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Indicative costs for developer’s category A fit-out
 City/West End offices £/m2 (nifa)Out-of-town offices £/m2 (nifa)
Emulsion paint to core walls1-21-2
Medium grade raised access floor32-3524-32
Carpet tiles22-2616-20
Concealed grid metal tile ceiling35-40n/a
Exposed grid mineral tiles ceilingn/a22-27
Statutory signage1-21-2
Blinds3-5n/a
4 pipe fan coil air conditioning130-14095-115
Lighting (incl emergency lighting)36-4032-35
Power to a/c boxes, floor boxes, earthing22-2520-23
Fire alarms6-84-7
Sprinklers16-20n/a
Controls17-2010-14
Builder's work in connection with services9-125-8
Sub-total330-375230-285
Add for Preliminaries (8%) & Contingency (5%), say45-50n/a
Add for Preliminaries (5%) & Contingency (5%), sayn/a30-40
Total (£/m²)375-425260-325
Total (£/ft²)35-3924-30
Rates are at March 2003 price levels based on City of London and South-east locations respectively based on net internal floor areas. The rates include preliminaries allowances for a lump-sum contract and exclude professional fees and VAT.
Indicative fit-out costs by sector
Business sectorFit-out £/m2
Legal (London)550-800
Legal (regional city)400-550
Banks (London)600-900
Corporate (London)500-1200+
Corporate (out of town)450-900+
Government department /public agency (London)550-750
Costs are at March 2003 price levels based on City of London locations and South-east locations (regional city and out-of-town). Costs include preliminaries for a lump-sum contract, and exclude furniture, IT equipment, professional fees, relocation costs and VAT.
Indicative Costs for fit-out of office space from shell-and-core condition
 City/West End offices £/m2 (nifa)Out-of-town offices£/m2 (nifa)
developers’ fit-out to general office areas375-425260-325
general office space – open plan425-600285-400
general office space – part cellular525-800350-550
senior executive offices600-900–
conference suites1,100-1,500–
showers and changing rooms1,100-1,350850-1,100
training rooms500-650400-550
main IT equipment rooms (24-hour cooling)3,000-6,5002,500-6,000
subequipment rooms1,500-1,9001,200-1,700
post rooms900-1,250650-1000
vending/break-out areas1,000-1,200800-950
meeting rooms600-850500-750
back of house/storage450-650280-400
staff restaurant1,150-1,950–
kitchen (including catering equipment)2,100-2,600–
Costs are at March 2003 price levels based on City of London locations and South-east locations (out-of-town) and include preliminaries allowances for a lump-sum contract..
Costs of furniture, IT wiring and equipment, professional fees, relocation costs and VAT are excluded.
The costs of the restaurant includes servery fittings, and the kitchen includes costs of catering equipment. The cost of the computer suite excludes allowances for standby generation and uninterrupted power supply installations.
Percentage costs of prelims in varying procurement routes
Procurement route Preliminaries and contractor’s fee
Single-stage, fixed lump sum 6-10%
Two-stage, fixed lump sum5-8%
Negotiated, fixed lump sum 8-12%
Management contracting 8-12%
Construction management 10-15%
The percentages in the table are calculated on the assumption that the contractor will recover a further 2.5% discount built into subcontractors’ tenders.
Indicative rates for office fit-out components
 UnitPrice range £
Partitions (all 2.7-2.8 m high)  
Metal stud partitions  
one layer of plasterboard both sidesm90-120
two layers of plasterboard both sides + cavity insulationm120-170
two layers of high density board both sides + cavity insulationm190-220
– extra for curved workm90-120
Demountable partitions  
Frame with plasterboard m190-220
Frame and hung panel systemm200-220
– extra for part-glazed panelm150-210
Fully demountable monobloc partitions  
Solid wallm220-350
Single-glazed office frontm250-350
Double-glazed office front, interstitial blindsm480-640
Glazed partitions  
Purpose made timber framed double glazed partitionm660-720
Frameless glazing, silicone jointsm450-700
Fire rated screen, 30/30, single glazedm850-1,000
Storage walls  
500-600 deep full height integrated storage units  
– laminate faced chipboardm950-1150
– stove enamelled mild steelm150-1350
Sliding folding partitions  
Top hung sliding folding partition with particle board panels  
– vinyl finishm1250-1750
– hardwood veneeredm2000-2500
Internal doors  
Doorsets complete with frames and ironmongery  
Painted ply-faced solid core door, softwood frame and aluminium   
or nylon ironmongery, 810, 910 or 1010 × 2050-2110 mm overall  
– one-hour fire ratingeach450-550
– two-hour fire ratingeach500-650
Hardwood veneered solid core door, hardwood frame and stainless   
steel ironmongery, 810, 910 or 1010 × 2050-2110 mm overalleach850-1300
Extra for full height doorseach20-25%
Extra for standard height doors with matching overpanelseach20-25%
Extra for vision panels  
– non fire ratedeach80-100
– half-hour fire ratingeach100-150
Wall finishes  
Panelling  
Timber panellingm2340-390
Fabric-covered framed panellingm2240+
Acoustic panellingm2380+
Stone cladding  
Marble claddingm2215-270
Limestone claddingm2340-500
Granite claddingm2340-560
Applied finishes  
Plaster and emulsionm214-18
Vinyl wall coveringsm212-20
High-quality vinyl wall coveringm222-32
Fabric wall coveringm222-48
Polished plasterm2110-135
Floor finishes  
Raised floors  
Medium duty 150 mm cavitym230-40
Medium duty 300-450 mm cavitym235-50
Heavy duty, 100-300 mm cavitym245-55
Extra for factory bonded vinyl sheetm222-25
Taking up and storing tilesm210-15
Protection to floor tilesm22-3
Cavity barriers  
– Half hour fire resistance; 100-200 mm cavitym10-11
– One hour fire resistance; 100-200 mm cavitym13-14
Acoustic barriers  
– 100-200 cavitym11-14
Hard surface finishes  
Ceramic floor tilesm235-50
Riven Welsh slate tiles, 250 × 250 mmm260-80
Travertine Marble; polished; 20 mm thickm2150-180
Polished granite; 20 mm thickm2200-250
Wood strip; pre-finished tongued and grooved beech or oakm290-110
Sheet and tile finishes  
Linoleum sheet/tilem228-38
Vinyl sheet/tile; heavy dutym216-23
Anti static vinyl sheet; medium dutym215-25
Studded rubber tiles, 500 × 500 mmm232-40
Extra for plywood underlaym28-10
Carpet  
Heavy-duty carpet tile; 100% nylonm216-22
Heavy-duty carpet tile; 80% wool, 20% nylonm222-26
Medium-duty broadloom; 80% wool, 20% nylonm225-30
Heavy-duty broadloom; 80% wool, 20% nylonm245-50
Hand wovenm2100+
Extra for underlaym25-6
Ceiling finishes  
Jointless plasterboard  
Plasterboard on M/F systemm225-35
Fibrous plaster feature suspended ceilingm2125-190
Fibre tiles  
Mineral fibre tiles; plain; exposed gridm218-23
Mineral fibre tiles; acoustic; exposed gridm225-30
High density mineral fibre tile; exposed, anti-corrosive gridm242-47
Metal tiles  
Non-perforated metal tile suspended ceilingm228-40
Perforated metal tile; lay-in gridm235-50
Perforated metal tile; demountable; concealed gridm242-65
Perforated metal tile; hinge access; concealed gridm248-68
Perforated acoustic quality metal tile; hinged mega-panel; tartan gridm275-100
Taking down and storing tilesm210-12
Fire barrierm30-35
Acoustic barrierm30-40
Fixtures and fittings  
Blinds  
Venetian blinds, cord-operatedm225-30
Fabric roller blinds, cord-operatedm230-40
Fabric blackout blinds, side channels, electrically operatedm2250-350
Building services  
Mechanical installations  
Extension of HVAC systems into general office areas  
– VAVm295-135
– four-pipe fan coil unitsm2100-140
– underfloor displacement ventilation (no heating)m220-30
– Hiross underfloor A/C systemm2125-150
– chilled ceiling (extra over suspended ceiling)m2115-160
– floor diffusers (extra over raised floors); one per 5 m2m210-20
– LPHW perimeter heating (radiators and pipework)m220-30
Extension of controls/BMS into general office areasm210-20
Electrical installations  
Extension of small power distribution into general office areas  
– busbar and cables only (no floor boxes)m210-15
– floor outlet boxes (including lead & plug); 1 per 10 m2m25-6
Extension of lighting into general office areas  
(LG3 luminaires to 350-400 lux)  
– generally (incl luminaires, wiring & emergency packs)m233-40
– wiring (conventional or modular)m28-10
– luminaires to ceilings & wall washers to coresm225-30
PIR lighting controls into general office areasm29-12
Supplies to VAV boxes or fan coil unitsm23-4
Protective installations  
Extension of sprinkler network into general office areasm212-20
Communications  
Fire alarms (fully addressable); sounder-basedm24-8
Public address systemm23-8
IT/Data cabling (category 6 including cabinets and patch panels);  
One box per 10 m2 with four outlets eachm218-30
Access control to door including recessed lock, card readers, etceach3000-3500
Internal CCTV camera (fixed)each2000-2500
Extra for central monitoring equipment (up to 15 cameras)each10000-15000
Indicative rates for office furniture
ItemPrice range £
Open-plan offices 
Workstation including desk, mobile pedestal. screening,  
CPU cradle, monitor arm and accessories800-1100
Open storage unit100-200
Task chair250-400
Filing cabinet150-400
Subtotal (per workstation)1300-2100
Extra for managers 
Additional pedestal for senior managers150-200
Meeting table for senior managers100-150
Meeting chairs (2)150-250
Total (per workstation)1700-2700
Cellular offices 
Workstation including desk, mobile pedestal,  
CPU cradle, monitor arm and accessories (no screening)850-1250
Filing cabinet200-450
Pedestal unit200-350
Manager’s chair350-500
Meeting table150-300
Meeting chairs (3)250-400
Total (per office)2000-3250
Meeting rooms 
Six-person meeting table; hardwood veneered particle board600-900
Ten-person meeting table; as above1000-1300
Fourteen-person meeting table; as above1600-1900
Twenty-person meeting table; as above2200-2700
Meeting room chair; fabric upholstery200-350
Conference room chair; leather upholstery300-600
Console table400-600
Credenza1500-3000
Informal meeting areas 
Easy chairs400-1000
Coffee tables250-800
First aid rooms 
Allowance for bed, easy chair, visitor’s chair, cabinet2500-4000
Staff restaurants 
Four-person table150-350
Eight-person refectory table300-500
Dining chair80-150