Office Fit-Out Costs in the UK: Budgets, Timelines and Drivers

Planning an office fit-out for FY26 requires numbers you can defend and a programme you can deliver. The challenge is that costs vary widely by specification, building condition and the way the project is procured. Get the scope right early, and you protect your budget and timeline. Miss hidden constraints, and costs move quickly.

This guide sets out realistic UK ranges by spec level and building type, shows where the money goes, and offers a simple cost plan template you can adapt. It also explains how Creation Office manages value engineering, programme and risk with in-house trades so you can budget with confidence.

Whether you are refreshing 3,000 sq ft or delivering a multi-floor CAT B, the same principles apply.

What an office fit-out includes

A full office fit-out typically covers strip-out; partitions and glazing; doors and ironmongery; ceilings and lighting; power, data and containment; HVAC adjustments; flooring; decorations; tea points and kitchens; reception and wayfinding; meeting rooms and acoustic control; compliance works; testing and commissioning; furniture install; IT and AV integration; and project management. Scope can flex, but these are the building blocks.

If you are starting from a CAT A base, your CAT B adds layout, finishes, brand and systems integration. If your base build is older, allowances for M&E upgrades and compliance can be more significant. If you are planning the layout now, our office space planning team can help you balance occupancy, adjacencies and compliance through practical office layout design.

Realistic UK price ranges by specification level

Indicative ranges below are per square foot and exclude VAT. They reflect typical UK regional pricing as seen across SME projects and national brand rollouts. Final pricing follows survey and scope definition.

Light refresh, occupied or weekend works: £35 to £65 per sq ft. Repainting, carpet or LVT replacement, selective lighting swaps, minor power/data moves, light joinery and small tea point upgrades. Minimal reconfiguration of HVAC and no major compliance changes.

CAT B mid-spec: £70 to £120 per sq ft. New partitions and glazed fronts, meeting rooms with acoustic upgrades, full flooring replacement, new LED lighting and controls, power and data rewire to new layout, tea point or small kitchen, decorations, signage and furniture install.

High-performance or tech-heavy: £120 to £200+ per sq ft. Studio-grade acoustics, broadcast or collaboration tech, complex AV, higher-density power and cooling, feature joinery, brand-heavy reception, specialist finishes, integrated controls and security.

These ranges assume a reasonable CAT A base and typical office services. Industrial conversions or legacy buildings with limited electrical capacity, poor ventilation or drainage restrictions can add to M&E allowances.

Creation Office’s marketing references start-from figures of “From £59 per sq ft, all in” for general fit-out messaging and “From £39 per sq ft, all in” for washroom packages. Treat these as entry points only. Your confirmed budget is set after a site survey and design development.

Allowances most teams miss

When building your cost plan, separate core fit-out from essential allowances so nothing is double counted or forgotten.

Furniture: £10 to £35 per sq ft depending on reuse, benching vs ergonomic task chairs, meeting and collaboration settings, and storage. Consider circular reuse where quality allows.

IT and AV: £5 to £25 per sq ft covering racks, switching, Wi-Fi, presentation screens, room booking, sound masking and cabling. High-integration AV can exceed this.

M&E upgrades: £10 to £40 per sq ft if electrical capacity increases, new distribution boards, ventilation improvements or condensate routes are needed. Legacy buildings can be higher.

Compliance and access: £2 to £10 per sq ft for fire strategy updates, emergency lighting, signage, Document M provisions where relevant, and testing and certification.

Dilapidations: highly variable. Light reinstatement may be £5 to £15 per sq ft. Full strip-back with services and ceilings can be materially higher. Get the lease measured and scoped early.

Professional fees and surveys: typically 8 to 15 percent combined when design is separated from build. With an integrated design and build route, some of this is embedded in delivery.

Contingency: 7.5 to 12.5 percent is typical at RIBA Stage 2 to 3. Reduce as design is fixed and surveys confirm services capacity.

Key cost drivers you should test early

Size and density: more meeting rooms and enclosed spaces raise partitioning, glazing and MEP distribution.

Base build services capacity: electrical headroom, riser access, ventilation rates and drainage routes are decisive.

Sustainability goals: reuse and circular fit-out can cut cost and embodied carbon, but material audits add pre-construction time. Creation Office’s reuse process has delivered large cost and waste reductions on suitable schemes.

Occupied works: phasing, night or weekend work increases preliminaries and labour premiums but protects operations.

Landlord constraints: listed elements, noisy works windows, delivery curfews and approval cycles affect programme and prelims.

Building type: warehouse-to-office conversions require higher allowances for envelopes, services and welfare.

Bespoke joinery and brand features: receptions, stairs and feature walls carry higher unit rates than standard finishes.

Programme ranges you can plan against

Light refresh, 2,000 to 10,000 sq ft: 1 to 4 weeks depending on phasing and occupied constraints.

CAT B mid-spec, 5,000 to 25,000 sq ft: 6 to 14 weeks, driven by lead times for glazing, doorsets, lighting and furniture.

High-performance or tech-heavy, 10,000 to 50,000 sq ft: 12 to 24 weeks, often in phases to maintain operations and manage AV and controls commissioning.

Early orders for long-lead items protect the critical path. In-house trades reduce interface risk and shorten mobilisation, which is why Creation Office places electricians, plumbers, joiners and decorators directly on the programme under one point of control.

A step-by-step budgeting approach

Start with a measured survey and technical checks. Confirm existing electrical capacity, ventilation, drainage and riser routes. This underpins scope and reduces change later.

Define your functional brief. Headcount, workstyles, meeting ratios, acoustic needs and IT/AV requirements. Practical office space planning converts this into an efficient layout.

Fix the specification bands by area. For example, workplace areas mid-spec, client areas higher spec, back-of-house light refresh. Mixed bands control the blended rate.

Build a first cost plan. Split core fit-out, M&E adjustments, furniture, IT/AV, fees, compliance, dilapidations and contingency. Use the template below.

Test value engineering options. Options may include reusing glazing lines, modular partitions, sensor-controlled LED upgrades, standardised finishes, and selective reuse of raised floors and furniture. Engaging a single design and build contractor keeps VE aligned with compliance and performance.

Lock the programme with procurement milestones. Sequence approvals, landlord consents, long-lead orders and phased working windows if occupied.

Hold a risk and opportunity review. Track assumptions for services capacity, approvals, out-of-hours working and reuse validation. Convert unknowns into survey actions.

Creation Office embeds cost management and value engineering through design, then delivers with in-house trades. This reduces subcontractor layering, protects preliminaries and supports consistent snag-free outcomes.

Sample cost plan template

Use this structure in your spreadsheet, linking each allowance to scope notes and drawings.

Core fit-out works: partitions and glazing, doors, ceilings, lighting, small power, data containment, flooring, decorations, kitchen and tea points, feature joinery, signage and wayfinding.

Mechanical and electrical: electrical capacity upgrades, boards, containment, ventilation and AC adjustments, controls, testing and commissioning.

IT and AV: cabling, racks, switches, Wi-Fi, display and conferencing, room booking, sound masking.

Furniture: workstations, task chairs, storage, meeting, collaboration and reception. Include delivery and install.

Compliance: fire strategy updates, emergency lighting, accessibility provisions where relevant, statutory fees and certifications.

Surveys and design: measured survey, condition surveys, design development and documentation if separate from delivery.

Preliminaries: site management, welfare, protection, waste removal, scaffolds and permits.



Dilapidations: scope per lease and landlord pack.

Contingency: risk-based allowance with notes on what remains unverified.

If you prefer a managed route, our project management services coordinate these packages within a single responsibility model.

How in-house trades reduce risk and preliminaries

Directly managed electricians, plumbers, joiners and decorators shorten handoffs, speed decisions and remove duplicated supervision. This typically reduces preliminaries, stabilises day-to-day sequencing and supports high snag-free rates at handover. It also enables fast-track mobilisation when programmes are tight or when works must be phased around live operations.

For clients seeking a single partner across design, cost and delivery, Creation Office provides integrated interior fit out and office fit out services nationwide.

Quick FAQ

How much does an office fit-out cost in the UK? Light refresh £35 to £65 per sq ft, CAT B mid-spec £70 to £120 per sq ft, high-performance £120 to £200+ per sq ft. Final figures depend on scope, services capacity and programme.

What does a fit-out include? Partitions and glazing, ceilings and lighting, power and data, HVAC adjustments, flooring, decorations, kitchens, reception, furniture, IT and AV, compliance, testing and commissioning.

How long does an office fit-out take? From 1 to 4 weeks for light refreshes, 6 to 14 weeks for mid-spec CAT B, and 12 to 24 weeks for high-performance schemes, subject to size and phasing.

How do I calculate refurbishment costs? Build a cost plan by work package, add furniture, IT/AV, M&E upgrades, compliance, fees and a contingency. Validate with a site survey and align specification by area.

Summary and next step

A robust budget starts with verified site data, a clear brief and a blended specification that matches each area’s use. Separate core works from allowances, include contingency, and protect your programme with early procurement and a single point of responsibility. If you are setting FY26 budgets or need a second opinion on a live scheme, book a site survey and we will provide a tailored cost plan and programme aligned to your space and goals. Call 01785 593 001 or email enquiries@creationoffice.co.uk to get started.