Office Fit-Out Cost London 2026: Sq Ft Benchmarks

London office fit-out costs per sq ft

UK office fit-out costs are usually split into three specification levels. London sits about 16% above Manchester at every level.

City (2026)	Low specification	Medium	High
London	£148 per sq ft	£243	£359
Manchester	£128	£210	£310
Birmingham	£121	£200	£295
Glasgow	£117	£192	£284

These are “all-in” fit-out costs. What “all-in” covers, and whether VAT is included, is not defined, so confirm the basis before comparing them with a quotation. Global comparisons also rank London as the most expensive city for office fit-out, at about US$5,932 per m² for a full Cat A/B fit-out including furniture, AV and professional fees.

Cat A, Cat B and furniture

A Cat A office is the landlord’s finish: raised floor, ceiling, lighting, air conditioning and toilets. Cat B is the tenant’s fit-out on top: meeting rooms, kitchen or tea point, finishes and the layout that suits your business. Read our Cat A and Cat B guide for who usually pays for what.

Cat B fit-out from Cat A (London)	Typical range
Straightforward fit-out, cost-conscious occupier	£80–£100 per sq ft
Quality London office	£120–£200+ per sq ft
High specification, such as financial services	Can exceed £200 per sq ft
Furniture, on top of the fit-out	£30–£80 per sq ft

The fit-out ranges exclude furniture.

Empty Category A office floor with raised access floor, grid ceiling, LED panels and perimeter glazing — Illustration: a Category A floor as the landlord hands it over.

Same office floor after a Category B fit-out with carpet, a glass meeting room, tea point and desks — Illustration: the same floor after a Category B fit-out. The Cat B works and furniture are the tenant’s budget.

A worked budget for a 2,500 sq ft London office

Two ways of budgeting the same hypothetical floor, using the typical rates above. They show the arithmetic, not a price for your office.

Method	Calculation	Result
All-in rate, low specification	2,500 sq ft × £148	£370,000
All-in rate, medium	2,500 sq ft × £243	£607,500
All-in rate, high	2,500 sq ft × £359	£897,500
Cat B for a quality office	2,500 sq ft × £120–£200	£300,000–£500,000
Plus furniture	2,500 sq ft × £30–£80	£75,000–£200,000
Cat B total	Fit-out plus furniture	£375,000–£700,000

Both methods land in a similar band for a quality fit-out. Many projects are smaller than a full Cat B: replacing finishes, adding meeting rooms or reworking part of a floor costs a fraction of these figures. Price your scope from a floor plan and a room schedule, and see office refurbishment for partial and phased work.

How long an office fit-out takes

The programme depends on the condition of the space when you take it, and on approvals that sit outside the build.

Starting point	Typical time
Cat A+ space, already fitted to a basic standard	Can potentially be occupied in 4–8 weeks
Cat B fit-out from a Cat A shell	16–24 weeks of design and construction
Furniture and specialist equipment	Separate lead times, ordered alongside the design

The landlord’s licence to alter and any building control approval need to be in place before work starts; read our licence to alter guide.

What pushes an office fit-out price up

Labour, mechanical and electrical packages and rising specification are the main pressures behind higher fit-out costs. On a single floor, these are the decisions that move the price most.

Mechanical and electrical changes

Moving air conditioning, lighting, power and data to suit new rooms is specialist work with its own design. A layout that works with the existing grid costs less than one that fights it.

Meeting rooms and glazed partitions

Each enclosed room adds partitions, doors, ventilation, lighting and acoustic treatment. Glazed fronts with acoustic seals cost more than solid partitions.

Working hours and occupied buildings

Buildings that restrict noisy work to evenings or weekends lengthen the programme and add out-of-hours labour. Phasing around staff in the same space adds hoarding and protection.

Landlord requirements

Licence to alter, approved-contractor lists, building management rules and reinstatement obligations at the end of the lease all affect scope and cost. Get the landlord’s fit-out guide before pricing.

Finishes, joinery, AV and furniture

Tea points, reception joinery, flooring, AV and furniture are often bought separately. Agree early which sit with the fit-out contractor and which with your own suppliers.

What an office fit-out quotation should include

Ask every contractor to price the same drawings and to answer the same questions.

Item	What to check
Drawings	Which floor plan, room schedule and drawing revision is the price based on?
Strip-out and protection	Removal of existing fittings, waste, and protection of common areas and lifts
Partitions, doors and ceilings	Partition types and acoustic ratings, door hardware, ceiling alterations
Mechanical and electrical	Which air conditioning, lighting, power and data changes are included, and who designs them
Fire and compliance	Fire stopping, alarm changes, emergency lighting and the certificates handed over
Landlord requirements	Licence to alter, permitted working hours and the building manager’s rules
Exclusions	Furniture, IT, AV, professional fees and VAT, each stated as included or excluded
Programme	Start date, working hours, phasing and handover date

Office fit-out cost questions

How much does an office fit-out cost per sq ft in London?

Typical 2026 figures are about £148 per sq ft for a low specification, £243 for medium and £359 for high. A Cat B fit-out of a quality office from Cat A typically costs £120–£200+ per sq ft before furniture.

How long does an office fit-out take?

A Cat B fit-out from a Cat A shell typically takes 16–24 weeks of design and construction, plus furniture lead times. Cat A+ space can sometimes be occupied in four to eight weeks.

What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B?

Cat A is the landlord’s basic finish with floors, ceilings, lighting and air conditioning. Cat B is the tenant’s fit-out that makes it a working office: rooms, kitchen, finishes and furniture.

Is furniture included in fit-out prices?

It depends on the figure. The Cat B ranges above exclude furniture, which typically adds £30–£80 per sq ft, while the global all-in figure includes furniture, AV and fees. Check every quotation.

Can you price from our floor plan?

A floor plan, room schedule and the landlord’s Cat A specification let us scope the work. A site visit confirms the existing services, access and building rules before the price is fixed.

Plan the rest of the fit-out

Office fit-out in London · Office refurbishment · Commercial fit-outs · Cat A vs Cat B · Licence to alter · IQ Nursery case study

For work in an office you already occupy, see office refurbishment costs per m² and the measured 60 m² small-office example.

Read our office toilet refurbishment guide

Office fit-out cost in London

Price the fit-out you need.