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Indicative costs of building services installations
Indicative specificationIndicative cost (£/m² gifa)
Commercial offices for selling on to the investment market 
Building completed to shell and core with category A fit-out. Naturally ventilated with LTHW heating270-285
Extra for enhancements for owner occupier or investor/developer30
Building completed to shell and core with category A fit-out. Mechanically ventilated with two-pipe fan-coil and LTHW heating455-470
Extra for enhancements for owner-occupier or investor/developer75-85
Healthcare buildings 
District general hospital, including medical gases, standby generation and nurse call systems; LTHW perimeter heating; extent of mechanical ventilation and cooling varies450-640
Private hospital. Including medical gases, standby generation and nurse call systems; Air-conditioning645-715
Arts buildings 
Museums and galleries. Naturally ventilated with LTHW heating330-370
Extra for air-conditioning190-210
Performing arts buildings. Naturally ventilated with LTHW heating580-640
Extra for air-conditioning120-145
Retail buildings 
Shopping centre; naturally ventilated open arcade, rate based on floor area of landlord’s accommodation295-325
Shopping centre; air-conditioned, enclosed mall, rate based on floor area of landlord’s accommodation515-565
Department store shell; air-conditioned370-410
Hotels and residential 
Four and five-star hotels; air-conditioned with four-pipe fan-coil units; life safety standby generation750-840
City-centre apartments; LTHW heating430-540
High-quality city-centre apartments; LTHW heating; localised cooling; centralised kitchen and bathroom extract600-700
The above are costs for building services installations, suitable for estimates produced at RIBA stages A and B. Costs include services contractors’ on-costs, overheads and profit and builders’ work but exclude: specialist installations such as catering equipment, exhibition and show lighting; lift and conveyor installations; external services and services connections; main contractor overhead and profit, preliminaries and contingencies; professional fees; VAT; inflation beyond 2nd quarter 2007. Costs are based on an outer London location in 2nd quarter 2007, for a large-scale competitively procured project.