Budget guide · 2026

What it actually costs.

Honest £/sqft bands by sector, drawn from live tenders we've priced in the last 12 months. Directional planning — every fixed price follows a site visit and intrusive survey.

00Instant budget estimator
5,000 sqft
50030,000
Specification
Estimated build cost
£550k£800k

Directional only. Excludes VAT, professional fees, FF&E and decant. A site visit + intrusive survey turns this into a fixed price within seven days.

  • Sector
    Office fit-out
  • Spec
    Mid spec
Lock this in with a site visit
01Bands by sector
SectorLight touchMid specHigh spec
Office fit-out (Cat A → Cat B)
Driver: M&E reuse, ceiling type, AV spec.
£75–110 / sqft£110–160 / sqft£160–260 / sqft
HMO conversion (per bed)
Driver: structural alterations, en-suites, fire strategy.
£14k–22k / bed£22k–34k / bed£34k–55k / bed
Residential conversion / refurb
Driver: kitchen/bathroom spec, structural openings.
£140–220 / sqft£220–340 / sqft£340–520 / sqft
Healthcare / clinical fit-out
Driver: HTM compliance, medical gas, IPC zoning.
£180–260 / sqft£260–380 / sqft£380–600 / sqft
DFG adaptations (per project)
Driver: level access, wet-room, through-floor lift.
£8k–22k£22k–45k£45k–90k
02What actually moves the number
  • 01
    Survey & enabling works

    Asbestos R&D, structural opening-up, MEP intrusive — done before fixed price.

  • 02
    Programme premium

    Out-of-hours, phased decant, weekend possessions add 6–18%.

  • 03
    Specification creep

    Late finish changes are the single biggest cost overrun on every job.

  • 04
    Statutory consents

    Building Control, party wall, licensing windows — sequenced or you pay twice.

  • 05
    Sub-contractor risk

    Sole-trader pricing wins tenders, loses programmes. We carry tier-1 trades.

  • 06
    Contingency

    10–15% honest contingency beats 0% theatre every time.

Next step

Get a real number on your project.

Free site visit, honest budget bracket inside seven days, fixed price after survey.

Accredited & insured
  • CHASCHASHealth & safety accredited
  • C·LineGoldConstructionlineGold member
  • TMTrustMarkGovernment endorsed
  • CCSConsiderate ConstructorsRegistered scheme
  • £10mPublic Liability£10m cover
  • CDM2015CDM 2015Fully compliant