Office Fitout Cost Calculator
Estimate what it costs to fit out a commercial office tenancy in Australia, from a basic refresh through to a premium category 2 build.
Net lettable area of the tenancy you are fitting out.
Fitout is quoted per square metre of net lettable area, so confirm the NLA on the lease schedule rather than measuring the carpet yourself. A 10 sqm discrepancy at $2,000 per sqm is a $20,000 argument.
💰 Ways to save
- Negotiate the landlord incentive before you sign, not after. On a five year commercial lease in a soft market, incentives of 20% to 35% of gross rent are common, and a chunk of that can be taken as a fitout contribution paid directly to your builder. Get the contribution written into the agreement for lease with clear payment milestones, because an incentive promised verbally by a leasing agent is worth nothing once the landlord's solicitor drafts the deal.
- Ask specifically for a tenancy that already carries a category 1 fitout. Category 1 means the base building already has ceilings, lighting, air conditioning distribution and floor coverings, so you are only adding partitions, joinery and desking. Taking a cold shell and doing a full category 2 fitout can add $400 to $700 per square metre before you have hung a single door.
- Reuse rather than replace wherever the existing fitout is structurally sound. Retaining ceiling grid, existing glazed partitions and the sprinkler layout can cut 20% to 30% off a mid range job, and repainting plus recarpeting a serviceable office typically lands at $250 to $450 per square metre against $1,500 plus for a fresh build. The savings are largest when you keep the existing partition lines and avoid moving services.
- Tender the job to three builders on an identical drawing set and finishes schedule. Fitout quotes are notoriously hard to compare because each builder scopes differently, and the cheapest headline number is frequently the one with the most provisional sums. Ask each to price the same schedule and to list their provisional and prime cost allowances separately so you can see where the real risk sits.
or from $1,099/week over 5 years , indicative finance
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## What an office fitout costs per square metre in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding office fitout costs in Australia
What an office fitout costs per square metre in 2026
Australian office fitouts are priced per square metre of net lettable area, and the 2026 bands are reasonably stable across the eastern capitals. A basic fitout, meaning new paint, carpet tiles, open plan desking and minimal partitioning, runs roughly $800 to $1,500 per square metre. A mid range fitout with a mix of open plan and enclosed offices, a proper meeting room, a kitchenette and decent joinery sits around $1,500 to $2,500 per square metre. Premium or head office standard work with stone benchtops, feature ceilings, glazed partitioning, integrated AV and bespoke joinery starts at $2,500 and comfortably passes $4,000 per square metre. On a 150 square metre tenancy that is the difference between a $150,000 project and a $500,000 one.
Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD typically sit 10% to 20% above Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth for the same specification, driven by trade rates and the cost of after hours access in secure buildings.
Cold shell versus an existing fitout
The single biggest swing factor is what you are starting with. A cold shell is bare concrete with base building services stubbed to the tenancy boundary. You are funding ceilings, lighting, air conditioning distribution, floor coverings, sprinkler drops and exit signage before you get to anything a staff member will ever notice, and that base layer alone commonly adds $400 to $700 per square metre. An existing fitout you can refresh is far cheaper, because the expensive invisible infrastructure is already there. A third scenario, an existing fitout that has to be demolished first, sits between the two: strip out and disposal on a mid size tenancy typically runs $60 to $120 per square metre plus waste levies.
Make good obligations in the lease
Make good is the clause that catches most tenants out. Most Australian commercial leases require you to return the premises to a defined condition at expiry, and that condition is often base building, meaning the fitout you just paid for has to be ripped out at your cost. Budget $80 to $150 per square metre for a full make good, and understand that the obligation exists from day one even though the bill lands five years later. Where you can, negotiate the make good down to a lesser standard such as leaving the fitout in place in clean condition, or cap it at a fixed dollar figure written into the lease. A negotiated cap is one of the most valuable concessions in a commercial lease and it costs nothing to ask for.
Landlord contributions and incentives
Landlords rarely reduce headline rent because it damages the building valuation, but they routinely fund fitouts. Incentives of 20% to 35% of gross rent over the term are common in the current market, and on a $120,000 per year lease over five years that can mean $150,000 or more available as a fitout contribution, rent free period or a combination. Contributions are usually paid in stages against builder invoices and require evidence of practical completion, so your cash flow still has to carry the project in the interim. Have the fitout contribution, its payment triggers and the ownership of the fitout at expiry documented in the agreement for lease.
Approvals, consultants and the costs beside the build
The builder contract is not the whole project. Expect a designer or workplace architect at 5% to 12% of construction value, a certifier for the building approval, and mechanical, fire and hydraulic engineers where you touch services. Any change to fire compartmentation, sprinkler layout, exit paths or air conditioning triggers building approval, and in some councils a development application if you are changing the use of the tenancy. Approval timeframes of four to ten weeks are normal and a DA can stretch that considerably. Building management will also require insurances, inductions, an approved contractor list and often after hours works, all of which sit in the builder's price.
Realistic lead times
For a 150 to 300 square metre tenancy, allow four to eight weeks for design and documentation, two to four weeks for tendering, four to eight weeks for approvals depending on the council and the building, and six to twelve weeks on site. That is a three to six month runway from first sketch to move in, and it stretches for premium joinery, imported stone or long lead HVAC plant. If your current lease expires on a fixed date, work backwards from it and start the process at least six months out. Tenants who compress the program end up paying overtime rates and accepting whatever finishes are in stock, both of which cost more than planning early.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an office fitout cost per square metre in Australia?
In 2026 a basic fitout runs about $800 to $1,500 per square metre, mid range with partitioned offices and joinery about $1,500 to $2,500, and premium work $2,500 to $4,000 or more. A typical 150 square metre mid range office therefore lands around $225,000 to $375,000 before consultants.
What is the difference between a category 1 and category 2 fitout?
Category 1 is the base building layer: ceilings, lighting, air conditioning distribution, floor coverings and fire services, usually delivered by the landlord and worth roughly $400 to $700 per square metre. Category 2 is your tenant works on top, meaning partitions, joinery, meeting rooms and cabling. Taking a cold shell means funding both.
What is make good and how much should I budget?
Make good is the lease obligation to return the premises to an agreed condition at expiry, commonly base building. Budget $80 to $150 per square metre for a full make good on an office tenancy. Try to negotiate a fixed dollar cap or a reduced standard into the lease, because the obligation applies from day one.
Will the landlord pay for my fitout?
Often partly. Incentives of 20% to 35% of gross rent over the term are common, and a portion can be taken as a fitout contribution paid against builder invoices. On a $120,000 per year lease over five years that can exceed $150,000. It must be documented in the agreement for lease with clear payment milestones.
Do I need council approval for an office fitout?
Any work affecting fire compartmentation, sprinklers, exit paths or air conditioning needs a building approval and a certifier, typically $2,500 to $8,000 in fees and four to ten weeks. A development application is only usually required if you are changing the use of the tenancy, and that can add two to four months.
How long does an office fitout take?
For 150 to 300 square metres, allow four to eight weeks design, two to four weeks tender, four to eight weeks approvals and six to twelve weeks on site, so three to six months end to end. Premium joinery, imported stone and long lead HVAC plant push it further.
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