Office Refurbishment Cost: London and UK Prices (2026)
Short answer
How much does an office refurbishment cost?
In London, budget £40–£95 per sq ft for a light to mid refurbishment and £120–£200 for a full Cat B fit-out, plus VAT. Regional UK prices run roughly 10–25% lower.
Refurbishment covers a wide range of work, from new carpets, decoration and lighting to replacing ceilings, kitchens, washrooms and building services. Because the scope varies so much, cost is best understood by level of work and by floor area, then adjusted for location: London prices are the highest in the UK, with the City and West End above outer London. The tables below set out typical costs for each level, and how a refurbishment differs from a full fit-out.
| Specification | London per sq ft | London per m² | Typical elsewhere in the UK, per sq ft | Typical elsewhere, per m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light to mid refurbishment | £40–£95 | £430–£1,020 | £30–£75 | £320–£810 |
| Cat A | £60–£95 | £645–£1,020 | £50–£80 | £540–£860 |
| Cat A+ ("plug and play") | £95–£140 | £1,020–£1,505 | £80–£120 | £860–£1,290 |
| Cat B standard | £120–£200 | £1,290–£2,150 | £95–£160 | £1,020–£1,720 |
| Cat B premium / HQ | £220–£380+ | £2,370–£4,090+ | £180–£300+ | £1,940–£3,230+ |
These are budget benchmarks. Office Refurbishment London surveys your space and gives you an itemised quote against your brief, so you can see exactly what each line costs.
How much does an office refurbishment cost per sq ft?
In London, a refurbishment of an office you already occupy usually costs £40 to £95 per sq ft. At the lower end, that covers decoration, new flooring and LED lighting. Towards the upper end, it includes changing the layout, adding meeting rooms and phone booths, a new kitchen and some air conditioning changes. Once the scope reaches a full new layout with extensive services work, you are into Cat B pricing of £120 to £200 per sq ft.
Work out a budget for your own floor area, scope and location with our office fit-out cost calculator.
How much does an office refurbishment cost per m²?
Multiply the per sq ft figure by about 10.76. A London light to mid refurbishment of £40 to £95 per sq ft is roughly £430 to £1,020 per m². A standard Cat B of £120 to £200 per sq ft is roughly £1,290 to £2,150 per m². Our guide to office fit-out cost per m² has a full conversion table.
What does an office refurbishment cost by size?
| Office size | Light refresh (£40–£60 per sq ft) | Mid refurbishment (£60–£95 per sq ft) | Cat B standard (£120–£200 per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft (93 m²) | £40k–£60k | £60k–£95k | £120k–£200k |
| 2,500 sq ft (232 m²) | £100k–£150k | £150k–£238k | £300k–£500k |
| 5,000 sq ft (465 m²) | £200k–£300k | £300k–£475k | £600k–£1m |
| 10,000 sq ft (929 m²) | £400k–£600k | £600k–£950k | £1.2m–£2m |
London figures, excluding VAT and fees. Small offices often cost more per sq ft than large ones, because fixed costs such as site set-up, design and management are spread over less area.
You may also find these guides useful: how long an office refurbishment takes, planning permission and building regulations and modern office design ideas.
What is included at each level of refurbishment?
Light refresh (about £40 to £60 per sq ft in London). Redecoration, new carpet tiles or flooring, LED lighting upgrades, minor joinery repairs, new signage and some furniture. Few or no layout changes.
Mid refurbishment (about £60 to £95 per sq ft). Everything in a light refresh plus layout changes: new meeting rooms and phone booths, a refreshed kitchen or tea point, acoustic treatment and some air conditioning, power and data changes.
Full refurbishment or Cat B (about £120 to £200 per sq ft). A new layout across the floor, extensive mechanical and electrical work, new ceilings and lighting, partitions, kitchens, AV and furniture.
Why does refurbishment cost more in London?
Labour rates, logistics and building rules all add cost. Many London buildings restrict deliveries and noisy work to set hours, require waste to be removed in specific ways and limit lift use, all of which take time. In the City and at Canary Wharf, premiums of around 15 to 22% over a Farringdon, King's Cross and Paddington baseline are typical, while Hammersmith and some outer areas can be up to 10% lower. Working while you stay in occupation also adds cost for phasing and out-of-hours work.
We cover the details in separate guides: office interior design, office refurbishment checklist and office strip-out.
What makes an office refurbishment cost more or less?
- Scope and specification. The biggest factor.
- Condition of services. Old air conditioning or electrics can turn a light refresh into a larger job.
- Layout changes. Every new enclosed room needs partitions, lighting, ventilation and power.
- Occupied or empty. Phasing around staff adds time and cost.
- Building age and type. Listed and older buildings add constraints; asbestos surveys may be needed.
- Reuse. Keeping sound partitions, ceilings and services can cut costs by 25 to 40%.
- Programme. Faster programmes need more out-of-hours work.
Next step
Planning an office fit-out?
Send us your brief and we will be in touch to arrange a survey and a detailed, no-obligation quote.
Request a quoteWhat hidden costs should you budget for?
- Professional fees if you appoint separate designers, project managers or cost consultants.
- Landlord costs for the licence for alterations, including their surveyor and legal fees.
- Building control fees.
- Asbestos surveys before intrusive work in older buildings.
- Furniture, IT and AV if they are outside the main contract.
- Temporary accommodation or moving costs.
- Contingency, typically 5 to 10% of construction cost.
- VAT at the standard rate on most works. Our guide to VAT on office refurbishment and dilapidations explains the rules.
For specific questions, see our guides to office relocation.
How much do common refurbishment items cost?
Itemised costs help when you only want part of the office done. Indicative London figures, excluding VAT:
| Item | Typical London cost |
|---|---|
| Redecoration | £4–£10 per sq ft |
| New carpet tiles, supplied and fitted | £4–£12 per sq ft |
| LED lighting upgrade | £8–£20 per sq ft |
| Plasterboard stud partition | £180–£320 per linear metre |
| Single-glazed glass partition | £350–£600 per linear metre |
| Acoustic phone booth or pod | £4,000–£12,000 each |
| Tea point refresh | £8,000–£25,000 |
Costs rise when work has to be done out of hours, when access is difficult or when services behind walls and ceilings need changes. Our guide to office partitions has more detail on partition prices.
How long does an office refurbishment take?
A light refresh of a small office can take two to four weeks on site. A mid refurbishment of 5,000 sq ft is often six to ten weeks, and a full Cat B fit-out of 10,000 sq ft can take three to five months on site, plus design and approval time beforehand. Phasing around staff who stay in the building adds time.
Related reading: office flooring.
Is it cheaper to refurbish or relocate?
Often refurbishing is cheaper if your lease has years left and the location suits your team, because you avoid agents' fees, moving costs, a full new fit-out and dilapidations on the old space. Relocating can make sense if you need a different size, a better building or a location that suits hybrid working. Our guide to office fit-out vs refurbishment compares the two.
How can you reduce office refurbishment costs?
- Reuse sound partitions, ceilings and air conditioning.
- Keep wet services such as kitchens and toilets where they are.
- Choose standard system partitions and finishes over bespoke ones.
- Phase the work so you spend in stages.
- Fix the brief early and avoid design changes once ordering starts.
- Talk to your landlord: on a lease renewal, landlords sometimes contribute to works.
Get an office refurbishment quote
We survey your space, services and access first, then give you an itemised quote with exclusions and a programme. Request a quote and we will be in touch to arrange a survey. For London fit-out benchmarks, see our cost per sq ft guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an office refurbishment cost per sq ft in the UK?
How much does office refurbishment cost per m²?
How much does it cost to refurbish a 5,000 sq ft office?
Is VAT charged on office refurbishment?
Why do small offices cost more per sq ft?
What is the difference between a fit-out and a refurbishment?
Related guides
Next step
Planning an office fit-out?
Send us your brief and we will be in touch to arrange a survey and a detailed, no-obligation quote.
Request a quote