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Table 1: Changes to patterns of working
ConventionalNew
Routine, individual tasksCreative, Group Tasks
Isolated activityInteractive activity
Owned Spaceshared space as needed
Low space usehigh space use
Single work settingMultiple, varied work settings
Table 2: Indicative Fit-out costs
Business SectorFit-out £/m2*Cellularisation Factor** (%)Average Space use (m2/person)
Legal (London) 600-80040-5016
Legal (regional city)400-50035-5016
Banks (London) 800-1150Oct-3016
Accountancy (London) 400-600Oct-309
Media (London)350-600Oct-3019
Corporate (London) 500-1000+15-2518
Corporate (out of town)400-1000+15-2511
Computer (out of town)450-650Oct-3019
*Costs for net internal area based on fit-out from developer's finish at November 1997 price levels. Costs exclude furniture, IT equipment, professional fees, relocation costs and VAT but include preliminaries associated with a lump-sum contract
**The cellularisation factor is the ratio of occupied cellular space to net internal floor space and is expressed as a percentage.
Table 3: Indicative rates for fit-out of general office space from shell and core
 Open Plan (£/m2)Part cellular (£/m2)
Commercial space, out of town location350-400450-550
Corporate space, city/west end of London450-500600-800
costs are for net internal area at November 1997 price levels and include preliminaries for a lumpsum contract but exclude furniture, IT wiring and equipment, professional fees, relocation costs and VAT.
Table 4: Indicative rates for fit-out of specialist areas from shell and core for corporate sector offices in the city/west end of London
 £/m2
Reception Area 1650 - 2150
Senior Executive Offices1100 - 1400
Meeting Areas 550 - 800
Conference Suites 1200 - 1400
Computer Suites 850 - 1500
Back-of-house / storage450 - 500
Restaurant1500 - 220
kitchen1800 - 2300
Gymnasium / fitness centre800 - 1000
Table 5: Indicative rates for fit-out of specialist areas from shell and core for commercial sector offices in the South-east
 £/m2
Reception area850 - 1100
Computer suite 700 - 1000
Back-of-house / storage250 - 400
Restaurant / kitchen1300 - 1700
Table 6: Cost and Programme comparisons for different types of contract
Project TypeTraditional / Sequential time (weeks)Cost (£/m2)Fast time (weeks)Cost (£/m2)Accelerated time (weeks)Cost (£/m2)
City of London, 15,800 m2 Professional/cellular (lawyer)Overall-61 Construction - 40650-750Overall - 52650 - 750overall - 42800 - 1000
     Construction - 32 
City of London, 15 800 m2 commercial / open plan (bank)Overall - 60850 - 1050overall - 48850 - 1050overall - 381000 - 1400
 Construction 36 Construction - 36 Construction - 28 
Regional city, 4600 m2 Professional / cellular (lawyer)overall - 34430 - 450Overall - 30430 - 540Overall - 25540 - 650
 Construction - 20 Construction 20 Construction - 16 
Out-of-town, 7900 m2 Commercial / open plan (Computer)Overall - 40380 - 540Overall - 30380 - 540Overall - 26480 - 650
 Construction - 22 Construction - 22 Construction - 18 
Table 7: Preliminaries and fees for alternative procurement routes.
Procurement RoutePreliminaries and contractor‘s fees (%)
Sequential, fixed lump sum7 - 10
Two stage, fixed lump sum7 - 10
Negotiated , fixed lump sum7 - 10
Management Contracting8 - 12
Construction Management8 - 14
Cost Model
ItemUnitPrice Range £
Demountable partitions   
Frame with plasterboardm250 - 60
Frame and hung panel systemm255 - 60
Extra for part-glazed panelm240 - 60
Fully demountable monobloc   
Solid wallm255 - 100
Storage wallm2180 - 200
- laminate faced chipboardm2180 - 200
- stove-enamelled mild steelm2300 - 350
Single-glazed office frontm265 - 100
Ditto but with etched glassm2150 +
Double-glazed office front, interstitial blindsm2140 - 180
Ditto but with etched glassm2250 +
Metal stud partitions  
One layer plasterboard both sidesm225 - 35
Two layers plasterboard both sides, insulatedm235 - 48
Ditto but with one-hour fire resistancem243 - 55
Extra for curved workm220
Glazed partitions   
Frameless glazingm2180 - 200
Framed double-glazed partitionm2175 - 195
Glass block screenm2250 - 450
Fire-resisting security partition including allowance for doors, etc:  
- 30/30 minutes' flare insulation/integrity rating m2up to 500
- 60/60 minutes' fire insulation/integrity ratingm2up to 850
- 120/120 minutes' fire insulation/integrity ratingm2up to 1350
Internal doors   
Non-fire rated doors  
- ply facedeach50 - 85
- hardwood veneereach85 - 125
- laminate-facedeach190 - 260
30-minute fire-rated doors  
- ply facedeach80 - 110
- hardwood veneereach100 - 200
- laminate facedeach190 - 260
- matched hardwood veneereach300 - 420
60-minute fire-rated doors  
- ply facedeach100 - 160
- hardwood veneereach150 - 210
- laminate-facedeach200 - 315
Adjustment factor for full-height doorseach19.75
Adjustment factor for overpanelseach19.75
Extra for non-fire-rated vision paneleach80 - 100
Extra for 30-minute firerated vision paneleach100 - 150
Non fire-rated doorsets  
- softwoodeach30 - 45
- hardwoodeach100 - 160
60-minute fire-rated doorsets  
- softwoodeach85 - 100
- hardwoodeach140 - 200
Allowance for ironmongery  
- satin anodised aluminumeach150 - 300
-stainless steeleach300 - 500
Wall Finishes  
Panelling  
-Timberm2235-285
-Fabric-Covered framed panellingm2190+
-acoustic panellingm2280+
Plasterboard  
-drylining and emulsionm2Dec-15
-drylining on metal fittings and emulsionm215 - 20
Stonework  
-limestone claddingm2250 - 370
-granite claddingm2250 - 420
-marble claddingm2160 - 200
Tiling  
-ceramic titling to public areasm240 - 60
-ditto but for kitchen/washroom areasm235 - 45
-extra for render backingm208-Oct
Hygenic finishes  
-laminate panelm255 - 65
-antibacterial paint finishm220 - 25
Applied finishes  
-plaster and emulsionm2Nov-16
-polished plasterm275 - 110
-vinyl wall coveringm2Jul-16
-high-quality vinyl coveringm215 - 25
-fabric wall coveringm215 - 35
-special paint finishesm208-Oct
Floor Finishes  
Timber  
-maple/beech sprung strip flooringm260 - 100
-marquetry flooringm2250+
Raised floors  
-MOB light duty. 100-300 mm cavitym226 - 33
-MOB medium duty, 150 mm cavitym226 - 35
-ditto but with bonded vinyl sheetm240 - 50
-MOB medium duty, 300 mm cavity sheetm230 - 40
-ditto but with bonded vinyl sheetm245 - 54
-MOB heavy duty, 100-300 mm cavitym238 - 55
-ditto but with bonded vinyl sheetm253 - 70
Allowance for bridging obstructions to single pedestaleachDec-20
Taking up and storing tilesm2allow 10
Protection to floor tilesm2allow 2
Cavity barriers  
-30-minute fire resistance, 100-200 mm cavitym08-Sep
-ditto but 60-minute fire resistancem10-Nov
-30 minute fire resistance, 300-400 mm cavitym13 - 16
Hard surface finishes  
-ceramic tilesm235 - 53
-matt porcelain tilesm255 - 85
-non-slip mosaic tilesm248 - 60
-natural slate tilesm260 - 80
-20mm polished granitem2200 - 250
-20mm polished travertine marblem2125 - 140
-insitu terrazzom2120 - 140
-terrazzo tilesm235 - 45
Extra for floor levelling m203-Apr
Extra for 65 - 70 mm sand:cement screed, float finishm2Oct-14
Extra for making up with concrete, up to 300mmm220 - 35
Extra for plywood underlaym208-Oct
Sheet and tile finishes  
-linoleum tilesm215 - 18
-sheet / tile vinyl, standard dutym214 - 24
-ditto but heavy dutym216 - 26
-antistatic vinyl tilesm215 - 20
-sheet/tile vinyl safety flooringm225 - 35
Carpet tiles  
-heavy duty for office areasm218-30
-heavy duty antistaticm234-40
Carpet  
-cut-and-loop pile, 80% wool, 20% nylon, medium dutym216 - 19
-ditto but heavy dutym236 - 40
-broadloomm255 - 75
-handwovenm2100+
-extra for underlaym203-Apr
Ceiling Finishes  
Jointless plasterboard  
-one layer on metal fixingm218 - 28
-two layers on metal fixingm221 - 30
-plasterboard feature suspended ceilingm295+
-fibrous plaster feature suspended ceilingm295 - 140
Fibre tiles  
-mineral fibre, plain, exposed gridm214 - 18
-mineral fibre, acoustic, exposed gridm218 - 22
-high-density mineral fibre, exposed anti-corrosive gridm232 - 35
-glass-reinforced gypsum, plain semi-concealed gridm231 - 42
-resin-bonded glasswool, plain. semi-concealed grid m228 - 32
-compressed rockwool, acoustic, concealed gridm222 - 25
Metal tiles  
-non-perforated tiles, suspended ceilingm225 - 35
-ditto but moisture resistantm235 - 50
-perforated tiles, demountable concealed gridm235 - 50
-ditto but linear gridm238 - 50
perforated tiles, hinged, concealed gridm235 - 50
-perforated tiles lay-in gridm230 - 45
-perforated accoustic quality mega-panel tile  
-hinge access, tartan gridm255 - 75
Taking down and storing filesm208-Oct
Building Services  
Mechanical Installations  
Extension of air-conditioning and heating system into general office areas  
-variable air-volumem290 -110
-four-pipe fan-coil unitsm280 -130
-underfloor displacement ventilationm225 - 50
-Hiross underfloor air-conditioning systemm2100 - 120
-extra over for suspended ceiling for chilled ceiling including water distributionm2100 - 150
-extra over for installing floor diffusersm214 - 16
-low-pressure hot water permimeter heatingm215 - 20
Extension of controls and building management systemsm2Aug-16
Electrical installations  
Extension of small power distribution circuits into general office areas  
-generalm209-Dec
-trunking, cables and socketsm202-Apr
-busbar and socketsm22.50 - 3.50
-floor outlet boxesm204-May
Extension of lighting circuits in general office extras  
(LG3 Category 2 luminaires to 500 lux)  
-generalm232 - 40
-wiringm2Oct-15
-luminairesm220 - 27
Extension of lighting controls into office areasm204-May
Supplies to HVAC equipment in office areasm20.50 - 1.50
Protective Installations  
Extension of sprinkler systems into office areasm2Oct-19
fully addressable fire alarm systemm205-Oct
IT/Data cabling distribution, cabinets and patch panels m21.50 - 7.50
Regional Variations
All costs are based on schemes located in the outer London area. For projects in other regions, costs should be adjusted bt he factors shown below.
Inner London1.04
South-east0.97
South-west0.94
East-midlands0.91
West-midlands0.92
East anglia0.94
Yorkshire and Humberside0.91
North-west0.95
North0.91
Scotland0.93
Wales0.92
Northern Ireland0.86