Fitting out an office? Here is how demountable systems and drywall compare on cost, flexibility, sound, fire approvals and what you have to strip out when the lease ends.
Drywall (gypsum board on a metal stud frame) is the cheaper, quieter and more flexible-looking choice for an office you will stay in; a demountable system (factory-made modular panels, usually aluminium and glass) costs more up front but can be taken down, reconfigured or moved to the next office with far less strip-out. The decision turns on the lease: how long you will stay, how often the layout will change, and what the reinstatement clause makes you remove at the end. Drywall on our guides runs RM10 – RM16 per sq ft for a single-board wall and RM16 – RM25 per sq ft for an insulated double-board wall; demountable systems are priced per project. Either way, partitions that affect escape routes, sprinklers or smoke detectors usually need a fire submission.
Drywall is built on site: galvanised metal studs fixed to the floor and ceiling, faced with gypsum board on both sides, jointed, skimmed and painted. It can take insulation in the cavity, doors, glazed panels and sockets, and once finished it looks like any other wall.
A demountable partition is a manufactured system of frames and panels, most often aluminium profiles with glass, laminated board or fabric-faced infill, clipped together and held between the floor and the ceiling. It is designed to be taken apart without demolishing it, so panels can be reused in a new layout or a new office. Our office fit-out guide shows how glass-fronted meeting rooms move a fit-out from the basic into the mid-range band.
| Point | Demountable system | Drywall (gypsum on studs) |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Higher; priced per system and layout | Lower per sq ft |
| Installation on site | Fast, clean, mostly assembly | Slower: framing, boarding, jointing, skim, paint |
| Changing the layout later | Panels can be moved and reused | Demolish and rebuild |
| Reinstatement at lease end | Dismantle; less debris | Strip-out, disposal and making good |
| Sound between rooms | Depends on system; glass leaks more sound | Good with double board and insulation |
| Look | Crisp, glazed, corporate | Plain wall; any finish, any shape |
| Services in the wall | Limited to the system's channels | Easy to run cable and fix sockets |
| Long-term value | Good if you move or reshuffle often | Good if you stay put |
The right answer is mostly written in the tenancy. A long lease in an office you intend to stay in favours drywall: you pay less now and you are not moving the walls. A short lease, a fast-growing team, or a landlord who allows you to take the system with you favours demountable, because the premium is paid back when the layout changes or the company moves.
The reinstatement clause matters just as much. Our office reinstatement guide explains that the landlord wants a clean, neutral shell back, and that if you do not strip out your partitions the landlord may do it and deduct the cost from your deposit. Read the make-good clause before choosing, and ask the landlord in writing whether a demountable system may be left in place or must go.
These are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026 from the ClickBina guides named in the sources section. The partition rates are per square foot of wall; the fit-out and reinstatement rates are per square foot of office floor.
| Item | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall / gypsum, single board | RM10 – RM16 per sq ft | Supply and install, per sq ft of wall |
| Drywall, double board, insulated | RM16 – RM25 per sq ft | Better sound separation |
| Office fit-out, basic / functional | RM80 – RM130 per sq ft | Open plan, minimal partitioning |
| Office fit-out, mid-range corporate | RM140 – RM200 per sq ft | Glass partitions, meeting rooms, acoustic treatment |
| Reinstatement, light make-good | RM3 – RM6 per sq ft | Mostly repaint, minor patching and a clean |
| Reinstatement, standard | RM6 – RM12 per sq ft | Strip partitions, ceiling and carpet; cap M&E; repaint |
| Reinstatement, heavy strip-out | RM12 – RM20+ per sq ft | Extensive partitions, feature works, heavy M&E |
WhatsApp us your job details for a quote — we reply within the hour.
💬 WhatsApp for a quoteA demountable system is quoted on the layout: the number of panels, how much is glazed, the doors, the ceiling height and the system chosen. When comparing it with drywall, add the reinstatement cost you avoid at the end of the lease, not just the price on day one.
Sound is where drywall usually wins. A double-board wall with insulation in the cavity, taken right up to the slab rather than stopping at the ceiling tiles, separates a meeting room far better than a single sheet of glass. Demountable systems can be specified with double glazing, solid acoustic panels and seals, but each step up adds cost.
Whichever you choose, sound goes over the top and around the edges. A partition that stops at a suspended ceiling lets conversation travel through the ceiling void into the next room, and gaps at the floor, door and sockets leak sound too. Ask how the head of the partition is detailed, not just what the panel is made of.
New partitions change how people escape and how the fire systems cover the space. Our office fit-out guide notes that most office fit-outs in commercial buildings need an authority submission, with drawings endorsed by a qualified professional and routed through building management, the local council and Bomba, especially where partitioning affects escape routes, sprinklers or smoke detection. A new enclosed room may need sprinkler heads and detectors of its own.
Commercial buildings also set their own renovation rules: approved contractors, work-hour windows, service lift bookings, hoarding and a renovation deposit. Demountable systems suit these rules well because most of the work is assembly rather than cutting and dust, but they still need approval. Our commercial renovation permit guide explains the approvals.
“Demountable” is used loosely. Some systems are genuinely designed to be taken down and rebuilt; others are glazed partitions screwed and sealed into the ceiling grid and floor, which leave damage and little reusable material when removed. Before paying the premium, ask:
Partitions interact with everything above and around them. A new room needs its own light switching, enough air-conditioning supply and return, and sockets and data at the desks. In drywall, cable runs inside the stud cavity and sockets fix anywhere. Demountable systems carry services only through their own channels and skirting, so plan the socket positions before the panels are ordered. Our office fit-out guide notes that M&E is the biggest cost block in any office fit-out, which is why keeping partitions under existing air-conditioning and lighting saves money.
WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the office size and building, the rooms you need, how long the lease runs and what the reinstatement clause says. We reply within the hour. Where partitions are part of a wider refurbishment of the space, we handle refurbishment and coordinate the trades, including the ceiling, electrical and air-conditioning work around the new rooms. A site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead, and the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges.
How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above. They are typical Klang Valley market ranges for 2026, not fixed rates.
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