How Much Does an Office Fit-Out Cost in London? (2026 Price Guide)

What does an office fit-out really cost in London in 2026? A clear, jargon-free guide to per-square-foot prices, what drives them, and how SMEs can budget well.

If you are weighing up an office fit-out in London, the first question is almost always the same: how much is this going to cost? It is also the hardest to answer in a sentence, because the honest reply is “it depends”. This guide breaks down what it actually depends on, gives you realistic 2026 price ranges, and shows you how to budget sensibly so there are no nasty surprises.

At Beem Interiors we work with small and medium London businesses on fit-outs, refurbishments and small works, so the figures below reflect the kind of projects SMEs actually commission, not headline numbers for corporate headquarters.

The short answer: cost per square foot

Office fit-out costs in London are usually quoted per square foot of usable floor area. As a 2026 working guide, you can expect roughly:

Basic fit-out: from around £40–£65 per sq ft. Simple layouts, standard finishes, light changes to an existing space.
Mid-range fit-out: around £65–£120 per sq ft. The most common bracket for SMEs — a mix of open-plan desking, meeting rooms, a decent kitchen and good-quality finishes.
High-specification fit-out: £150 per sq ft and upwards. Bespoke joinery, acoustic glass partitions, premium materials, feature lighting and advanced technology.

So a 2,000 sq ft office at a mid-range £90 per sq ft would land at roughly £180,000. These are indicative market ranges to help you plan; your actual figure depends on the factors below and should always be confirmed with a proper quote.

What drives the cost up or down

Two offices of identical size can differ enormously in price. The biggest variables are:

Specification and finishes — the single largest swing. Carpet tiles versus engineered timber, standard partitions versus full-height acoustic glass, off-the-shelf furniture versus bespoke joinery.
The condition of the space you start from — a recently handed-back Category A space is far cheaper to fit out than a tired second-hand office that needs stripping out first.
Mechanical and electrical work — heating, cooling, ventilation, power and data are often a third or more of the budget, and easy to underestimate.
Layout complexity — lots of small rooms, specialist spaces or anything structural costs more than a simple open plan.
Building access and hours — tight London access, limited loading, or work that must happen out of hours all add cost.
Professional fees, building control and the contingency you should always hold.

The cost categories you will see on a quote

A well-structured quote should break the project into recognisable sections so you can see where the money goes:

Strip-out and preparation
Partitions, doors and glazing
Ceilings, flooring and decoration
Mechanical and electrical (heating, cooling, lighting, power, data)
Kitchen, washrooms and breakout areas
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
Professional fees, project management and contingency

If a quote is a single lump sum with no breakdown, ask for one. Transparency at quote stage is one of the clearest signals of a contractor worth working with.

Don’t forget the lease and dilapidations

Fit-out cost is only one side of the coin. If you are a tenant, your lease will usually require you to return the space to its original condition at the end of the term — known as dilapidations. Heavy bespoke alterations now can mean a large reinstatement bill later. It is worth factoring this into the decision from day one, especially on shorter leases. We cover this in detail in our guide to dilapidations and how to avoid a costly bill at lease end.

How to budget sensibly

Start from your usable floor area and a realistic per-square-foot rate for your specification level.
Hold a contingency of around 10% for the unexpected — older London buildings often have surprises behind the walls.
Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves so you can flex the spec if quotes come in high.
Get an itemised quote and compare like for like, not just bottom-line totals.
Think about the whole lease, including reinstatement, not just the upfront build.

The bottom line

For most London SMEs, a comfortable, well-finished office lands somewhere in the mid-range bracket. The key is matching the specification to how long you will be in the space and how the office needs to work for your team — then getting a clear, itemised quote you can trust.

Thinking about a fit-out or refurbishment? Beem Interiors offers honest, itemised quotes for London SMEs, with the lease and dilapidations picture built in from the start. Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about your space.

Here’s more

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Office Fit-Out Cost Per Square Foot: What SMEs Should Budget