service require it: service risers, escape routes and fire separations.
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal of modular suspended ceiling (PVC, drywall or acoustic) | m² | B/. 5.00 | |
| 40×40 cm access hatch for maintenance | u | B/. 20.00 | |
| Recessed 2×2 LED panel fitting for interiors | u | B/. 20.00 | |
| Recessed LED downlight 15–25 W | u | B/. 10.00 | |
| Occupancy sensor for washrooms, stores or offices | u | B/. 17.50 | |
| Single or double switch | u | B/. 7.50 | |
| Removal of existing light fitting | u | B/. 7.50 |
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-wall inverter split unit 18,000 BTU/h, complete unit | u | B/. 210.00 | |
| High-wall inverter split unit 24,000 BTU/h, complete unit | u | B/. 270.00 | |
| High-wall inverter split unit 36,000 BTU/h, complete unit | u | B/. 380.00 | |
| Decorative PVC/ABS trunking for refrigerant lines and cabling | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Removal of split unit, including refrigerant recovery | u | B/. 60.00 | |
| Protective metal cover for exposed outdoor unit | u | B/. 65.00 |
This is what separates an office fit-out from a domestic one. To operate a commercial unit or office, emergency signage and equipment are usually an occupancy requirement, and their absence can hold up opening.
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED emergency light with rechargeable batteries, autonomy ≥ 90 min | u | B/. 22.50 | |
| Self-contained LED emergency light (≥90 min) | u | B/. 25.00 | |
| Illuminated "EXIT" sign, single or double sided, with battery backup | u | B/. 20.00 | |
| Photoluminescent "EXIT" sign | u | B/. 12.50 | |
| Photoluminescent directional sign | u | B/. 10.00 | |
| Photoluminescent fire extinguisher sign | u | B/. 10.00 | |
| Portable 10 lb ABC fire extinguisher with bracket and signage, installed | u | B/. 25.00 | |
| 10 lb ABC fire extinguisher with metal bracket | u | B/. 30.00 | |
| A3 evacuation plan with frame | u | B/. 20.00 | |
| Photoluminescent signage for escape routes and assembly points | m² | B/. 12.50 |
Budget for it from day one. Seeing it appear at the end, once you have spent everything on finishes, is one of the most common frustrations in commercial fit-outs.
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal emergency door 0.90 × 2.10 m, with panic bar and door closer | u | B/. 190.00 | |
| Single fire-rated metal door 0.90 × 2.10 m, insulating core and intumescent seal | u | B/. 300.00 | |
| Double-leaf fire-rated metal door 1.50 × 2.10 m | u | B/. 550.00 | |
| Solid timber accessible door 0.95–1.00 × 2.10 m, SENADIS-compliant lever hardware | u | B/. 90.00 | |
| Hydraulic door closer for high-traffic door, size 4 or above | u | B/. 70.00 | |
| Stainless steel kick plate | u | B/. 50.00 | |
| Stainless steel push plate plus pull handle | u | B/. 60.00 |
The B/. 70.00 hydraulic closer and the B/. 50.00 kick plate look like dispensable accessories. On a high-traffic door they are what stops the leaf being wrecked within six months.
For public-use washrooms, consider the accessible PVC cubicle with 1.50 × 1.50 m clear at B/. 160.00, the accessible toilet at B/. 85.00, the accessible washbasin at B/. 65.00 and the grab bar kit at B/. 95.00.
| Activity | Quantity | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition of existing drywall partitioning | 45 m² | B/. 7.50 / m² | B/. 337.50 |
| Removal of modular suspended ceiling | 150 m² | B/. 5.00 / m² | B/. 750.00 |
| Removal of existing light fittings | 24 u | B/. 7.50 / u | B/. 180.00 |
| New standard drywall partitioning | 60 m² | B/. 7.50 / m² | B/. 450.00 |
| Access hatches in the ceiling | 6 u | B/. 20.00 / u | B/. 120.00 |
| 2×2 LED panel fittings | 24 u | B/. 20.00 / u | B/. 480.00 |
| Occupancy sensors | 5 u | B/. 17.50 / u | B/. 87.50 |
| Switches | 12 u | B/. 7.50 / u | B/. 90.00 |
| Inverter split units 24,000 BTU/h | 3 u | B/. 270.00 / u | B/. 810.00 |
| Porcelain floor tile 0.60×0.60 m | 150 m² | B/. 15.00 / m² | B/. 2,250.00 |
| PVC skirting | 95 m | B/. 5.00 / m | B/. 475.00 |
| Washable vinyl emulsion paint | 310 m² | B/. 5.00 / m² | B/. 1,550.00 |
| Emergency lighting and EXIT signs | 8 u | B/. 22.50 / u | B/. 180.00 |
| Photoluminescent signage and extinguishers | 10 u | B/. 25.00 / u | B/. 250.00 |
| Post-construction cleaning and waste disposal | 150 m² + 4 m³ | — | B/. 930.00 |
| TOTAL LABOUR | B/. 8,940.00 |
Almost every corporate building in Panama City has one, and it typically requires: prior registration of the contracting company, a list of personnel with ID numbers, public liability insurance, restricted working hours and exclusive use of the service lift.
The real impact is the hours. A building that only allows noisy work after 6:00 p.m. or on Saturdays can double the calendar. Find out before you commit an opening date to anyone.
On the fifteenth floor, everything comes up in the service lift, booked in advance and in the slot the management assigns. Plasterboard sheets of 2.44 m do not fit in every lift. This is verified at the site visit, not on delivery day.
Changes affecting the façade, shared risers or building services normally require prior approval from the management or the board. That process only runs in parallel with the works if it is started in time.
| Phase | Duration | |
|---|---|---|
| Paperwork and building approval | 1 to 3 weeks (beforehand) | |
| Strip-out and removal | 3 to 5 days | |
| Partitioning and structural works | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Electrical and air conditioning services | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Ceilings and finishes | 2 to 3 weeks | |
| Signage, testing and cleaning | 3 to 5 days | |
| TOTAL in normal working hours | 6 to 10 weeks | |
| TOTAL with restricted hours | 10 to 16 weeks |
Our advice for any commercial opening: set the launch date after you know the building's rules, never before. It is the most expensive planning mistake we have seen in commercial fit-outs.
6 to 10 weeks for 150 m² in normal working hours. With hours restricted by the building's rules, it can stretch to 10 or 16 weeks. Prior approvals take a further 1 to 3 weeks.
Around B/. 8,940.00 in labour, including strip-out, drywall partitioning, ceilings, LED lighting, three split units, porcelain flooring, paint, emergency signage and post-construction cleaning.
Normally emergency lighting with at least 90 minutes autonomy, EXIT signs, photoluminescent directional and extinguisher signs, ABC extinguishers and an evacuation plan. It is an occupancy requirement and should be budgeted from the start.
A set of requirements from the management: prior registration of the company, a list of personnel with ID numbers, public liability insurance, restricted working hours and use of the service lift. Its biggest impact is on the calendar.
In dry areas yes, at B/. 7.50 per m². In washrooms and kitchenettes you need moisture-resistant green board at B/. 10.00 per m², and fire-rated board, also B/. 10.00 per m², wherever the building rules or the fire service require it.
After you know the building's rules and its restrictions on working hours, never before. It is the most costly planning mistake in commercial fit-outs.
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