What Determines the Cost of an Office Fit-Out?

Like any refurbishment, the cost of an office fit-out can vary significantly because no two offices are the same, and both could require very different amounts of work.

The condition of the building in which the office is located is a key factor, as is the type of fit-out a business wants and the choices made around layouts and finishes.

Understanding where costs come from early makes it easier to decide which areas of your office to prioritise.

Start with what is already there

Fitting out new offices that have suitable lighting and services will likely require less work than fitting out an empty shell of a space that requires substantial alterations to things that most teams won’t see, such as wiring and heating.

Distinguishing between Cat A and Cat B is a good starting point. Cat A office fit-outs provide a business with the essentials for it to use the space, while Cat B takes the space to a finished workspace that is designed around the business occupying it.

The decisions that have the biggest effect on your fit-out budget

How much space are you fitting out?

Offices with bigger footprints tend to be more expensive purely because more labour and materials are required. However, size should still be considered alongside the work required. Fitting out a large office with a straightforward open office plan is a different proposition to fitting a smaller office with specialist areas.

How complex is the layout?

Spaces which require additional construction such as meeting rooms and private offices will increase the cost, which makes the existing layout a major point of difference. Reusing parts of a space that are already there can reduce the scope of the project, while substantially reorganising the workplace increases the work involved.

What level of finish do you want?

Finishes like flooring and furniture are often available at different price points, which give businesses scope to decide the areas that are worth investing in more premium finishes. Bespoke finishes such as joinery or extensive branding will increase the cost of a project, with more standard choices reducing expenditure. Final specifications are one of the main areas that can impact budgets either positively or negatively.

What technology and building services are required?

Ensuring that offices are future proofed with the latest workplace technology has become a significant part of many modern office fit-outs. Today’s businesses want AV equipment and superfast wifi to keep pace with their way of working. Other more familiar requirements like heating and lighting can also impact a budget, especially if the proposed layout or working patterns don’t align with the infrastructure that’s already there.

Set the budget around what your workplace actually needs

Determining a realistic office fit-out budget should start by prioritising what’s important to a business. Deciding which elements are essential to how teams operate and which parts can be scoped down can help a business settle on a budget that is realistic without compromising.

Office Insight’s approach to Cat A and Cat B office fit-outs helps businesses establish a clear idea of what their budgets can achieve. Visit our Budget Planner tool to start mapping your requirements against the investment available.