Lease-End Dilapidations &
Reinstatement Works
Leaving a commercial lease in Lincolnshire? We carry out the full schedule of dilapidations — decoration, flooring, making good, cleaning, and clearance — and hand the property back with photographic evidence on every item. One contractor, fixed price, on time.
That Figure From Your Landlord's Surveyor Is Not the Final Number.
When a commercial tenant receives a schedule of dilapidations, the figures are prepared by the landlord's surveyor— who has every incentive to claim the maximum. The bill you've been handed is an opening position. In most cases, the final cost is significantly lower.
Section 18 Cap
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927, the landlord's claim is capped at the diminution in the property's value— not the full cost of repairs. A tenant's surveyor can invoke this to dramatically reduce the claim.
Negotiate Line by Line
Every item on the schedule can be challenged — fair wear and tear, betterment, supersession. Your own solicitor or RICS surveyor can counter-serve a Scott Schedule and reduce the claim before any works are agreed.
Works vs Cash
Once the schedule is agreed, carrying out the works yourself is almost always cheaper than a cash settlement. The landlord's estimate typically carries a 20–40% commercial margin — a direct contractor like LWR cuts that out entirely.
How LWR Group Fits In
We are the contractor who carries out the agreed works — not the surveyor or solicitor who negotiates the schedule. Once your legal team has agreed what needs doing, we quote directly against each line item, carry out the works in sequence, and hand you a photo-documented completion reportready to submit to your landlord. We're used to working alongside tenants' solicitors and RICS commercial surveyors — we can provide quotes at negotiation stage, attend joint inspections, and produce documentation suitable for legal proceedings.
Need a referral?If you've received a large claim and don't yet have a surveyor acting for you, we can point you towards RICS-registered commercial surveyors operating in Lincolnshire — your first step should always be to get your own professional advice before agreeing any settlement figure.
What Are Dilapidations?
Commercial dilapidations are the repair and reinstatement works a tenant must carry out at lease end, to return the property to the condition it was in at the start of the tenancy. Your landlord's surveyor issues a schedule of dilapidations — a formal document listing every item that must be remedied. Carrying out the works yourself is almost always cheaper than paying a cash settlement.
Works Covered
What We Do
Multi-trade capability under one roof. Every item on your schedule, handled in sequence, documented on completion.
Full Redecoration
Complete internal repaint to landlord specification — ceilings, walls, woodwork, and skirtings. Typically neutral white or magnolia to original condition.
Flooring Reinstatement
Removal of tenant-installed flooring and replacement with original spec or agreed alternative. Carpet, vinyl, screed repair, and hard floor restoration.
Making Good
Filling fixings, patching, plastering, and reinstating walls and ceilings where partitions, shelving, or equipment have been removed or attached.
Commercial Deep Clean
Full end-of-tenancy deep clean of the entire unit including welfare areas, kitchen facilities, toilets, warehouse, and office space.
Clearance & Waste Removal
Clearance of all tenant belongings, fit-out materials, racking, furniture, and waste. Licensed carrier — all disposed responsibly.
Schedule of Works Execution
We work directly from your surveyor's schedule of dilapidations or Scott Schedule — line by line, documented, with photo evidence on completion.
External Works
Signage removal and reinstatement, fascia and soffit repairs, external decoration, car park repairs, and security remediation.
Completion Documentation
Written completion report with before and after photography for every item on the schedule. Ready to submit to your landlord or surveyor.
How It Works
From Schedule to Handover
A clear, documented process from the day you instruct us to the day the keys go back.
01
Send Us the Schedule
Share your surveyor's schedule of dilapidations or give us the lease details. We review every line item and identify what's required.
02
Site Visit & Fixed Quote
We attend the unit, assess the scope, and provide a fixed written quote against the schedule. No open-ended pricing.
03
Works Carried Out
Our team carries out all works in sequence — clearance, making good, plastering, decoration, flooring, clean. All trades coordinated under one programme.
04
Photo Report & Handover
Every item on the schedule is photographed before and after. You receive a completion report ready for your landlord, solicitor, or surveyor.
Why Choose LWR
Why Commercial Tenants Use Us
“We quote against every line on the schedule — and in my experience, the landlord's surveyor's estimate is consistently 30–40% above what a direct contractor charges. Tenants who carry out the works themselves rather than paying a settlement almost always come out ahead.”
Carrying Out the Works is Almost Always Cheaper Than a Settlement
Your landlord's schedule will include a surveyor's estimate — typically 20–40% above what you'd pay a direct contractor. We quote directly against the schedule so you know exactly what the works cost before you decide whether to carry them out or negotiate.
Don't Make the Same Mistake Twice
Ongoing Commercial Maintenance
The most expensive dilapidations jobs come from properties where nothing has been maintained during the lease. A 5-year tenancy with no ongoing upkeep can generate a six-figure dilapidations claim. For businesses moving into new premises — or landlords re-letting units — a regular maintenance contract prevents that situation from happening again.
LWR Group provides planned and reactive maintenance contracts for commercial units across Lincolnshire. Regular visits, documented condition records, reactive response — so the property stays in good order throughout the tenancy.
Commercial Maintenance ContractsCommon Questions
Dilapidations FAQs
Don't agree or pay anything until you've taken professional advice. The figure on the landlord's schedule is their surveyor's opening claim — not a fixed or final amount. First, appoint your own RICS-registered commercial surveyor. They will review every item on the schedule, challenge anything not supported by the lease or that qualifies as fair wear and tear, and may invoke the Section 18, Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 (legislation.gov.uk) cap — which limits the landlord's claim to the actual diminution in the property's value, not the cost of every repair listed. Once the schedule has been negotiated down to an agreed scope, carrying out the physical works yourself (rather than paying a cash settlement) is almost always the cheaper option. That's where LWR Group comes in — we quote and carry out the agreed works at direct contractor rates, typically well below the landlord's estimate.
Commercial dilapidations are the repairs and reinstatement works a tenant is legally obliged to carry out at the end of a commercial lease, to return the property to the condition it was in at the start of the tenancy (allowing for fair wear and tear). The tenant's obligations are usually set out in the lease under 'repair and redecoration' covenants. At lease end, the landlord's surveyor typically issues a schedule of dilapidations — a formal document listing every item that needs to be remedied.
A schedule of dilapidations is a formal document prepared by the landlord's surveyor that lists every defect, repair, or reinstatement item the tenant is required to address before vacating. It references the specific lease clauses under which each item is claimed. Tenants can either carry out the works themselves (using a contractor like LWR Group) or pay the landlord a cash settlement — carrying out the works is almost always cheaper.
In most cases, carrying out the works directly is significantly cheaper than a cash settlement. The landlord's schedule will typically include a contractor's estimate with a commercial margin — often 20–40% above what a direct contractor would charge. By instructing LWR Group to carry out the works before you vacate, you control the cost, and you avoid any further dispute about the condition of the property at handover.
Timeline depends on unit size and the scope of works. A small office or retail unit (up to 2,000 sq ft) in fair condition typically takes 1–2 weeks. Larger industrial units or units in poor condition — like those with no ongoing maintenance during a 5-year lease — can take 3–6 weeks. We give you a fixed programme of works at quotation stage so you know exactly when the unit will be ready for handover.
We cover all commercial and industrial areas across Lincolnshire, including Lincoln city centre and industrial estates (Tritton Road, Whisby Road, Outer Circle Road, Doddington Road), North Hykeham, Newark, Sleaford, Grantham, Gainsborough, Boston, and surrounding areas including rural commercial units across the county. If you're unsure whether we cover your site, call us.
Yes — and this is a natural progression. Once a unit is handed back and re-let, we can provide planned preventative maintenance, reactive call-outs, and regular upkeep for the new occupant or the landlord. Many commercial landlords use us for both: dilapidations at lease end, and ongoing maintenance throughout the next tenancy.
Yes. We're experienced at working alongside tenants' solicitors and RICS commercial surveyors who are negotiating a dilapidations settlement. We can provide detailed line-by-line quotes against a schedule of dilapidations or Scott Schedule, supply photographic evidence during and after works, and produce completion documentation suitable for legal purposes. We can also attend a joint inspection with the landlord's surveyor if required. If you haven't yet appointed your own surveyor, we'd recommend doing so before agreeing any settlement — a good tenant's surveyor will typically reduce the claim significantly, including by invoking the Section 18 cap under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927.
Where We Work
Covering Lincolnshire Commercial & Industrial Areas
Lincoln city and all industrial estates (Tritton Road, Whisby Road, Outer Circle Road, Doddington Road) · North Hykeham · Newark · Sleaford · Grantham · Gainsborough · Boston · Witham St Hughes · Market Rasen · Louth · rural commercial premises countywide.
Not sure if we cover your site? Call 07383 485 714 and we'll advise within minutes.
Need a Dilapidations Quote?
Send us your schedule of dilapidations or call to discuss your lease-end requirements. Fixed price. Documented. On time.