Questions, answered plainly.

Licensing and safety rules below are general information, not legal advice. Check the current rules with the regulator for your state.

Which trades does a make good need?

Most make goods mix several trades. A typical list:

Large make goods are often run by one head contractor who brings in licensed subcontractors. Ask who will actually do each part of the job.

Do make-good contractors need to be licensed for electrical work?

Yes. In Victoria, the Electricity Safety Act 1998 says a person must not do, or offer to do, prescribed electrical work unless they hold the right class of licence, and carrying on electrical contracting needs registration as an electrical contractor. Prescribed electrical installation work must also be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector.

In NSW, the NSW Government says you must have an electrical licence or certificate to do any electrical wiring work, "regardless of the cost of the work and regardless of whether the work is residential, commercial, or industrial".

Plumbing is similar. The NSW Government says you need a licence or certificate to do any plumbing, draining or gasfitting work, whatever the cost and whether the work is residential, commercial or industrial. In Victoria, plumbing work must be done by a plumber registered or licensed in the relevant class with the Building and Plumbing Commission, or by someone training under a licensed plumber.

What are the rules for asbestos in a strip-out?

Buildings constructed before asbestos was banned can still contain it in ceilings, wall sheeting, floor tiles, pipe lagging and switchboards. That matters because a strip-out disturbs exactly those materials.

• Victoria: before demolition or refurbishment, the person who manages or controls the workplace must review the asbestos register (OHS Regulations 2017, regs 240–241). Asbestos likely to be disturbed must be identified and, so far as reasonably practicable, removed first (reg 244). Removal generally needs a licensed removalist. Without a licence, only limited work is allowed: non-friable asbestos of no more than 10 m² in total, with no more than one hour of removal work in seven days (reg 250).
• NSW: SafeWork NSW says a friable asbestos removal licence is needed to remove any amount of friable asbestos, and a non-friable licence to remove more than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos. An asbestos register is required for workplaces built before 31 December 2003, or where asbestos has been identified.

No photo review, ours included, can tell you whether asbestos is present. Ask the landlord for the building's asbestos register early, and make sure your quotes say how asbestos will be handled.

Do I need a building permit for a strip-out?

Sometimes. In Victoria, building work includes demolition, and a building permit is needed unless an exemption applies. The Building Regulations 2018 exempt some internal alterations to commercial buildings, but only if they do not affect structural soundness, public or occupant safety, or an essential safety measure such as fire services, and the building is not on the Heritage Register. A planning permit may still be needed.

In NSW, some internal commercial alterations can be exempt or complying development under the state's planning codes. The exact conditions depend on the work, so ask your contractor, a registered certifier or your council before work starts. Your contractor should tell you in their quote whether permits are needed and who will obtain them.

What does MAKE GREAT check before approving a contractor?

A person on our team reviews every application. We check the business identity and ABN, insurance certificates and expiry dates, licences for the trades the contractor offers (against public registers where available), safety paperwork, past commercial projects and references. Contractors must sign our referral terms before any invitation.

The full process, including what vetting does not guarantee, is on how we vet contractors.

What should I check myself before I sign?

• A certificate of currency for public liability insurance and workers compensation, in the name of the business you are contracting with
• Licence numbers for electrical, plumbing and any asbestos work, and the names of subcontractors who will do it
• A written scope that matches your lease, with inclusions, exclusions and provisional sums
• A programme that finishes before your lease ends, allowing for building access rules
• A safe work method statement for high-risk work
• How asbestos will be identified and handled
• Who applies for permits and building management approvals
• What handover includes: final clean, attending the landlord's inspection, fixing defects
• Payment terms: deposits, progress payments and retention

How do contractors join MAKE GREAT?

If you run a commercial make-good, strip-out, reinstatement or end-of-lease cleaning business in Melbourne or Sydney, you can apply on become a contractor. You receive invitations matched to your trades, area and project size, and you pay a referral fee only on projects you win. Approval needs verified credentials and signed referral terms, and we can suspend or remove contractors, for example for expired credentials or unresolved complaints.

Get my make-good quotes

Tell us about your premises and we will invite up to three vetted contractors whose verified credentials fit your scope to inspect and quote. If fewer than three are eligible, we tell you.

Prices below come only from published sources, with the source and date shown. They are indicative, not quotes, and we do not promise any saving.

What makes a make good cheap or expensive?

The lease clause matters more than the size of the space. The same 300 m² office can need a light clean and touch-up, or a full strip-out back to bare concrete with new ceilings, lights and carpet, depending on what the lease says.

The main cost drivers:

Is there a reliable make good cost per m²?

Not really. We looked for published make-good rates from quantity surveyors, agencies, tender results and government sources. What they found:

• JLL, Australia Fit-Out Cost Guide 2022/23, announced February 2023: making good "will cost an average $456 per square metre", described as removing the tenant's custom fittings, repainting and doing minor repairs. It is a single average with no range and no city split, and it is now several years old. JLL's newer guide pages do not show a make-good figure.
• No free quantity-surveyor rate book we found publishes a make-good, strip-out or reinstatement rate per m².
• No public source gives a reliable per-m² figure for warehouse, industrial or retail make good.

Other figures online often come from marketing or lead-generation sites that do not show their method, and some change sharply from month to month. We do not repeat them as if they were reliable. Source: JLL newsroom release on its Australia Fit-Out Cost Guide 2022/23, February 2023, checked 28 October 2026.

Our make good cost guide lists what we found and how much weight each source deserves.

What should a make-good quote include?

A quote you can rely on should state, in writing:

• The scope: each item to be removed, repaired, reinstated, painted or cleaned, tied to your lease clause
• Inclusions and exclusions: what is and is not in the price
• Provisional sums: allowances for unknowns, such as hidden damage, with how they will be adjusted
• How variations are priced: the rates for extra work
• GST: whether the total includes or excludes it
• Programme: start date, key steps and a finish date before your lease ends
• Working hours: whether after-hours or weekend work is included, if the building requires it
• Waste: removal, disposal and any recycling
• Asbestos: how it will be identified, and whether removal is included or excluded
• Licensed work: who does electrical, plumbing and any asbestos work, and their licence details
• Insurance: current certificates of currency
• Handover: whether the contractor attends the final inspection and fixes any items the landlord raises

How do I compare make-good quotes fairly?

Quotes are only comparable when they price the same scope. A low total often means something has been left out.

1. Put every quote side by side by scope item, not just by total.
2. Move exclusions into the price. If one quote excludes waste or after-hours work and another includes it, the totals are not like for like.
3. Check provisional sums. A quote with large allowances for unknowns may end up costing more.
4. Check the programme. A quote that finishes after your lease ends may mean paying rent to stay on, or the landlord claiming the cost of finishing the work.
5. Check GST is treated the same way across all quotes.
6. Ask questions in writing and keep the answers.

Our quote comparison tool lines quotes up item by item and flags where they are not like for like. It shows the differences but does not pick a winner for you, and it never treats the cheapest quote as the best by default.

Is it cheaper to pay the landlord instead of doing the work?

Sometimes, but not always. A payment in lieu is a cash sum you pay the landlord instead of doing the make good. The NSW Small Business Commission notes that tenants often agree to this, but it does not say it is cheaper. Before you agree a figure, get your own itemised quote for exactly what your lease requires, so you know what the work would cost you. Read our guide to make-good payment in lieu.

How does MAKE GREAT help with costs and quotes?

• Get my make-good quotes. Tell us about the premises and upload your lease and photos if you have them. We prepare a structured brief so every invited contractor quotes on the same scope, and invite up to three vetted contractors to inspect and quote. If fewer than three are eligible, we tell you.
• Analyse my lease. Our lease check pulls out the make-good obligations with clause references so the scope matches your lease. It is a preliminary assessment, not legal advice, and a person reviews anything unclear.

What does MAKE GREAT do?

We help commercial tenants hand back their premises. If you are leaving an office, shop, warehouse, clinic or other commercial space and your lease has a make-good clause, we help you work out what the lease asks for, turn that into a clear scope, and get comparable quotes from vetted contractors who do this work.

We are a technology marketplace. We do not do the building work, give legal advice, certify buildings or act as your project manager on site.

How does it work, step by step?

Who am I signing a contract with?

The contractor you choose. MAKE GREAT is not a party to the building contract. The contractor is responsible for the work, the people on site, safety, licences for the work they do, and the warranties in their contract. Read their contract and scope carefully before you sign.

How are contractors chosen for my project?

Matching uses eligibility rules first. A contractor must be approved by a person on our team, have current required insurance and licences, cover your area, and offer the trades your scope needs. Only eligible contractors are ranked, using factors such as relevant project experience, capacity, availability and responsiveness.

We invite up to three. If fewer than three are eligible, we tell you instead of filling the gap with an unsuitable contractor. Contractors cannot pay to be invited or ranked higher. If we ever offer any paid placement, we will label it clearly. See how we vet contractors.

How does MAKE GREAT prepare my assessment?

We use software tools to help us:

• read your lease and pull out the make-good, alterations, repair and cleaning clauses, with page and clause references
• suggest a possible scope from your photos and floor plans
• prepare a structured brief so every contractor quotes on the same thing
• line up quotes so you can see differences
• answer simple questions if you use chat on our website; any chat assistant is automated, says so, and never poses as a person

This work is preliminary. Lease findings are sorted into three groups: what the documents clearly require, what may be required but needs clarifying, and what the documents do not establish. Software cannot see behind walls or confirm hazards such as asbestos from photos, so contractors must verify the scope on site. A person reviews uncertain findings and complex projects. The privacy and your documents FAQs explain how your documents are handled.

What does MAKE GREAT not do?

• We do not give legal advice about your lease. For that, see a property lawyer or your state's Small Business Commission.
• We do not carry out, supervise or certify building work.
• We do not guarantee a contractor's price, timing or workmanship.
• We do not promise you will save money.
• We are not a regulator, licensing body or accreditation body.
• We do not publish ratings or reviews until they are based on real, verified feedback.

What does it cost me?

Nothing to request quotes. If we ever charge for a separate service, such as a standalone lease assessment, we will show you the price before you start. You pay the contractor you choose under your contract with them.

Is MAKE GREAT on my side or the contractor's?

We want you to be able to see that clearly, so here it is: we earn money when a contractor wins a job through us. That gives us a reason to want projects to go ahead. We manage the conflict by disclosing it, by not selling ranking, by inviting contractors on published rules, and by showing you quotes side by side without picking one for you. You are always free to get quotes elsewhere or to do nothing.

What if something goes wrong?

Tell us. We cannot act as your builder or lawyer, but we will record the complaint, review the contractor's standing on the platform, and point you to bodies that may help, such as your state's building or licensing regulator or Small Business Commission. Our complaints process is set out on our complaints page.

General information only, not legal advice. The law below is summarised from the sources listed on this page as at the review date. It may not apply to your lease. For advice on your situation, speak to a property lawyer or contact the Victorian Small Business Commission or the NSW Small Business Commission.

Is make good set by law or by my lease?

By your lease. We found no definition of make good in Victoria's Retail Leases Act 2003, and the NSW Small Business Commission describes it as a condition "specified in the lease". It is a contractual obligation, so the clause in your lease sets the standard. Read it together with the definitions, the alterations clause and any consent letters for your fit-out. Our make-good clause guide shows how.

Is my lease a retail lease?

It matters, because retail lease laws add rules that office and industrial leases usually do not have.

Victoria (Retail Leases Act 2003). Retail premises are premises used wholly or mainly to sell or hire goods by retail, or to provide services by retail. The Act does not apply where:

• occupancy costs are more than $1,000,000 a year (excluding GST)
• the tenant is a listed corporation or its subsidiary
• the lease term is less than one year, unless renewals or continuations keep the tenant in possession for a year or more

Whether premises are retail is tested when the lease is entered into or renewed. Source: Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) ss 4, 11 and 12; Retail Leases Regulations 2023 (Vic) reg 6(1).

NSW (Retail Leases Act 1994). The Act applies to certain retail shop leases. We have not summarised its definitions and size thresholds here because we could not check the current text of the Act; the NSW Small Business Commission can help you work out whether it applies to you.

If you lease an office or warehouse, assume your lease is probably not a retail lease unless you have advice otherwise. Then the lease and general law govern make good.

What should I have been told about make good before signing?

For Victorian retail leases, the landlord must give you a disclosure statement and a copy of the proposed lease at least 14 days before the lease is entered into. The prescribed disclosure statement includes a tenant checklist asking "Are you required to make good the premises at the end of the lease?"

In NSW, the lessor's disclosure statement must be given at least 7 days before a retail lease is entered into. The NSW Small Business Commission tells lessors to "ensure that clear details are provided" about make-good works required at the end of the lease, and says the disclosure should cover who pays for fit-out and which fit-out items can stay or must be removed.

Find your disclosure statement. It can help if the landlord now asks for more than you were told.

Can the landlord claim more than the make good I actually owe?

A landlord can only enforce what the lease requires, but the cost of doing that work can still be high. If you made alterations without consent, the High Court in Tabcorp v Bowen (2009) allowed a landlord to recover the cost of reinstatement, not just the drop in the property's value.

In NSW, section 133A of the Conveyancing Act 1919 has long limited damages for breach of a covenant to leave premises in repair to the drop in value of the landlord's interest, and excluded them where the premises were to be pulled down or structurally altered soon after the lease ended. We have checked this wording only as quoted by the High Court in 1943, so check the current text with a lawyer. We found no equivalent in Victoria's Property Law Act 1958.

If a landlord's claim looks bigger than your lease supports, compare it with the clause line by line and get your own itemised quote. See who pays for make good.

Can I pay the landlord instead of doing the work?

Often, by agreement. The NSW Small Business Commission says lessees "often agree to a payment to the lessor in lieu of the lessee carrying out the make good". No statute governs these payments, so the deal is whatever you both sign. Put it in writing, including a full release from further make-good claims. Read our guide to make-good payment in lieu.

Do I need a condition report?

The Victorian Retail Leases Act 2003 does not require one, and we have not confirmed any NSW requirement. Both Small Business Commissions recommend one. The VSBC suggests landlords and tenants agree a condition report at the start of the lease and keep copies. The NSW Small Business Commission suggests an inspection or condition report with photos, signed by both parties before you move in, and says at the end of the lease you "may be able to refer to" it.

If you do not have one, look for photos from your move-in, the agent's marketing photos, or fit-out drawings that show what was there before.

How are make-good disputes resolved?

Source: Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) ss 86, 87 and 92; VSBC FAQs; NSW Retail Tenancy Guide (Jan 2024) p 19; NCAT Retail leases page. Fees and limits as read on 28 October 2026.

For non-retail leases in Victoria, the VSBC also handles general commercial disputes and says it can certify that a party has unreasonably refused to take part in alternative dispute resolution. Non-retail disputes that cannot be settled may end up in court.

What if the landlord sends a breach notice?

In Victoria, before a landlord can re-enter or forfeit a lease for breach of a covenant, the Property Law Act 1958 requires a notice that sets out the breach, asks for it to be fixed if it can be, and asks for compensation. This applies to retail leases as well. Do not ignore a notice: deadlines run from it. Get advice quickly.

How can MAKE GREAT help with my lease?

Analyse my lease pulls out the make-good, alterations, repair, cleaning and holding-over clauses with page and clause references. It is a preliminary assessment, not legal advice or a legal opinion. It separates what the lease clearly requires from what needs clarifying and what the documents do not establish, and it flags ambiguous clauses for a person on our team to review, who may suggest you speak to a lawyer.

When you know your scope, Get my make-good quotes invites up to three vetted contractors to quote on it.

General information only, not legal advice. For advice on your own lease, speak to a property lawyer or your state's Small Business Commission.

These are the short answers. Each one links to a longer guide if you need the detail. If a word here is unfamiliar, the make good glossary explains it in plain English.

What does make good actually mean?

It means handing the premises back in the condition your lease says. The NSW Small Business Commission describes that condition as the premises as first built, as they were at the start of the lease, or some other condition the lease specifies. Its retail tenancy guide adds that make-good provisions "typically" require the premises to be returned in an empty and neutral state, which in some cases means stripping back to the base building and redecorating.

You will see it spelt "make good", "make-good", "makegood" and "making good". They all mean the same thing. For the full explanation, read what is make good?

Is make good a law, or just part of my lease?

It is part of your lease. We searched the full text of Victoria's Retail Leases Act 2003 and found no provision that defines make good. The NSW Small Business Commission also describes it as a condition "specified in the lease". It is a contractual promise, so it means what your lease says.

The law still matters around the edges. Retail leases in Victoria and NSW have extra rules about what you must be told before signing, how bonds and bank guarantees are handled, and how disputes are resolved. See the legal and leases FAQs and our guides to make good in Victoria and make good in NSW.

What work does a make good usually include?

It depends on the clause, but most make goods are built from the same pieces:

Each premises type has its own extra items. A shop may have a shopfront and signage, an office may have glass partitions and a comms room, and a warehouse may have pallet racking and line marking. See office, retail and warehouse make good.

Does fair wear and tear count?

Usually not, but only if your lease says so. Fair wear and tear means the ordinary ageing of a space from normal, reasonable use: faded paint, worn carpet in walkways, scuffs near doors. Many clauses exclude it, which means you do not have to fix it.

Two warnings. First, damage is not wear and tear: a hole from a removed shelf or a stain from a leaking fridge is damage. Second, some clauses go further than repair. The Victorian Small Business Commission says a repainting clause can require you to repaint to a new condition, even where the walls were in poor condition when you moved in, if that is what you agreed in the lease.

Do I have to remove everything I installed?

Many clauses say yes, but check three places before you assume it:

1. The make-good clause itself. Does it say "all alterations" or only some?
2. The alterations clause. It may say approved works can stay, or must go.
3. The landlord's consent letters for your fit-out. Conditions are often attached there, such as "to be removed at the end of the lease".

If you took over a fit-out from a previous tenant, you may still be responsible for it. The Victorian Small Business Commission says a tenant who buys a business and takes an existing lease still has make-good obligations. Our make-good clause guide shows how to read these documents line by line.

How long does a make good take?

There is no standard time, because jobs vary so much. A small suite that needs a clean, patch and paint can be quick. A multi-floor office or a large warehouse with racking, mezzanines and floor repairs takes much longer, and the work itself is often not the slowest part.

What usually takes the time:

• agreeing the scope with the landlord in writing
• getting comparable quotes and booking trades
• building management approvals, after-hours work rules and lift bookings in towers
• asbestos checks in older buildings before anything is pulled out
• the final inspection and any rework the landlord asks for

That is why our lease exit timeline suggests starting about 12 months before your lease ends for larger or more complex premises.

What happens if I run out of time?

If the work is not finished by the end of the lease, the landlord can usually do it and claim the cost, often from your bond or bank guarantee. The NSW Small Business Commission says tenants who do not make good "will normally be liable to pay the lessor's costs". If you stay on while the work is finished, you may have to pay rent for that time. Many leases have a holding-over clause that lets you stay month to month, but agree it with the landlord in writing first.

Some tenants agree instead to pay the landlord a cash sum, called a payment in lieu. See our guide to make-good payment in lieu before you agree a figure.

Where do I start?

Find your lease, every variation and any condition report from when you moved in. Then:

• Analyse my lease. Upload your lease and our lease check pulls out the make-good, alterations, cleaning and repair clauses, with page and clause references. Its output is a preliminary assessment, not legal advice. It sorts findings into what the lease clearly requires, what needs clarifying and what the documents do not establish, and a person on our team reviews anything unclear.
• Get my make-good quotes. Tell us about the premises and we invite up to three vetted contractors to inspect and quote on the same scope.

This page summarises how MAKE GREAT handles your information. Our privacy policy is the formal statement and takes priority if anything here differs. It is being prepared for Australian legal review.

Where does MAKE GREAT use automated tools?

We use automated software tools, including third-party service providers that may process your documents outside Australia, in several places:

How is the software's work checked?

What these tools produce on MAKE GREAT is preliminary. We build in checks so it is not relied on blindly:

• Sources for every finding. Each material lease finding links to the document and the page or clause it came from. If a finding cannot be traced to the documents, it should not be presented as a finding.
• Three categories. Lease findings are sorted into what the documents clearly require, what may be required but needs clarifying, and what the documents do not establish.
• Confidence shown. Uncertain findings are marked as uncertain.
• Human review. A person on our team reviews ambiguous clauses, low-confidence findings and complex or high-risk projects, and can refer a clause to a lawyer.
• Your corrections. You can correct anything, and the correction is recorded.
• Site verification. Contractors must check the scope on site before they quote.

Does a computer make decisions about me?

Some steps use computer programs, including automated software tools, to help make decisions:

• Contractor matching uses rules (approval status, current insurance and licences, service area, trades) and then ranks eligible contractors.
• Enquiry prioritisation helps our team see which enquiries are urgent, for example because a lease ends soon, so a person can follow up quickly.

Our rule is that no enquiry is refused, and no legal conclusion about your lease is reached, by a computer program alone. A person is involved in those decisions.

From 10 December 2026, new Australian Privacy Principles (APP 1.7 to 1.9) require entities covered by the Privacy Act to explain in their privacy policy the kinds of personal information used by computer programs in decisions that could significantly affect someone, and the kinds of decisions involved. The OAIC says this can include decisions where a program does not replace the whole process or is subject to human review. Our privacy policy will describe these uses.

Who can see my documents?

• You and people you add to your organisation's account.
• MAKE GREAT staff who need access to provide the service, such as reviewers. Access to files is restricted by role and logged.
• Contractors invited to quote on your project, for the information they need to quote. A contractor never sees another contractor's quote or private documents.
• Service providers we use to run the platform, such as hosting, storage, email and document processing providers, under contracts that limit how they can use your data. Our privacy policy will list the kinds of providers we use and where data may be processed.

We do not sell your personal information.

Is my lease safe to upload?

Uploaded files are checked for type and size, stored in private storage rather than on a public web address, and opened only through access-controlled links. Leases often contain commercially sensitive terms such as rent, incentives and guarantor details. If you would prefer not to upload the whole lease, you can upload only the make-good, alterations and definitions clauses, or describe them in the enquiry.

We also treat every uploaded document as untrusted. If a document contains hidden instructions aimed at automated software, our tools are designed not to act on them, and findings still have to trace back to the document's actual wording.

How long do you keep my documents?

We keep project documents for as long as you need them for the project and handover, and for any period we must keep records for legal, tax or billing reasons. You can ask us to delete documents or close your account. Our privacy policy will set out the retention periods.

Can I use MAKE GREAT without the lease check?

Yes. You can skip the lease and photo uploads and simply tell us about the premises. Our team can prepare the brief with you, and contractors will scope the work on site. The lease check and photo review are optional, not a condition of getting quotes.

How do I make a privacy complaint or request?

Contact us through the contact page. You can ask for access to, or correction of, personal information we hold about you. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), which handles privacy complaints about organisations covered by the Privacy Act. The OAIC generally expects you to complain to the organisation first.