Commercial Refurbishment Contractors
Brief a contractor

Commercial Refurbishment Contractors

Office, retail, education and healthcare refurbishment, scoped the way a tender pack is: package by sector, with published costs per m² and real programme lengths.

Brief a contractor

We introduce you to an independent contractor for your area; nothing is shared until you agree.

Scope matrix Pick a package and a sector

PackageOfficeRetailEducationHealthcare
Base buildCat A and fabricCat A floorShell unitClassroom blocksAdmin space
Fit-outCat B and specialist roomsCat B layoutStore fit-outToilets and labsRooms and wards
M&EHeating, cooling, powerPlant renewalKitchens and extractionVentilation and heatHTM services
ComplianceCDM, asbestos, lease endLease-end reinstatementConsents and fireClient dutiesLive-site control

Fit-out · Office: Cat B layout

Meeting rooms, kitchen and breakout, reception, finishes, AV, and services moved to match the layout.

Guide cost
£1,300 to £2,150 per m²
Standard specification, central London
Programme
8 to 14 weeks on site

Brief a contractor on thisCat B fit-out

What does the job involve?

Most commercial projects are bought as one or more of these packages, and each sector adds its own rules.

Packages

  1. AOffice refurbishmentRefresh, Cat A, Cat B or strip to shell: the four scopes compared.
  2. BCat A fit-outThe landlord standard that makes a floor lettable.
  3. CCat B fit-outRooms, kitchens and finishes for one occupier.
  4. DM&E servicesHeating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and fire systems.
  5. EDilapidations worksReinstatement and repair at the end of a lease.
  6. FCDM 2015 client dutiesWhat the client must do by law, on every job.

Sectors

  1. GRetail fit-outNew stores, refits and roll-outs to opening day.
  2. HRestaurant fit-outKitchens, extraction and front of house.
  3. ISchool refurbishmentSummer holiday programmes and DfE guidance.
  4. JHealthcare refurbishmentSurgeries, clinics and wards kept running.

What commercial refurbishment costs

Guide rates per m² of floor, before VAT and professional fees, from published UK cost guides and public benchmarks read in November 2026. Central London for offices; the regions run 10 to 30% lower.

Open the cost plan

A guide, not a quote. A contractor prices your building after a site visit.

SectorScopeGuide cost
OfficeLight refresh£160 to £320 per m²
OfficeCat A fit-out£650 to £1,020 per m²
OfficeCat B fit-out, standard£1,300 to £2,150 per m²
OfficeCat B fit-out, premium£2,350 to £4,100 per m²
RetailFashion or general retail£400 to £800 per m²
RetailFood retail£600 to £1,200 per m²
HospitalityRestaurant or bar£800 to £2,500 per m²
EducationSchool refurbishment, light to heavy£2,256 to £4,575 per m²

How long refurbishment takes

Seven recent public contracts on one scale: school holiday packages in six weeks, a single office floor in about six months, live hospital wards spread over longer.

  • EducationClassroom refurbishment and new toilets at a special school in Cheshire
    £157,8166 weeks · Aug 2025 to Sep 2025
  • EducationToilet refurbishment at a Liverpool primary school
    £94,8026 weeks · Jul 2025 to Aug 2025
  • HealthcareA second ward refurbishment at the same trust
    £80,00019 weeks · Nov 2025 to Mar 2026
  • OfficeRefurbishment of office areas on a science campus in Oxfordshire
    £1,274,70523 weeks · Jan 2026 to Jun 2026
  • OfficeRefurbishment of one office floor for a central government property body
    £1,581,30025 weeks · Nov 2025 to May 2026
  • OfficeRefurbishment of a university regional office in Edinburgh
    £1,430,72928 weeks · Nov 2025 to Jun 2026
  • HealthcareWard refurbishment at an Essex NHS hospital trust
    £70,00030 weeks · Sep 2025 to Mar 2026
Contract periods and awarded values from public award notices on Contracts Finder, 2025 to 2026. Firms not named. Contract periods can include time before and after work on site.

The client's side of the job

Whoever commissions the work carries legal duties a contractor cannot take away. These five come up on almost every commercial refurbishment.

CDM Regulations 2015
As the client, make suitable arrangements, appoint a principal designer and principal contractor in writing where more than one contractor works, and provide pre-construction information. More
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
Before refurbishment disturbs the fabric of a building built before 2000, have a refurbishment and demolition survey of the affected areas (HSE guide HSG264). More
Building Regulations
New layouts, fire doors, escape routes, lighting and cooling are building work. In England, clients also carry dutyholder and competence duties since October 2023. More
Energy efficiency (MEES)
A let commercial building in England and Wales needs an EPC of E or better unless an exemption is registered. Refurbishment is the cheapest time to improve it. More
The lease
Most alterations need the landlord's written consent, and most leases say what must be stripped out and reinstated when you leave. More
Where our information comes from

How the job gets done

The same four stages whether it is one floor or a whole estate.

  1. Brief and survey

    Headcount, rooms, dates and budget agreed; measured, condition and asbestos surveys; the lease and consents checked.

  2. Design and price

    A specification or design and build brief, priced as a lump sum on the same scope so prices can be compared fairly.

  3. Works on site

    Strip-out, services, partitions and ceilings, finishes, under a construction phase plan and a programme you can hold the contractor to.

  4. Handover

    Snagging, commissioning, building control completion, O&M manuals and the health and safety file.

Send a brief and we name one independent contractor who covers your area; your details go to them only once you agree.

Office refurbishment by city

Questions people ask

What do commercial refurbishment contractors do?

They plan and carry out building work inside existing commercial buildings: strip-out, partitions, ceilings and floors, mechanical and electrical services, finishes and joinery, usually as principal contractor managing specialist trades. Many specialise by sector, such as offices, retail, schools or healthcare.

How much does commercial refurbishment cost per m²?

It depends on the scope far more than the building. Published guides put a light office refresh at £160 to £320 per m², a Cat A fit-out at £650 to £1,020 per m² and a standard Cat B at £1,300 to £2,150 per m² in central London, before VAT. Outside London expect 10 to 30% less. Use the office refurbishment cost plan for a budget.

What is the difference between refurbishment and fit-out?

Refurbishment renews an existing building or space, often including its services and fabric. Fit-out makes a space ready for use, either to the landlord's standard (Cat A) or for a particular occupier (Cat B). Most commercial projects include some of both.

How do we choose a commercial refurbishment contractor?

Look for recent work of the same size and sector, competence to act as principal contractor under CDM, a clear approach to occupied buildings, insurances that match the contract value, and a price built on the same specification as the others you compare.

Can the building stay open during refurbishment?

Often, by phasing floor by floor, working out of hours and sealing the work area off. It adds cost and time, and needs an agreed plan for fire escape, deliveries and noise.

Do you carry out the work?

No. We introduce you to an independent contractor that covers your area and takes on work of your size and sector. Nothing is passed on until you agree. How our service works.

Brief a contractor

Three short steps: where the building is, what the scope is, and who to speak to. Rough answers are fine; a contractor firms them up on a site visit.

Your brief stays with us until you approve the independent commercial refurbishment contractor we name for your building.

Step 1 of 3

Where is the building?
Brief a contractor