Delivery
Choose the route that fits the project
Office design and build
Design and construction under one contract, with one party responsible for both.
Office refurbishment
Making the office you already have work harder, usually while you stay in it.
Office relocation
From building search to the first Monday morning in new premises.
Compare
Which route suits your project?
| Route | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Design and build | A clear brief, a fixed date, and one party responsible for design and construction. | Quality slipping where the brief is vague. Put your requirements in writing before the price is fixed. |
| Traditional | Complex or high-profile spaces, where you want full control of the design before the build is tendered. | A longer programme, and more risk for you where the design and the build do not join up. |
| Refurbishing in occupation | Staying put, avoiding the cost of a move, or keeping a good existing fit-out. | Noise, dust and phasing. Plan the disruptive work out of hours and tell staff early. |
Budget
What a fit-out costs
Every building and brief is different, but published benchmarks give a sensible starting point. Knight Frank’s Spring 2026 guide puts the cost of fitting out a Cat A floor in Central London at around £100 per sq ft for a basic specification, £175 for a mid-range one and £250 or more at the top end, including furniture, AV and professional fees but not IT. It estimates South West costs at about 15% less.
| Specification | Central London | South West (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | £100 per sq ft | £85 per sq ft |
| Mid-range | £175 per sq ft | £150 per sq ft |
| High | £250+ per sq ft | £210+ per sq ft |
These are averages, not quotes. Reusing partitions, ceilings and furniture brings the figure down; structural work, new air conditioning or a feature staircase pushes it up. Hold a contingency, typically 5 to 10%, and remember VAT, IT and the cost of leaving your current space.
Source: Knight Frank, Occupier Fit-Out Cost Guide, Spring 2026. South West figures are Central London less 15%, rounded.
Programme
How long it takes
For an office of up to about 10,000 sq ft, work on site usually takes 8 to 14 weeks. Larger floors, structural alterations or major services work can take up to six months.
The work before anyone arrives on site takes at least as long: agreeing the brief, developing and pricing the design, and getting the landlord’s and building control approvals, typically 10 to 16 weeks. If you are moving, plan back from the date your lease ends and start 18 to 24 months ahead.
| Stage | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Brief, design and pricing | 10 to 16 weeks |
| Landlord and building control approvals | Alongside the design |
| Work on site, up to 10,000 sq ft | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Larger or structural projects | Up to 6 months on site |
Good practice
Getting the specification right
Cat A and Cat B fit-out
What landlords provide, what occupiers add, and how to compare offers properly.
Sustainable fit-out
Reuse first, sensible specification and the energy-efficiency rules that affect leases.
Questions
Fit-out questions
What does a fit-out include?
Everything that turns an empty floor into a working office: partitions and meeting rooms, kitchens and breakout space, changes to lighting, power and data, finishes, furniture and AV. Our guide to Cat A and Cat B fit-out explains who usually pays for what.
Do we need permission for the work?
From your landlord, almost always. Most leases require a licence for alterations, usually with drawings. Building Regulations apply to most fit-out work, especially fire safety, escape routes and accessibility. Planning permission is rarely needed for internal work, unless the building is listed or the use is changing.
Can we stay in the office while the work happens?
Often, yes. The work is phased so teams move around the floor while each area is finished, with the noisiest jobs done out of hours. It takes longer than working in an empty building, but it avoids the cost and upheaval of temporary space. See office refurbishment.
Who is responsible for health and safety?
You are, in part. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, clients have legal duties. Where more than one contractor is involved, you must appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor in writing; a design and build contractor often takes on these roles. The HSE explains the client’s duties.
How do we keep the cost under control?
Fix the brief before the price, compare tenders on a like-for-like specification, hold a contingency, and keep changes to a minimum once work starts on site. Late changes are the most expensive kind.
What about the office we are leaving?
Check your lease for dilapidations: the cost of returning the space to the condition the lease requires. It can be significant, and it is easy to leave out of the budget. Get advice early, as it may be cheaper to negotiate a settlement than to do the work.
