Plain answers to
building questions.
Short, practical guides to the jargon and standards behind building-services work — written for the people who buy it, not the people who sell it.
- Cat A is the landlord's base fit-out that brings a shell-and-core building to an open-plan, lettable standard; Cat B is the tenant's fit-out that turns that blank space into a finished, branded workplace. This guide explains what each category typically includes, who usually pays for what, and where Cat A+ and dilapidations fit in.
- PAS 9980, FRAEW and EWS1 are three of the most misused terms in building safety, and confusing them can cost building owners months. This guide sets out what each one means, how the risk ratings work, and what actually happens once an assessment says remediation is needed.
- SFG20 is the recognised industry standard for building maintenance in the UK, setting out how often plant and building services should be maintained and what each visit should involve. This guide explains what it is, why it matters for compliance, and how a planned maintenance contract built on it actually works.