What Are Fit Out Costs (And Why Most People Get Them Wrong)
- SPOR
- Oct 20
- 4 min read
Ask ten people what an office fit-out costs, and you’ll get ten different answers. That’s because most people have no real idea what goes into one — they just hear a number per square foot and hope it’ll be close enough.
Then the quotes start coming in, and reality bites.
So, let’s talk about what a fit-out actually includes, how the costs stack up in London, and why leaving your AV decisions until the end is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.
What a Fit-Out Actually Means
A fit-out is the process of turning an empty shell into a usable, branded workspace. Everything you see and touch inside an office — walls, floors, lighting, power, air-con, furniture, cabling, AV, coffee machines — sits under that umbrella.
The problem is, people think a fit-out is one lump sum. It’s not. It’s a pile of smaller moving parts that all add up quickly. And each one can swing the total cost depending on how early you plan, what condition the building is in, and how high you set the bar.
Put together, that gives you:
£70–£150 per ft² for a mid-spec fit-out
£45–£70 per ft² if you keep it minimal
£200+ per ft² if you want something high-end or heavily branded
In simple terms: a 10,000 ft² office will probably land somewhere between £700k and £1.5m, depending on your spec and building condition.
Why the Ranges Are So Wide
There’s no single “average” because no two buildings or clients are the same. These are the factors that usually push costs up or down:
Building condition – If your landlord’s M&E is outdated, you’ll pay to fix it.
Specification – Basic partitions and vinyl flooring are cheap. Glazed walls and bespoke joinery aren’t.
Furniture – A £100 desk and a £1,000 desk do the same job, but one looks better on Instagram.
Logistics – Deliveries in central London, restricted access, night work — all extra cost.
Timeline – The shorter your programme, the higher the price.
Professional fees – Good design and management save you money later.
AV & IT – Always the most underestimated line item.
The Hidden Budget Killer: AV and Technology
This is the one area where most fit-outs go sideways. Clients leave their AV decisions until after the walls, ceilings, and cabling are already in — and then realise they’ve boxed themselves in.
By then, changing anything means cutting ceilings, pulling cables, repainting, and delaying completion. The result? 20–50 % higher costs and a system that never quite works as it should.
AV isn’t just about mounting a few screens. It affects every part of your space:
Cable routes – where data and power actually run.
Layouts – where people sit versus where cameras and screens go.
Lighting – whether meeting rooms look good on camera or washed out.
Acoustics – whether people can actually hear each other on calls.
If you want your office to function properly, AV has to be part of the design conversation from day one — not an afterthought.
You could cut that down to £90–£150 / ft² with more basic choices, but this gives you a good idea of how fast costs climb once you start layering in quality finishes and technology.
How to Keep Control of the Budget
You don’t overspend because you can’t count. You overspend because key decisions are made too late.
The fix is simple:
Get clarity early – Know exactly what’s in and what’s not.
Benchmark properly – Compare line by line, not just total numbers.
Lock in AV and IT before design freeze – Always.
Keep a 10 % contingency – Surprises are guaranteed.
Think about function before furniture – Don’t buy the lookbook.
Involve the right people early – Especially your AV partner.
Do that and you’ll have a workspace that works on day one, not one that’s still being patched six months later.
Plan Your AV Early (Before It Costs You)
AV is one of the few elements of a fit-out that directly affects how your people work every day. It’s what makes hybrid meetings seamless and connects teams across offices. But it’s also one of the easiest things to get wrong if you leave it until the end.
That’s why we created the AV Bundle — a set of tools to help you make the right AV decisions before a single wall goes up.
It includes:
An AV Room Configurator – to visualise your spaces.
A Budget Calculator – to give you realistic numbers early.
A Risk Map – showing what happens if you delay decisions.
Example Room Standards – for small, medium and large rooms.
It’s designed for anyone about to start a fit-out who doesn’t want to burn money fixing things that could have been done right the first time.
If you’re planning a new office or refurbishment, get the AV Bundle before you lift a ceiling tile. Because once the paint’s dry and the cables are buried, every small change becomes an expensive problem.
Final Thought
Fit-out costs in London can be predictable — but only if you plan them properly. The biggest mistake people make isn’t picking the wrong finishes. It’s leaving key decisions too late, especially when it comes to AV.
Plan early. Lock in the right partners. Use the AV Bundle to see your space clearly before it costs you twice.
No one ever regrets being early. Plenty regret being late.
Next steps - Grab your AV Bundle and start designing your AV space here - Click here to access
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