Office refurbishment in London

Standard Cat B: £1,300 to £2,150 per m²
Rate basis: Central London (cost base)

London is the reference point for office refurbishment costs in the UK: published guides price central London first and adjust everything else from it. It is also where the practical constraints bite hardest, from loading bay slots to noise consents and landlords with long lists of approved contractors.

Brief a contractor

Refurbishing an office in London

What changes the scope, the price or the programme in this city.

Noise and working hours: Most central boroughs restrict noisy work to set daytime hours. The City of London and several others expect contractors to seek prior consent under section 61 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 for larger jobs, which sets hours and noise limits in advance.
Multi-let towers: In shared buildings, the landlord usually controls the loading bay, goods lift and out-of-hours access, and often insists on approved contractors for sprinklers, fire alarm and building management systems.
Listed and historic buildings: Much of the West End, Holborn and the City sits in conservation areas, and many period offices are listed. Listed building consent is needed even for some internal alterations.
Logistics: Few sites have parking or storage. Deliveries are booked into slots, materials arrive just in time, and some boroughs ask for a construction logistics plan on larger schemes.

London guide rates

Scope	Includes	Guide cost
Light refresh	Decoration, carpet tiles, LED lighting swaps, no change to layout or plant	£160 to £320 per m²
Cat A fit-out	Ceilings, raised floor, lighting, heating and cooling to open plan, toilets and core finishes	£650 to £1,020 per m²
Cat B fit-out, standard	Partitions, meeting rooms, tea points, finishes and services moved to suit the layout	£1,300 to £2,150 per m²
Cat B fit-out, premium	Higher-end joinery, glazing, acoustic treatment, hospitality areas	£2,350 to £4,100 per m²

Per m² of net internal area, before VAT and fees, central London published guides, November 2026. A guide, not a quote. Use the cost plan.

What London costs

Published central London guides put a light refresh at £160 to £320 per m², Cat A at £650 to £1,020 per m² and a standard Cat B at £1,300 to £2,150 per m², before VAT and fees. One international property consultancy's 2026 guide puts a full London fit-out between £148 and £359 per ft² from low to high specification, about £1,590 to £3,860 per m². Outer London and the edge of the M25 typically come in below central rates.

Plan around the lease

Licences for alterations in London buildings commonly take six to ten weeks and involve the landlord's surveyor, mechanical and electrical consultant and sometimes a fire engineer, each charging a fee. Ask for the landlord's fit-out guide early; it sets working hours, approved contractors and the standard of reinstatement at the end of the lease.

Occupied buildings

Many London refurbishments happen floor by floor in buildings that stay open. Strip-out and noisy work move to nights and weekends, which lifts labour cost, and the fire strategy for the occupied floors must be kept intact throughout.

Where our information comes from

Rates from published UK fit-out cost guides (Q1 2026 and 2026) and a national property consultancy's regional adjustments (spring 2025); firms not named.

Office refurbishment in London: questions

How much does an office refurbishment cost in London?

Central London published guides: light refresh £160 to £320 per m², Cat A £650 to £1,020 per m², standard Cat B £1,300 to £2,150 per m², before VAT and fees. A 500 m² Cat B in central London therefore runs about £650,000 to £1,075,000.

Do we need section 61 consent?

For larger refurbishments in many central boroughs, the contractor applies to the council for prior consent under section 61 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, agreeing hours and noise limits. Smaller internal jobs often do not, but check the borough's code of practice.

Can we use our own contractor in a London office building?

Usually for the fit-out itself, but many landlords require their approved contractors for work to sprinklers, fire alarm, building management and base-building services. The lease and fit-out guide say which.

How long does a London office refurbishment take?

Similar on-site durations to elsewhere, typically 8 to 14 weeks for a Cat B of around 1,000 m², but allow longer for landlord consent, deliveries and restricted working hours.

Keep reading

Cat B fit-out
The occupier's fit-out in detail.
Cat A fit-out
For landlords preparing floors.
Dilapidations works
Leaving an office at lease end.
CDM 2015 client duties
What the client must do.

Brief a contractor in London

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.

Where is the building?

Postcode of the building