Shop-Fitters vs. Strip-Out Specialists: What’s the Difference and Who Do You Actually Need?

I’ll admit it—the first time I heard “shop-fitters and strip-out specialist,” I had no idea what that even meant. I pictured someone in hi-vis boots doing interpretive dance in an empty retail shell. Ridiculous, yeah, but not entirely out of character for the chaos that is end-of-lease makegoods.

Turns out, strip-out specialists are the ones you call before the creative chaos begins. And shop-fitters? They’re the team that brings a space to life after all the old baggage is gone. I used to think they were just two sides of the same coin—but no. They're different beasts entirely. And if you’re stuck figuring out who to call first, here’s the blunt truth: you need to know who does what before your renovation turns into a very expensive guessing game.

Shop-Fitters: The Builders of Retail Dreams

Shop-fitters are the ones who take a blank canvas and turn it into a functioning retail environment. Think shelving, counters, custom joinery, lighting, signage—the full package. These guys (and gals) don’t just install things, they create spaces that sell. A good shop-fitter can look at a raw tenancy and see foot traffic flow, product placement zones, and brand aesthetics—all before a single nail’s been driven in.

They’re part builder, part designer, and part therapist when clients change their minds mid-project (and they always do).

Personally? I love watching shop-fitters do their thing. It’s like watching a set being built for a play—one day it’s dust and concrete, the next it’s a boutique or café ready to open its doors. But—and here’s where people slip up—none of that magic can happen if the space hasn’t been properly stripped out first.

Strip-Out Specialists: The Unsung Heroes of Makegood

If shop-fitters are the ones who dress the stage, strip-out specialists are the crew who tear down the set after the last act. Their job is to return a space to its base shell, usually as part of the makegood clause in a lease. That means removing flooring, ceilings, partitions, signage, data cabling, kitchenettes—you name it.

It’s less glamorous, sure. But it’s the work that makes everything else possible. I once saw a strip-out crew dismantle a fully fitout café in a single day. By 6 PM, you’d never have guessed there’d been a barista pulling shots there that morning. Brutal? A bit. But also... oddly satisfying.

Here’s the thing—some businesses assume their shop-fitters can handle the strip-out too. And maybe they can. But strip-out work comes with its own skill set: waste disposal compliance, dealing with asbestos (hello, 90s office blocks), even liaising with centre management and council on permits. You don’t want someone winging it.

So, Who Do You Call?

Ask yourself: Am I creating something new or erasing something old?

If you’re moving out of a tenancy and need it cleared back to base, get a strip-out crew in. If you’re building or rebuilding a shop, café, salon—call your shop-fitters.

Of course, the dream scenario is finding a team that does both. Just don’t assume they do without checking. The last thing you want is hiring a shop-fitter who shows up expecting a clean slate, only to be met with old carpet glue and half a display wall still hanging on for dear life.

Final Thought (Because There’s Always One)

If I had to pick a favourite? I’d go with the strip-out crew. There’s something oddly poetic about making space for the new by clearing out the old. But ask ten different people in the trade and you’ll get ten different answers. Some folks live for the big reveal, the brand-new fitout, the polished finish.

Whichever side you land on, just know this: great shop-fitters build the vision. Great strip-out teams make space for it. And if you find a company that respects both? Hang onto them like your last Bunnings sausage in the wind.