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| Indicative construction costs of shopping centre developments | |
| Development type | Cost £/m2 gfa | 
| Shopping centre, new build | new build | 
| Shopping centre mall, comfort cooled | 2200-3500 | 
| Shopping centre food court | 2500-3600 | 
| Factory outlet centre mall - enclosed | 2000-3000 | 
| Factory outlet centre mall - open | 350-600 | 
| Retail shells, capped-off services only | |
| -anchor store units | 500-700 | 
| -medium/small store units | 650-800 | 
| Landlord's back-up areas | |
| -centre management/crèche | 950-1450 | 
| -WCs | 1400-1600 | 
| -enclosed, surface-level service yard | 700-900 | 
| Shopping centre, refurbishment | |
| Shopping centre mall, limited scope | 700-1050 | 
| Shopping centre mall, comprehensive | 1000-1500 | 
| Additional facilities, new build | |
| Car parking, surface | 35-50 | 
| Car parking, surface, landscaped | 60-85 | 
| Car parking, grade and upoper level | 120-180 | 
| Car parking, multistorey, flat slab | 220-280 | 
| Car parking, semi-basement, naturally ventilated | 290-340 | 
| Leisure shell | 600-900 | 
| Multiplex cinema, shell only | 600-850 | 
| Typical floor loadings | |
| kN/m2 | |
| Malls (pedestrian areas) | 5.0-6.0 | 
| Malls (areas for maintenance access) | 7.5 | 
| Retail sales area | 5.0-6.0 | 
| Retail sales area (mezzanine) | 4 | 
| Retail storage | 5 | 
| Service yards | 11 | 
| Plant | 7.5 | 
| Car parking | 2.5 | 
| Typical allowances for the dead load of partitions, suspended services, and ceilings and floor finishes in retail areas can range from 1.5 to 3.8 kN/m2 | |
| Cost breakdown | |||
| Element cost (£) | Cost/m2 gfa (£) | % of total cost | |
| Demolitions and alterations | 38 000 | 8.84 | 0.94 | 
| Allowance for survey of existing structure | item @ | £15 000 | |
| Demolishing existing roof structure; frame, slab and finishes; disposal | item @ | £10 000 | |
| Demolishing existing rooflight glazing and secondary structure; disposal | 230 m2 @ | £10 | |
| Demolishing existing mall end panels; retaining structural steel framework | 160 m2 @ | £20 | |
| Removal of existing entrance screen | item @ | £5,000 | |
| Removal of signs and other fixtures and fittings, including isolation of electrical supply | item @ | £2,500 | |
| Frame | 30 000 | 6.98 | 0.74 | 
| Structural steel frame for new rooflights; framing; fabrication | 15 t @ | £1,100 | |
| Surface finishes; intumescent paint, one-hour fire resistance; decorative top-coat | 300 m2 @ | £25 | |
| Allowance for additional structural repairs | item @ | £6,000 | |
| Roof | 576 800 | 134.14 | 14.2 | 
| Built-up felt roofing; cleaning and preparing substrate; replacement coverings | 1600 m2 @ | £27 | |
| Extra for upstands | 360 m @ | £24 | |
| Rooflight glazing; aluminium-framed, sealed double-glazed units | 870 m2 @ | £350 | |
| Extra for automatic smoke vents; including modifications to controls | 870 m2 @ | £170 | |
| Extra for secondary steelwork framing to main mall rooflight | 270 m2 @ | £30 | |
| Allowance for repair works to retained roof finishes and copings | Item @ | £7,500 | |
| Rooflight access gantries; sliding action; support rails; 600 mm wide | 32 m @ | £1,000 | |
| Allowance for modifications to existing roof-level access platforms | Item @ | £5,000 | |
| Allowance for latchway roof safety system | Item @ | £20 000 | |
| External walls, windows and doors | 98 400 | 22.88 | 2.42 | 
| Removal of existing, high-level, aluminium-framed, single-glazed windows | Item @ | £1,500 | |
| Profiled grp infill panels to existing openings; contractor's design | 225 m2 @ | £135 | |
| Replacement windows; aluminium-framed sealed double-glazed units; 800 x 1350 mm; including grp cladding to reveals | 9 nr @ | £500 | |
| Allowance for modifications to bulkheads and surrounds to retained entrance doors and lobbies | Item @ | £12 000 | |
| Allowance for replacement entrance screen, entrance doors and canopy | Item @ | £50 000 | |
| Wall finishes | 217 800 | 50.65 | 5.36 | 
| Removal of existing wall tiling | 490 m2 @ | £4 | |
| Strip-out of existing wall finishes; aluminium sandwich panels at high level; framing | 500 m2 @ | £11 | |
| Grp vertical linings; support framework; fixing to existing structure at high level; including trims etc | 500 m2 @ | £120 | |
| Grp gable-end linings; to interior of mall rooflights | 150 m2 @ | £300 | |
| Decorations; two coats emulsion paint | 650 m2 @ | £3 | |
| Wall tiling; resin-based conglomerate | 765 m2 @ | £125 | |
| Allowance for rubber-clad bump rails | 24 m @ | £195 | |
| Allowance for corner guards | 190 m @ | £16 | |
| Floor finishes | 535 700 | 124.58 | 13.19 | 
| Breaking out existing wall tiling | 4300 m2 @ | £4 | |
| Making good existing screed; terazzo tiling; including trims, expansion joints, etc | 4300 m2 @ | £100 | |
| Extra for laying terazzo out of hours | 4300 m2 @ | £15 | |
| Allowance for doormats to entrance lobbies | Item @ | £14 000 | |
| Extra for phased works maintaining access to shops | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Ceiling finishes | 656 200 | 152.6 | 16.16 | 
| Strip-out of existing ceiling finishes; aluminium sandwich panels at high level; framing | 1000 m2 @ | £11 | |
| Strip-out of existing ceiling finishes; mineral fibre tiles; framing | 2100 m2 @ | £7 | |
| Cutting out isolated sections of existing grp suspended linings; making good | 45 m2 @ | £140 | |
| Grp suspended ceilings; support framework; fixing to existing roof structure at high level including trims, etc; forming holes for luminaires, sprinkler heads etc | 3100 m2 @ | £110 | |
| Extra over grp suspended ceilings for panels to match existing | 32 m2 @ | £165 | |
| Extra over grp suspended ceilings for concave profile ceiling panels | 50 m2 @ | £100 | |
| Extra over for access panels; generally | 660 nr @ | £95 | |
| Grp suspended beam casings; stainless steel bracket supports; secondary framework; fixing to existing structure; generally | 525 m2 @ | £190 | |
| Grp upstands, downstands and bulkheads; generally | 626 m @ | £65 | |
| Decorations; two coats emulsion paint at high level | 4050 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Fixed smoke curtains; glass, 500 mm to 1000 mm deep; | 65 m @ | £11 | |
| Cavity barriers; average height 450 mm; formed to profile of grp ceiling | 115 m @ | £35 | |
| Furniture and fittings | 55 000 | 12.79 | 1.35 | 
| Allowance for mall furniture and fittings | Item @ | £20 000 | |
| Allowance for banners in malls | Item @ | £2,500 | |
| Allowance for signage and imaging | Item @ | £30 000 | |
| Fire extinguishers | Item @ | £2,500 | |
| Space heating and ventilation | 235 500 | 54.77 | 5.8 | 
| Supply air installation; replacement of existing supply air grilles including modifications to ductwork | 4300 m2 @ | £15 | |
| Extract fan installation to low ceiling areas | Item @ | £18 000 | |
| Allowance for localised mechanical smoke extract installation | Item @ | £64 000 | |
| Temporary smoke extract installation | 4300 m2 @ | £10 | |
| Allowance for additional modifications to existing mechanical installations | Item @ | £40 000 | |
| Testing and commissioning | Item @ | £6,000 | |
| Electrical installations | 510 500 | 118.72 | 12.57 | 
| Lighting installation to mall areas; including removal of existing lighting and luminaires | 4300 m2 @ | £90 | |
| Emergency lighting installation to malls; luminaires at high and low level | 4300 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Temporary mall lighting | 4300 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Small power installation to mall areas | 4300 m2 @ | £10 | |
| Allowance for power supply distribution to mechanical plant | Item @ | £18 000 | |
| Allowance for additional modifications to existing electrical installations | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Testing and commissioning | Item @ | £9,500 | |
| Gas installation | 5 000 | 1.16 | 0.12 | 
| Relocation of existing gas pipework | Item @ | £5,000 | |
| Protective installations | 125 000 | 29.07 | 3.08 | 
| Remove existing hose reels and mains service, cap-off service, including removal of existing stone-clad hose reel plinths | 6 nr @ | £750 | |
| Modifications to existing sprinkler installations; new heads and distribution pipework; modifications to mains pipework, including decorations to pipework where exposed | 4300 m2 @ | £20 | |
| Extra for sprinkler installation to ceiling voids | Item @ | £31 000 | |
| Testing and commissioning | Item @ | £9,500 | |
| Communications installations | 92 600 | 21.53 | 2.28 | 
| Fire alarm installation, fully addressable analogue type, including optical smoke detectors at high level in malls; public address system | 4300 m2 @ | £16 | |
| Temporary fire alarm installation | 4300 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Testing and commissioning | Item @ | £2,300 | |
| Builders work in connection | 50 000 | 11.63 | 1.23 | 
| Protection of existing systems | Item @ | £2,000 | |
| Forming holes, chases, etc, allow 5% | Item @ | £48 000 | |
| Preliminaries and contingencies | 835 000 | 194.19 | 20.56 | 
| Contractor's overheads, site establishment and site supervision, allow 10% | Item @ | £232 000 | |
| Extra for scaffolding and crash decks | Item @ | £270 000 | |
| Design reserve and contingency, allow 7.5% | Item @ | £242 000 | |
| Total construction cost (building only) | 4 061 500 | 944.53 | 100 | 
| Shopping centre extension cost breakdown | |||
| Element cost (£) | Cost/m2 gfa (£) | % of total cost | |
| Demolitions | 700 000 | 82.35 | 9.88 | 
| Demolition and site clearance, including temporary works | Item @ | £450 000 | |
| Allowance for service diversions, drainage diversions, etc, including associated builders' work | Item @ | £250 000 | |
| Substructure | 960 000 | 112.94 | 13.54 | 
| Reinforced concrete ground beams and ground slab | 5500 m2 @ | £95 | |
| CFA piling, average diameter 500, disposal | 5500 m2 @ | £75 | |
| Allowance for pile testing | Item @ | £25 000 | |
| Frame | 739 500 | 87 | 10.44 | 
| Structural steel framing to shop units, 45 kg/m2 | 375 t @ | £1,100 | |
| Extra for increased spans to large space users @ 70 kg/m2 | 120 t @ | £1,100 | |
| Structural steel framing to mall roof canopy and mansards; hollow sections; allowance based on 30 kg/m2 | 25 t @ | £1,800 | |
| Fire protection; vermiculite board; two-hour fire resistance | 4500 m2 @ | £30 | |
| Fire protection; intumescent paint; one-hour fire resistance; to mall roof canopy | 600 m2 @ | £25 | |
| Upper floors | 186 900 | 21.99 | 2.64 | 
| Insitu concrete composite floor slabs; power floating | 3300 m2 @ | £50 | |
| Extra for 7.5 kN/m2 floor loading to plant room areas | 300 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Extra for forming knock-out panels for tenant's staircases | 17 nr @ | £1,200 | |
| Roof | 1 251 900 | 147.28 | 17.67 | 
| Insitu concrete composite roof slab; retail shells | 5650 m2 @ | £48 | |
| Extra for forming knock out panels for tenant's roof access | 17 nr @ | £1,200 | |
| Roof coverings; single-ply membrane; insulation; ballast; perimeter treatments; retail shells | 5720 m2 @ | £45 | |
| Extra for upstands/flashings to roof openings | 5720 m2 @ | £45 | |
| Roof coverings; natural slates, battens, vapour barrier; insulation; forming mansard to high street frontage | 400 m2 @ | £70 | |
| Mall rooflights; sealed double-glazed units; powder-coated aluminium framing; secondary steelwork | 530 m2 @ | £350 | |
| Extra for perforated panel sunscreen; polyester coated mild steel sheet; tubular steel sub-frame | 265 m2 @ | £150 | |
| Extra for automatic smoke vents; interface to BMS and fire alarm | 190 m @ | £16 | |
| Allowance for external rooflight access installation | Item @ | £75 000 | |
| Allowance for mansafe system to roof handrails to plan areas | Item @ | £25 000 | |
| Allowance for rainwater goods | 6250 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Stairs | 20 000 | 2.35 | 0.28 | 
| Insitu concrete stairs and half landing; overall rise 4.20 m; polyester-coated, mild steel handrails; finishes; plant room and roof access | 2 nr @ | £5,000 | |
| Allowance for access platforms and stairs within plantrooms | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| External walls | 256 000 | 30.12 | 3.61 | 
| Cavity wall; elevations to high street frontage; good quality facing brick, reconstituted stone features; cavity; insulation; 140 mm blockwork inner leaf | 210 m2 @ | £140 | |
| Cavity wall; rear elevations; facing bricks; cavity insulation; 140 mm blockwork inner leaf | 1900 m2 @ | £85 | |
| Louvre panels; powder-coated aluminium | 210 m2 @ | £250 | |
| Cladding; returns to mall entrance; composite aluminium insulated panels, framing; accessories | 70 m2 @ | £180 | |
| Windows and external doors | 155 000 | 18.24 | 2.19 | 
| Windows to high street elevation; thermally broken aluminium frame; sealed double-glazed unit; polyester powder coating | 30 m2 @ | £300 | |
| Entrance screen; aluminium frame; sealed double-glazed units; polyester powder coating; 2 nr entrance door sets; ironmongery | 90 m2 @ | £500 | |
| Extra for double entrance door sets; complete | 2 nr @ | £5,000 | |
| Extra for cantilevered single-glazed planar entrance canopy; stainless steel supports | 25 m2 @ | £1,000 | |
| Steel faced; cellular core doors and frames; polyester powder coating; ironmongery | 44 nr @ | £1,500 | |
| Internal walls and partitions | 259 800 | 30.56 | 3.67 | 
| Blockwork partitions; 140 mm average thick; divisions between retail units; fire stopping; head restraint | 5300 m2 @ | £40 | |
| Toilet cubicle partitions | 10 nr @ | £1,000 | |
| Melamine faced solid laminate access ducting | Item @ | £15 000 | |
| Temporary shopfronts; painted ply | 650 m2 @ | £35 | |
| Internal doors | 62 600 | 7.36 | 0.88 | 
| Flush doors; non-fire rated; solid core laminate faced; hardwood frames; decorations; stainless steel ironmongery; complete | 14 nr @ | £900 | |
| Fire shutters; to shopfronts of larger retail units only | 50 m @ | £1,000 | |
| Wall finishes | 222 000 | 26.12 | 3.13 | 
| Grp wall linings; support framework; fixing to blockwork | 950 m2 @ | £120 | |
| Extra for profile services bulkhead/duct casing to mall perimeter; overall girth 1.2 m | 150 m @ | £180 | |
| Grp column cladding; forming profiled pilasters between retail units | 65 m @ | £350 | |
| Two coats emulsion paint to grp | 1200 m2 @ | £3 | |
| Facia panel over shopfront units; including shopfront fixing channel | 120 m @ | £350 | |
| Ceramic tiles; sand cement backing; to blockwork; to common areas | 230 m2 @ | £55 | |
| Floor finishes | 103 100 | 12.13 | 1.45 | 
| Terrazzo tiles; sand cement screed; average 50 mm thick; including allowance for skirting | 600 m2 @ | £80 | |
| Extra for inlaid patterns and features | 600 m2 @ | £30 | |
| Extra for angle trims, divisions strips and movement joints | 600 m2 @ | £20 | |
| Ceramic tiles; sand cement screed; average 50 mm thick; including coved skirtings | 60 m2 @ | £60 | |
| Concrete hardener/dust seal; to plant rooms | 300 m2 @ | £5 | |
| Mats and matwells | 50 m2 @ | £400 | |
| Ceiling finshes | 48 400 | 5.69 | 0.68 | 
| Grp suspended ceilings and linings; support framework; fixing to soffit of roof structure at high level; including trims, etc | 450 m2 @ | £100 | |
| Suspended ceilings; metal pan tiles; lay in grid; generally | 60 m2 @ | £40 | |
| Decorations; two coats emulsion paint at high level | 250 m2 @ | £4 | |
| Furniture and fittings | 150 000 | 17.65 | 2.12 | 
| Allowance for mall furniture | Item @ | £20 000 | |
| Centre directory boards | 2 nr @ | £5,000 | |
| Vanity units; mirrors; fittings, etc to WCs | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Statutory and directional signing to mall | Item @ | £30 000 | |
| Allowance for banners and high-level features | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Allowance for features and planting | Item @ | £50 000 | |
| Guard rails and barriers to service areas | Item @ | £20 000 | |
| Sanitary fittings | 10 700 | 1.26 | 0.15 | 
| WCs, urinals, washhand basins; generally | 33 nr @ | £300 | |
| Extra for fittings for disable WCs | 1 nr @ | £100 | |
| Cleaners sinks | 2 nr @ | £350 | |
| Disposal installations | 60 900 | 7.16 | 0.86 | 
| Rainwater disposal; cast-iron downpipes and fittings | 8500 m2 @ | £3 | |
| Waste, soil and vent installation; cast-iron pipework and fittings | 33 nr @ | £300 | |
| Capped connection; soil stack; cast-iron pipework and fittings; to retail shells | 17 nr @ | £1,500 | |
| Water installations | 40 800 | 4.8 | 0.58 | 
| Hot and cold water service; calorifiers; hot and cold water storage; distribution to WCs etc | 51 nr @ | £300 | |
| Capped connection; flow meter to retail shells | 17 nr @ | £1,500 | |
| Space heating and air treatment | 247 800 | 29.15 | 3.5 | 
| Supply and extract ventilation to mall; low-temperature, hot-water heating including heat source; chilled water, air handling units; perimeter ductwork distribution; high-quality diffusers; including provision for smoke extract through air-handling units | 660 m2 @ | £330 | |
| Warm air curtains; to mall entrance | Item @ | £15 000 | |
| Extra for toilet extract installation | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Plant room ventilation | Item @ | £5,000 | |
| Electrical installations | 211 100 | 24.84 | 2.98 | 
| Mains and sub-mains installation | Item @ | £100 000 | |
| Landlord's small power distribution in mall and common areas | 660 m2 @ | £32 | |
| Lighting and luminaires to mall | 600 m2 @ | £90 | |
| Lighting and luminaires to common areas | 60 m2 @ | £40 | |
| Extra over for emergency lighting installation | 660 m2 @ | £10 | |
| Electrical services to retail shells | 17 nr @ | £1,000 | |
| Power to mechanical services | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Gas installation | 60 500 | 7.12 | 0.85 | 
| Gas installation | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Capped off gas supplies to retail shells; check metering | 17 nr @ | £1,500 | |
| Lift installations | 25 000 | 2.94 | 0.35 | 
| Dock levellers to large store units | 5 nr @ | £5,000 | |
| Protective installations | 89 700 | 10.55 | 1.27 | 
| Sprinkler installation; mall only | 660 m2 @ | £20 | |
| Extra for capped-off supply to shop units including water storage | 17 nr @ | £3,000 | |
| Lighting protection | 8500 m2 @ | £2 | |
| Earthing and bonding | 8500 m2 @ | £1 | |
| Communications installations | 90 100 | 10.6 | 1.27 | 
| Fire, smoke detection and alarm system; analogue addressable type; to mall and public areas; including allowance for capacity for retail units in control panel; interface with management centre | Item @ | £25 000 | |
| Extra for temporary automatic fire detection in retail shells | 17 nr @ | £300 | |
| Public address system; mall and common areas only | Item @ | £10 000 | |
| Intruder detection; monitoring to entraces to malls and retail shells | 8500 m2 @ | £2 | |
| Access control | Item @ | £5,000 | |
| CCTV system; 10 nr cameras | Item @ | £25 000 | |
| Wireways for landlord's telephones and data | Item @ | £3,000 | |
| Special installations | 60 000 | 7.06 | 0.85 | 
| Building management system; mall and common areas; interface with retail units | Item @ | £60 000 | |
| Builder's work in connection | 45 000 | 5.29 | 0.63 | 
| Forming holes, chases, etc - allow 5% | Item @ | £45 000 | |
| Preliminaries and contingencies | 1 030 000 | 121.18 | 14.53 | 
| Contractor's overheads, site establishment and site supervision, excluding design fees - allow 12% | Item @ | £727 000 | |
| Contingency sum - allow 5% | Item @ | £303 000 | |
| Total construction cost (building only) | 7 086 800 | 833.73 | 100 | 
| Regional variations | |
| All costs in this article are based on schemes in the South-east and should be adjusted by the following location factors fo projects in other areas | |
| Inner London | 1.1 | 
| Outer London | 1.04 | 
| South-west | 0.95 | 
| East Midlands | 0.93 | 
| West Midlands | 0.95 | 
| East Anglia | 0.95 | 
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 0.93 | 
| North-west | 0.98 | 
| Northern | 0.93 | 
| Scotland | 0.96 | 
| Wales | 0.94 | 
| Northern Ireland | 0.82 |