Condo Lobby & Corridor Refurbishment
A Guide for JMBs & MCs (2026)

What a lobby and corridor refurbishment covers

The ground-floor lobby is the first thing residents, buyers and tenants see, and the lift lobbies and corridors on each floor take the daily wear of the whole building: shoes, trolleys, deliveries, renovation debris and furniture moves. A refurbishment usually covers some or all of the following, and it helps to list them before asking anyone for a price.

• Floors: replacing hollow, cracked or dated tiles, or overlaying a sound floor.
• Walls: repainting, wall panels, corner guards and a hard-wearing lower zone.
• Ceilings and lighting: repairing stained or sagging boards and improving light levels.
• Doors, signage and wayfinding: entrance doors, lift-lobby doors, unit numbering and directories.
• Fixtures: notice boards, benches, planters and the reception or guard counter.

This page covers the ground lobby, lift lobbies and common corridors. Clubhouses, halls and facilities are a separate project.

Who decides and who pays

Lobbies and corridors are common property, so the decision belongs to the joint management body or management corporation, not to any single owner. ClickBina's sinking fund guide explains that section 51(2) of the Strata Management Act 2013 lists the purposes the sinking fund may be used for, including painting or repainting of common property and upgrading and refurbishment of common property, and that operational costs such as cleaning and guard wages belong in the maintenance account instead.

For a project of this size, most committees collect comparable written quotations on the same scope, and some run a formal tender. Our JMB tender process guide explains when a tender is worth it. Keep the scope, the decision and the payments in the minutes: owners have a right to see how the sinking fund was spent.

Start with a survey, not a mood board

A good refurbishment starts with the building as it is. Walk the ground lobby and a sample of floors with the building manager and note what is actually failing, not just what looks old.

Anything caused by water, such as a leaking pipe, a podium leak or a wet ceiling, has to be fixed before new finishes go in, or the new ceiling and paint will stain again.

Floors that survive heavy traffic

Lobby and corridor floors take more wear than any floor in a home. Homogeneous (full-body) tiles are a common choice because the colour runs through the tile, so chips show less, and porcelain suits entrances that get wet. At the entrance, where rain is walked in, the tiles should be slip-resistant; ClickBina's anti-slip tiles guide explains the R ratings. Where the existing floor is flat and sound, an overlay of vinyl or SPC avoids hacking and dust, but it is less suited to wet entrances and heavy trolleys.

Hacking a lobby floor is noisy and dusty, and debris has to go out through the same doors residents use. Our floor tile replacement guide explains when an overlay is possible and when the old floor has to come out.

Walls, wall panels and the lower zone

Corridor walls fail at the bottom first: trolleys, bicycles, prams and furniture moves scrape the lower part of the wall and the corners. A refurbishment that only repaints will look tired again within months. Common answers are a hard-wearing lower zone of tiles, laminate or panels, corner guards at turns and lift lobbies, and a washable paint above.

Wall panels are also used to give the ground lobby a finished look without heavy works. ClickBina supplies and installs wall panels and interior finishes by budget and use case, and the choice for a lobby should favour durability and easy cleaning over delicate finishes. Our fluted wall panel guide compares panel types and prices.

Ceilings and lighting

Lobby ceilings hide pipes, cable trays and sometimes sprinkler lines, so any ceiling work has to keep access panels where the services need them. Stained boards usually mean a leak from above; fix that first. Lighting is where a refurbishment makes the biggest visual difference for the least money: even, glare-free light in the lobby and corridors, and no dark corners near lifts and staircases. Our false ceiling cost guide covers ceiling types and prices. An LED retrofit to cut the common-area power bill is a separate decision worth costing at the same time.

Fire safety and escape routes come first

Corridors and lobbies are escape routes. A refurbishment must not narrow them, block exits, remove exit signs or emergency lights, or change fire doors without checking the requirements. Fire doors need to keep their rating and their self-closers; ClickBina's fire-rated door guide explains where they are required. Planters, benches and decorative furniture must stay clear of the escape path, the same principle that applies to residents' shoe racks in the corridor.

Keep sprinkler heads, smoke detectors, hose reels and fire extinguishers visible and unobstructed during and after the works, and check the building's fire certificate requirements with the management.

Phasing the works while residents use the building

A lobby cannot simply be closed. Good planning keeps one entrance and one lift route open at all times, works floor by floor on the corridors, and schedules noisy work within the building's permitted hours. The contractor should protect lift cars and walls, keep debris out of the lobby during busy periods, and put up clear notices with dates. Residents should get notice of each phase before it starts, especially where a floor will be wet or closed.

What the main items cost

These indicative Klang Valley figures (2026) come from ClickBina's published guides. A lobby and corridor refurbishment is priced from the measured scope after a site visit.

Lighting, signage, doors, access control and any leak repair are priced separately once the scope is set.

Writing a scope contractors can price the same way

Committees often receive quotes that cannot be compared because each contractor priced a different job. Before asking for prices, write down the areas (ground lobby, which lift lobbies, which corridors), the finishes you want, what stays, the working hours allowed, and how the work must be phased. Ask every contractor to price the same list, item by item, with the area measured, so the committee can compare like with like and explain the choice to owners.

How ClickBina can help

ClickBina is an experienced KL & Selangor contractor for refurbishment and trade coordination, and supplies and installs wall panels and interior finishes by budget and use case. WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the building, the areas to be refurbished and any issues found in the survey. We reply within the hour, the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges, and a site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead. We are registered with SSM.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina sinking fund guide — permitted uses of the sinking fund under s.51(2) of the Strata Management Act 2013.
• ClickBina JMB tender process guide — when to use quotations or a tender.
• ClickBina floor tile replacement, false ceiling and fluted wall panel guides — finish prices.
• ClickBina fire-rated door and anti-slip tiles guides — fire doors and entrance floors.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above; they are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026, not fixed rates. Strata rules are summarised; confirm your building's position with your management and, where needed, the Commissioner of Buildings.