Small Office Fit Out and Design: Ideas, Costs and Timescales
Short answer
How much does a small office fit-out cost?
A small office fit-out in London typically costs £40 to £95 per sq ft for a refresh with some layout changes and £120 to £200 per sq ft for a full fit-out, often towards the upper end for very small spaces. A 1,000 sq ft office usually costs £40,000 to £200,000, excluding VAT.
Small offices are often the hardest to plan well: every square metre has to work, storage and meeting space compete for room, and fixed costs such as design, approvals and site set-up are spread over fewer square feet. The good news is that small projects move quickly, and a few well-chosen changes can make a big difference. This guide covers costs, layout ideas and timescales for offices up to about 3,000 sq ft.
| Office size | Typical team on busy days | Refresh (£40–£95 per sq ft) | Full fit-out (£120–£200 per sq ft) | Typical time on site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft (46 m²) | 4–6 people | £20k–£48k | £60k–£100k | 2–4 weeks |
| 1,000 sq ft (93 m²) | 8–11 people | £40k–£95k | £120k–£200k | 3–6 weeks |
| 1,500 sq ft (139 m²) | 12–16 people | £60k–£143k | £180k–£300k | 4–7 weeks |
| 2,000 sq ft (186 m²) | 16–22 people | £80k–£190k | £240k–£400k | 6–10 weeks |
Headcounts assume around 8 to 12 m² per person on the busiest day. Office Refurbishment London designs and fits out small offices across London, with one team from layout to handover.
Why do small offices cost more per sq ft?
Some costs do not shrink with floor area. Design, site set-up, project management, a kitchen, a meeting room and a reception still have to be provided, so they make up a larger share of a small project. A single meeting room and tea point in a 1,000 sq ft office has a much bigger effect on the per sq ft rate than the same items in a 10,000 sq ft office.
Work out a budget for your own floor area, scope and location with our office fit-out cost calculator.
How do you design a small office?
Plan around the busiest day. Count how many people are in on your busiest days, then plan desks, meeting space and storage for that number.
Make every area work twice. A kitchen table can host team meetings. A meeting room can double as a focus room. A breakout sofa can be a client waiting area.
Prioritise one good meeting room. For most small teams, one well-equipped room for four to six people, plus a booth for calls, does more than several small rooms.
Use glass. Glass partitions keep daylight flowing and make the floor feel bigger.
Keep storage under control. Lockers and shared storage free up desk space. Digitising paper records reduces storage needs.
Choose light, simple finishes. A restrained palette with one or two feature elements makes a small space feel calmer.
What small office design ideas work well?
| Idea | Benefit | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| A single acoustic booth | Private calls without building a room | £4,000–£12,000 |
| Glass meeting room | Privacy without losing daylight | £3,700–£6,800 partition cost for four people |
| Bench desking | More flexible than individual desks | Varies by range |
| Wall-mounted screen in kitchen area | Turns the kitchen into a meeting space | From a few hundred pounds plus installation |
| Acoustic panels and soft furnishings | Reduces echo and noise | Often £5–£20 per sq ft of area treated |
| Planting and natural materials | Softer, more welcoming feel | From a few hundred pounds |
| LED lighting with controls | Better light, lower bills | £8–£20 per sq ft |
How much space does a small office need?
A common planning range is around 8 to 12 m² per person on the busiest day, roughly 85 to 130 sq ft. A team of ten with a meeting room, kitchen and a booth often fits comfortably in 900 to 1,200 sq ft. If most people work from home several days a week, you may need less, but plan for team days when everyone comes in.
Should a small business fit out or take a fitted office?
| Item | Fit out your own space | Take a fitted (Cat A+) office or serviced space |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Higher | Low or none |
| Control over design | Full | Limited |
| Lease length | Usually longer | Often shorter and flexible |
| Speed to move in | Weeks to months | Days to weeks |
| Brand expression | Strong | Limited |
Our guide to Cat A+ and Cat C fit-outs explains fitted floors.
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 approvals does a small office fit-out need?
Even small fit-outs can need a landlord's licence for alterations, especially if you add partitions or change services, and Building Regulations approval where fire escape, ventilation or accessibility is affected. Internal works do not usually need planning permission unless the building is listed. Our guide to planning permission and building regulations explains this.
For the wider picture, see our guide to office fit-out cost per sq ft and per m².
How long does a small office fit-out take?
For 500 to 2,000 sq ft, time on site is usually two to ten weeks, depending on scope. Allow extra time beforehand for design, landlord approval and lead times on glass, furniture and kitchen units. Small offices can sometimes be refurbished over evenings and weekends so the business keeps running.
What does a typical 1,000 sq ft small office layout include?
For a team of around ten, a balanced layout might include:
- Eight to ten desks in benches, with lockers or shared storage.
- One glass meeting room for four to six people, with a screen and video conferencing.
- One acoustic booth for calls.
- A kitchen or tea point with a table that seats six, used for lunch and informal meetings.
- A small soft seating area near the entrance for visitors.
- A comms cupboard for network equipment, with ventilation.
That layout leaves room for a few extra people on team days and can be adjusted as the business grows. Changing the mix later is easier if partitions are kept to a minimum.
What should you check before signing a lease on a small office?
Before you commit, check that the space can be adapted for your layout. Look at the position of windows, columns and existing kitchens, whether the air conditioning can cope with a meeting room, how data cabling reaches the floor and what the building rules say about working hours. Ask what the lease and licence require at the end, so you know your likely reinstatement costs. Our guide to what dilapidations are explains this. A short survey before you sign can avoid costly surprises.
How can you save money on a small office fit-out?
- Reuse sound partitions, ceilings and lighting.
- Keep the kitchen where existing water and drainage are.
- Use one meeting room and a booth rather than several rooms.
- Choose standard furniture ranges with short lead times.
- Phase works if budget is tight, starting with the areas that matter most.
Get a small office quote
Send us your floor plan and team size, and we will survey and prepare a layout and quote. Request a quote and we will be in touch. For design inspiration, see our guide to modern office design ideas, and for wider costs, our UK office refurbishment cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a small office fit-out cost in London?
How much does it cost to fit out a 1,000 sq ft office?
How many people fit in a 1,000 sq ft office?
How long does a small office fit-out take?
How do you make a small office feel bigger?
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