Quick answer

A full office refurbishment in the UK costs £60–£150 per square foot in 2026 for a complete Cat B fit-out. A 3,000 sq ft office typically costs £180,000–£450,000 all-in (works only, excluding furniture and IT). London and South East projects sit at the higher end; regional offices come in 15–25% lower. Cosmetic refreshes — redecoration, new flooring, LED swap — cost significantly less at £20–£45/sq ft where no structural changes are involved.

A full office refurbishment in the UK costs £60–£150 per square foot in 2026, depending on specification, location and the condition of the building you're starting from. For a 3,000 sq ft office, that's a total budget of £180,000–£450,000. London and South East projects sit toward the higher end; offices in regional cities typically come in 15–25% lower.

The wide range exists because "office refurbishment" covers a huge spectrum — from a cosmetic refresh (new carpet, redecoration, LED swap) to a full Cat B fit-out with new partitions, suspended ceilings, M&E reconfiguration and bespoke joinery. This guide breaks down what you'll pay at each level, what moves the price, and what most budgets miss before they go out to contractors.

Office refurbishment cost per square foot: the three tiers

Most projects fall into one of three brackets. These are all-in installed costs including labour, materials and project management — they exclude furniture, AV and IT equipment:

Tier Cost per sq ft What it covers Typical driver
Cosmetic refresh £20–£45 Redecoration, new carpet or LVT, LED lighting swap. No structural changes, minimal M&E works. Lease renewal, short-term occupation, Cat A already in good condition
Mid-spec Cat B £60–£90 New partitions, full flooring, suspended ceiling, kitchen, M&E rebalancing, full redecoration. The standard for most lease-start refurbishments. New lease or relocation, rebrand, headcount change
High-spec Cat B £90–£150 Bespoke joinery, feature lighting, premium flooring, extensive glass partitions, major M&E reconfiguration, reception upgrade. Headquarters fit-out, client-facing offices, prestige locations
Note on the gap between cosmetic and Cat B: There's intentionally no tier between £45 and £60/sq ft. Once you start moving partitions, changing ceiling layouts or significantly altering M&E routes, the cost steps up sharply because of additional trade coordination, HVAC rebalancing and landlord consent requirements. Minor works and full refurbishments are priced differently for good reason.

What does that mean for your total budget?

The table below applies the three tiers to common office sizes. Add 15–20% on top for furniture, AV and IT equipment:

Office size Cosmetic refresh Mid-spec Cat B High-spec Cat B
1,000 sq ft (~10 desks) £20,000–£45,000 £60,000–£90,000 £90,000–£150,000
2,000 sq ft (~20 desks) £40,000–£90,000 £120,000–£180,000 £180,000–£300,000
3,500 sq ft (~35 desks) £70,000–£157,500 £210,000–£315,000 £315,000–£525,000
5,000 sq ft (~50 desks) £100,000–£225,000 £300,000–£450,000 £450,000–£750,000
10,000 sq ft (~100 desks) £200,000–£450,000 £600,000–£900,000 £900,000–£1,500,000

What's included — and what isn't

Typically included in a full Cat B refurbishment

  • Strip-out of existing fit-out — partitions, flooring, ceilings
  • New partition walls — stud or glass, per the agreed design
  • Suspended ceiling — new installation or replacement tiles and grid
  • Flooring throughout — carpet tiles, LVT or specified alternative
  • Full redecoration to an agreed paint schedule
  • Mechanical and electrical works: HVAC rebalancing, lighting circuit, power distribution
  • LED lighting installation
  • Kitchen and breakout area installation
  • Joinery — reception desk, shelving, storage, feature elements per design
  • Project management and CDM compliance

Typically not included — budget for these separately

  • Furniture and FF&E: Budget £25–£60 per person for desk, chair and storage. For 30 people, that's £750–£1,800 on top of the works cost.
  • AV and IT equipment: Screens, cameras, conferencing hardware — usually procured separately from the infrastructure cabling.
  • Dilapidations at your current office: If you're relocating, reinstatement works at your existing space typically cost £8–£45/sq ft — a cost many tenants forget until their solicitor flags it at heads of terms stage.
  • Licence to Alter professional fees: Architect drawings, M&E specifications and landlord legal fees for consent — typically £3,000–£8,000 depending on complexity.
  • Planning permission: Not usually required for internal refurbishments, but may apply if you're changing the building's use class or altering the external appearance.

The eight things that move the price most

1. Scope — cosmetic vs structural

A cosmetic refresh costs a fraction of a structural reconfiguration. The moment you move or add partitions, alter M&E routes, or change the ceiling layout, costs step up because of additional trade coordination, HVAC rebalancing and landlord consent requirements.

2. Location

London adds 15–25% to equivalent works elsewhere. Most of that premium is labour — London trade rates are higher and city-centre logistics add time and cost. South East projects typically sit 10–15% above the national average.

3. Building type

Heritage or listed buildings, offices with complex building management systems and properties without raised floors all cost more. A 1980s concrete-frame office on a business park is cheaper to refurbish than a Victorian warehouse conversion in a city centre.

4. M&E condition

If existing mechanical and electrical services only need rebalancing around the new layout, costs are contained. If the HVAC plant is end-of-life, the electrical board is at capacity, or the data infrastructure needs replacing, M&E works can add £8–£15/sq ft to the budget before a partition goes up.

5. Specification level

Carpet tiles vs LVT vs polished concrete. Stud partitions vs glass. Standard LED panels vs bespoke feature lighting. Specification decisions compound across a floor plate — moving from carpet tiles to LVT on a 3,000 sq ft office typically adds £30,000–£45,000.

6. Programme constraints

Out-of-hours and weekend working for occupied office refurbishments adds 15–25% to labour costs. Phased works — refurbishing in sections to keep the office running — add management overhead. Vacating fully for the duration is always cheaper.

7. Landlord requirements

Most commercial leases require a Licence to Alter before structural works or M&E modifications begin. Approval typically takes 4–8 weeks and requires drawings, M&E specifications and method statements. Budget professional fees of £3,000–£8,000 alongside the works.

8. Market conditions

Contractor demand, material lead times and time of year all affect pricing. The London and South East market has been tight since 2023. Getting three competitive quotes on an identical scope remains the most reliable way to test the market — the spread between high and low on the same brief is typically 20–35%.

Component costs: what each element typically costs in 2026

Component Unit Typical cost Notes
Carpet tiles Per sq m installed £20–£53 Budget tiles at lower end; acoustic/recycled content at upper end
LVT flooring Per sq m installed £35–£65 Durable, water-resistant; growing preference over carpet in many sectors
Painting and decoration Per sq m £12–£22 Full preparation, 2 coats; feature walls or specialist finishes at upper end
Stud partition walls Per sq m £65–£90 Standard double-skin; acoustic specification adds 20–30%
Glass partitions Per sq m £150–£280 Frameless or framed; switchable/switchable glass significantly higher
Suspended ceiling (mineral fibre) Per sq m installed £28–£42 Standard 600×600 tile and grid; acoustic rafts higher
LED lighting Per zone (~250 sq m) £1,200–£2,500 Standard panels; sensor/daylight harvesting systems at upper end
Kitchen / breakout area Per installation £8,000–£25,000 Depends heavily on size, units specified and worktop material
Structured IT cabling Per data point £40–£60 Cat 6A; fibre backbone and comms room work additional

Cat A vs Cat B: what's the difference and who pays?

These categories define who funds what — and they determine what budget you actually need to carry:

Shell and Core — the building structure, core services (lifts, main electrical intake, sprinklers) and weatherproofing. The developer pays this before any tenant takes occupation.

Cat A — the landlord prepares the space: raised floors, suspended ceilings, basic HVAC distribution, emergency lighting and a clean but unbranded interior. Typically costs the landlord £35–£55/sq ft. You inherit a functional but generic space with no branding and no kitchen.

Cat B — your fit-out: partitions, branded flooring, kitchen, joinery, reception, IT infrastructure and HVAC rebalanced to your layout. This is the £60–£150/sq ft cost you carry as the occupier. Most businesses commissioning a refurbishment are working in Cat B territory.

Cat A+ — a growing trend where landlords deliver a move-in-ready space including furniture, recovering costs through the rent rather than requiring tenant capex. You get flexibility without upfront cost but less control over design.

Understanding which category your space currently sits in determines your actual budget. Taking a Cat A shell means you carry the full Cat B cost. Taking a Cat A+ means near-zero fit-out cost but limited customisation.

London vs the rest of the UK in 2026

Region Mid-spec Cat B (per sq ft) High-spec Cat B (per sq ft) vs national average
Central London £80–£110 £110–£150+ +20–30%
London suburbs / South East £70–£95 £95–£130 +10–20%
South West / East of England £65–£85 £85–£115 +5–10%
Midlands / North of England £55–£80 £80–£110 At or slightly below average
Scotland / Wales £50–£75 £75–£100 5–10% below average

The regional premium is almost entirely a labour and logistics cost, not materials. Timber, plasterboard, carpet tiles and HVAC units are priced nationally. What changes is the day rate for skilled trades, the cost of navigating city-centre logistics, and the premium for out-of-hours access in buildings with strict management rules.

Five rules for getting an accurate quote

  1. Get at least three quotes. The spread between the highest and lowest quote on an identical scope is typically 20–35%. There is no substitute for competitive tension.
  2. Insist on a fixed price. Day-rate or cost-plus contracts transfer all the risk to you. A credible contractor will price a well-scoped project on a fixed basis.
  3. Agree the scope in writing before work starts. Scope ambiguity at tender stage is the most common source of variation orders. The more detailed your specification, the less room for dispute.
  4. Read the exclusions list. Every quote has one. Check what's not included before comparing prices — this is where the real cost differences usually hide.
  5. Ask how the Licence to Alter will be managed. A contractor who can't explain their LTA process is a risk. The LTA sits on the critical path — delays here delay everything else.

Further reading

Frequently asked questions

A cosmetic refresh of a 2,000–3,000 sq ft office typically takes 2–4 weeks. A mid-spec Cat B refurbishment of the same space takes 6–10 weeks on site. High-spec or complex projects with significant M&E work and bespoke joinery can run to 12–16 weeks. Add 4–8 weeks before works start for Licence to Alter approval from your landlord — this process should run in parallel with design finalisation, not after it.
Yes, though it costs more and takes longer. Phased or out-of-hours refurbishments are common for businesses that can't vacate — works are programmed around occupancy, with noisier elements scheduled for evenings or weekends. Expect a 15–25% premium on labour costs for occupied delivery and a longer overall programme. Where possible, even a partial decant — moving one half of the office at a time — reduces disruption and cost significantly.
In most cases, no. Internal refurbishments — partition changes, new flooring, redecoration, M&E works — are treated as permitted development for commercial buildings and do not require planning permission. You will need Building Regulations approval for structural changes, fire door installations and significant M&E alterations, and a Licence to Alter from your landlord if you're a tenant. External works — signage, facade changes, extensions — may require planning permission depending on the building and local authority.
Usually cheaper to refurbish in-situ, when you factor in all the costs of a move: dilapidations at your existing space (£8–£45/sq ft to reinstate), legal fees for the new lease, agent fees, removals, IT infrastructure rebuild and the full Cat B fit-out at new premises. Refurbishing avoids most of these. The exception is where your current lease is significantly above market rent, or where the building fundamentally can't be made to work — poor natural light, inadequate power capacity, or listed building constraints that prevent the changes you need.
Dilapidations are the works required at lease end to return your office to the condition specified in your lease — typically stripping out all Cat B alterations and redecorating to Cat A standard. Most FRI leases include a reinstatement obligation. Costs typically run £8–£45/sq ft depending on the extent of the original fit-out. This is a separate cost from your new office refurbishment and is often forgotten until the landlord issues a Schedule of Dilapidations. The Section 18(1) diminution-in-value cap can sometimes reduce a landlord's claim significantly — worth taking advice before agreeing any cash settlement.
A Licence to Alter is formal written consent from your landlord to carry out works that affect the building's structure, services or appearance. Most commercial leases require one before you can install or remove partitions, alter HVAC, add a kitchen or make any structural modification. The process involves submitting drawings, M&E specifications, method statements and risk assessments for the landlord's approval — typically taking 4–8 weeks for a standard Cat B fit-out and 10–12 weeks for complex structural works. Your contractor should manage this process as part of the project; if they say it's your responsibility to sort out, that's a red flag.