Mezzanine removal at lease end: approvals, structure and floor make-good

Last updated: 31 October 2026

A mezzanine floor adds useful space to a warehouse, but it is often the biggest alteration a tenant makes, and the most expensive to reverse. Whether you have to remove it depends on your lease, and how it comes out depends on how it was built. This guide covers what to check first, how removal works and what the floor needs afterwards. For the whole exit, see our warehouse dilapidations service.

Do you have to remove a mezzanine?

It depends on your lease and any licence for alterations. In most cases a mezzanine installed by the tenant is a tenant’s alteration, and the lease requires it to be removed at the end of the term and the unit reinstated. Check:

• The licence for alterations, which may say whether removal is required.
• The yielding-up and reinstatement clauses, which set the condition for handback.
• Whether the landlord wants to keep it. A landlord with a new tenant may prefer to leave it in place. Get any agreement in writing.
• Whether it was there when you moved in. An inherited mezzanine may not be yours to remove.

What to check before removal

• Structure and loads. A mezzanine may be bearing on the slab or tied to the building frame. Removal is planned in sequence, and a structural engineer’s advice may be needed depending on how it was built.
• Building Regulations and fire. If the mezzanine was installed under approvals, fire strategy, sprinkler or alarm changes may need to be reversed, and approved documents or completion certificates may be affected. Check with building control and your fire consultant where relevant.
• Services. Lighting, sprinklers, power and data run through or above many mezzanines and must be isolated and made good.
• Access and waste. Large steel and decking sections need handling space and a licensed waste route.

How removal works

1. Survey and drawings. Existing drawings and as-built information are reviewed, and the structure is surveyed.
2. Method statement and risk assessment. Removal is planned in sequence, with safe working at height and temporary support if needed.
3. Isolate services. Power, lighting, sprinklers and alarms are made safe.
4. Strip decking and balustrades, then dismantle the frame.
5. Remove fixings from the slab and building frame.
6. Remove steel and decking for scrap, resale or disposal.
7. Make good the floor, walls and any services disturbed.

The floor make-good

Column bases and fixings leave holes and surface damage in the slab. They are repaired in the same way as racking anchors, and the area under the mezzanine often needs cleaning, repainting and re-marking. See warehouse floor damage at lease end for the common repairs.

What does it cost?

The price depends on the size, steel weight, structure, services and access. Reselling steel or decking can offset part of the cost, and the floor make-good is priced separately.

Plan early

Mezzanine removal usually takes longer than racking removal and may need approvals or engineering input, so start at least 4 to 6 months before the lease end. Our warehouse lease exit checklist sets out the sequence.

Need a mezzanine taken out?

We remove mezzanines and make good the unit in one programme. Request a scope and quote.