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Soft strip meaning
Published by a LexisNexis Construction expert
What does Soft strip mean?
Soft strip describes the removal of non-structural fabric and services from a building in preparation for demolition or refurbishment, for example internal partitions, ceilings, floor finishes, doors, glazing, fixtures and fittings, and mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems and plant. It excludes works to load-bearing or primary structural elements.
The term is a descriptive industry and contractual expression (often “strip-out” or “soft-strip demolition”), not one defined by legislation or case law. In practice it appears in scopes of work under JCT/NEC contracts, tender documentation and demolition/refurbishment method statements.
Key legal considerations include allocation of scope and pricing risk; compliance with health and safety duties (the CDM Regulations in Great Britain, the Northern Ireland CDM Regulations, and Irish construction safety regulations); safe isolation of utilities; and asbestos management—an appropriate refurbishment/demolition asbestos survey is normally required before soft strip begins. Waste segregation, reuse and disposal must comply with duty-of-care and permitting requirements.
Planning/consent issues are context-specific: soft strip may not amount to “demolition” for planning purposes, but listed building and conservation controls can capture interior removals. Usage and meaning are broadly consistent across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
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View the related Practice Notes about Soft strip
PRACTICE NOTES
Construction law and practice glossary—S: schedules, scope, set-off, step-in, section 106, Scheme for Construction Contracts, suspension
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Schedule of amendments A compiled list of changes to a standard form contract in which the parties record their agreed departures from the issued terms. Accordingly, it should be read alongside the underlying standard form. The parties should ensure any negotiated and agreed schedule of amendments is duly incorporated into the contract. Within NEC3/NEC4 suites, such alterations to the standard form are known as Z clauses. Refer to Practice Notes: Construction contract documents and Selection of standard form construction contracts, and to our relevant Precedent schedules under the Precedents tab in subtopics: JCT contracts 2024—overview, JCT contracts 2016, JCT contracts 2011, NEC contracts and Other standard form construction contracts. Schedule of rates/prices A schedule used in tendering when precise quantities are not established, or within a lump sum arrangement for pricing variations (often termed a Bill of Quantities). The tenderer...
21 May
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PRACTICE NOTES
Demolition Works: Legal, Regulatory and Contractual Issues for Construction Lawyers, including Planning, Building Act Notifications, Party Walls, CDM, Health and Safety, and Waste Management
This Practice Note explores key matters for construction solicitors on schemes featuring demolition, from planning and Building Act 1984 (BA 1984) obligations, party wall considerations, health and safety (including how the CDM Regulations apply) to handling demolition waste. It further reviews the contractual forms used to procure a demolition contractor, the process for their appointment, and the surveys or studies commonly carried out ahead of commencement. What does demolition involve? Demolition does not always equate to total clearance of a building or structure—it may span from ‘soft strip’ works during refurbishment (for example, taking out internal partitions or stripping M&E systems) to complete demolition of the entire asset, including removing and grubbing out foundations. It might serve as the opening phase of a wider build to free the site for new development, form an element of modifications to an existing property, or be the project in its own right. A vacant, cleared plot can represent a significantly more valuable asset and be more appealing to developers/investors than...
21 May
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