M&E contractors for refurbishment
- Share of fit-out cost
- Over 40% with IT and AV
- Cat A services, all-in
- £50 to £120 per m²
- Lead time for plant
- 8 to 16 weeks
Mechanical and electrical services (M&E) are the heating, cooling, ventilation, water, drainage, lighting, power, fire alarm and controls inside a building. In a refurbishment they are usually the largest and least visible part of the cost, and the part most likely to cause trouble if left to the end.
M&E contractors work either directly for you on a services-led job, or as the main specialist under a fit-out contractor.
When M&E leads the project
- Plant at the end of its life
- Boilers, chillers, air handling units or fan coils over 20 years old, failing repeatedly or using refrigerants being phased down.
- Energy rating to improve
- An EPC below the level a landlord needs to let the building, or a net zero commitment to meet.
- A change of use or density
- More people on a floor, new meeting rooms or a kitchen, needing more fresh air, cooling and power.
- Fire and life safety
- Fire alarm or emergency lighting that no longer meets the fire risk assessment or the new layout.
Schedule of rates, M&E in fit-out
| Item | Scope | Guide cost |
|---|---|---|
| M&E within Cat A | Lighting, cooling and ventilation to open plan | £50 to £120 per m² |
| Raised access floor | Supply and lay, Cat A | £40 to £80 per m² |
| Suspended ceiling | Supply and fit, Cat A | £30 to £60 per m² |
| Toilet or kitchen core unit | Each, including services | £8,000 to £25,000 each |
National trades pricing guide (June 2026), typical 2026 UK prices, VAT not stated; London and the South East toward the top. A full plant replacement is priced from the plant schedule, not per m². A guide, not a quote. Build a budget in the cost plan.
Specifying M&E in a refurbishment
Survey what is there before deciding what to replace
A services condition survey records the age, condition and remaining life of each item of plant, checks the drawings against what is actually installed, and tests the controls. It often shows that distribution pipework and ductwork can stay while plant is replaced, which can save a great deal.
Refrigerants and F gas
Many older air conditioning systems run on refrigerants that are being phased down under the F gas rules, which makes them steadily more expensive to service. Systems holding more than a threshold quantity also need regular leak checks by certified engineers. If your cooling is due for replacement, ask what refrigerant the new system uses and why.
Ventilation and comfort
The BCO's 2023 Guide to Specification raised its recommended outdoor air supply and reduced the assumed small power load per person, reflecting more efficient equipment. Schools have their own standard in Building Bulletin 101, and healthcare buildings follow Health Technical Memoranda. The design standard should be written into the specification, not left to the installer.
Commissioning is part of the job
Systems must be balanced, tested and their controls set up before handover, with records in the operation and maintenance manuals and the health and safety file. Ask for commissioning to be witnessed, and for seasonal recommissioning after the first summer and winter.
Where our information comes from
- British Council for Offices, Guide to Specification (2023)
- GOV.UK, F gas in refrigeration, air conditioning and fire protection systems
- GOV.UK, Building Bulletin 101: ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools
- NHS England, Health Technical Memoranda
- GOV.UK, Approved Document L: conservation of fuel and power
Cost ranges are typical figures from published UK cost guides and price guides, read November 2026, given before VAT. Firms that publish them are not named.
Tell us the building, the plant you are worried about and when it must work.
Brief a contractorHow the work gets done
The usual order of an M&E-led refurbishment.
Condition survey
Plant, distribution, controls and drawings checked; remaining life and risks reported.
Design
Loads calculated for the new use, plant selected, energy rules and refrigerant choice settled.
Install
Often in phases or out of hours to keep the building running, with temporary heating or cooling if needed.
Commission
Balancing, controls, fire alarm cause and effect, witnessed tests and full records at handover.
M&E questions
What does an M&E contractor do?
How much of a fit-out is M&E?
Should we appoint the M&E contractor directly?
Can plant be replaced while the building is occupied?
What is commissioning?
Keep reading
- Cat A fit-out
Where most office M&E work sits.
- Healthcare refurbishment
HTM ventilation and water standards.
- School refurbishment
BB101 ventilation and holiday programmes.
- Office refurbishment
The four office scopes.
Brief an M&E 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.
Received. This is what happens next.
- We find an independent commercial refurbishment contractor working in your part of the country on projects of this scale and sector, and contact you with the firm's name.
- Nothing goes to them until you say yes.
- Once you approve, the firm books a visit and follows up with a written proposal. You won't hear from us again unless you ask.