So you’ve bought an office. Congratulations — that’s a significant milestone, whether you’re an investor, a landlord, or a business moving into your own space for the first time.

Now comes the bit nobody really prepared you for: what happens next?

You’ve got an empty (or tired, or unsuitable) building that needs to become a working office space. You know it needs refurbishment. But you don’t know who you’re supposed to call, what order things happen in, how much the cost of office refurbishment is, or how long it’ll take.

This guide answers all of that.

We’ve written it because we get asked these questions every week — by people who’ve just exchanged on a building and are staring at it, wondering where to start. We’re going to walk you through the whole project lifecycle: from the first decision you need to make, through the right people to contact, the steps involved, the costs, the timelines, and the compliance things you can’t skip.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what to do next.

First, Decide What Kind of Project You Actually Have

Before you call anyone, it helps to understand what you’re actually asking for. Most people use the words “office renovation,” “commercial refurbishment,” and “office fit-out” interchangeably — but in the industry, they mean different things, and the difference matters because it affects who you call, how much it costs, and how long it takes.

There are three broad categories:

Light Refurbishment

You’re keeping the existing office layout, services, and structure. You want it looking better — new paint, new flooring, refreshed lighting, maybe some new partitioning. The bones of the office stay as they are.

Typical duration: 4-8 weeks on site

Typical cost: £40-£80 per square foot

Full Refurbishment

You’re replacing some or all of the building’s services — heating, electrics, plumbing, air conditioning — alongside cosmetic and layout changes. You might be moving walls, upgrading lighting throughout, replacing the ceiling, or putting in a new kitchen. This is by far the most common scope when someone buys an older office.

Typical duration: 8-16 weeks on site. Typical cost: £80-£150 per square foot

Fit-Out

You’re taking an empty shell — or stripping the existing one back to its bones — and building out a new interior from scratch. Office fit-out projects come in two flavours:

Cat A fit-out — the landlord’s version. Basic finishes, raised floors, suspended ceilings, lighting, and air conditioning. Ready for a tenant to move in and add their own finish.
Cat B fit-out — the occupier’s version. Everything Cat A includes, plus partitioning, branded finishes, furniture, kitchens, breakout spaces, and IT cabling. The complete usable space.

Typical duration: 12-24 weeks on site. Typical cost: £60-£100 per sq ft (Cat A), £100-£200+ per sq ft (Cat B)

A Word on Shell and Core, Structural Modifications, and Mezzanine Floors

You’ll come across a few other terms that sit alongside these three categories:

Shell and core — the absolute base building delivered by a developer: external walls, structure, core services (lifts, stairs, main utilities) and not much else. If you’ve bought a shell-and-core building, you’re almost certainly looking at a full Cat A fit-out before tenants can occupy.
Structural modifications — knocking through walls, removing columns, opening up floor plates, and adding new openings. These trigger structural engineer involvement, Building Regulations approval, and often planning permission. They add 4-8 weeks to most programmes.
Mezzanine floors — adding a partial extra floor inside a high-ceilinged office to create more usable space. Increasingly popular for offices in former industrial buildings or warehouses. Requires structural calculations, fire safety compliance, and Building Regulations approval — but can dramatically increase the value of a property by adding net lettable area.

If you’re not sure which of these applies to you, don’t worry. A good contractor will help you scope it on a first visit. But having a rough idea in mind helps you have a better first conversation.

Before You Call Anyone — Four Things to Figure Out First

The single biggest mistake we see at this stage is people picking up the phone with no idea what they actually want. They end up getting vague proposals back or wildly different prices from different contractors that they can’t compare.

Spend 30 minutes thinking through these four things before you make your first call — they’ll form the foundation of your project scope and project objectives:

1. Your Budget Range

Even a rough range helps. “Somewhere between £150,000 and £250,000” is enormously more useful than “I’m not sure.” A contractor needs to know whether you’re scoping a paint-and-carpet refresh or a full strip-and-replace before they can give you anything useful.

Use the per-square-foot figures above as a starting point. Multiply by your floor area, and you’ve got an indicative budget range.

2. Your Project Timeline

When do you need to be in? Or, if it’s a let or sale, when do you need it ready to market?

Be realistic. Most people underestimate how long the design and procurement phase takes — typically 4-8 weeks before anyone picks up a tool. Add that to the on-site duration, and you’ve got your real project timeline.

3. Your Use Case

Are you:

Moving your own business in? You’ll want the office environment tailored to how your team works.
Letting it to a tenant? Cat A finish is usually what you want — generic enough to suit any incoming business.
Selling it on? Talk to the contractor about which improvements actually add resale value versus which are personal preference.

The answer affects every decision downstream — especially the design choices we’ll cover in the next section.

4. Compliance Triggers

Some refurbishments trigger requirements you may not be aware of. Quick checklist:

Are you changing the use of the building? (e.g. shop to office)
Is it a listed building?
Are you doing external works (signage, extensions, façade changes)?
Was the building built before 2000? (If yes, an asbestos survey is legally required before any refurbishment)
Are you increasing occupancy significantly?
Are you installing new air conditioning?
Are you planning structural modifications (knocking through walls, mezzanine additions)?
What’s the building’s EPC rating, and are you obliged to improve it? (More on this below.)

Any “yes” here means there’ll be approvals or surveys to factor into your timeline. We’ll cover the details later in this guide.

Design and Space Planning: What Comes Before the Build

Before any construction activities can begin, your office goes through a design development phase. This is where the empty space on the floor plan becomes a working office layout — and it’s where many of the decisions that affect employee satisfaction, productivity, and the eventual cost of refurbishment are actually made.

Space Assessment

Your contractor (or a designer they bring in) will conduct a space assessment of the building. This looks at:

The existing structure and its constraints (load-bearing walls, columns, ceiling heights, window positions)
Natural light, ventilation, and existing service routes
Floor-to-ceiling heights and whether mezzanine floors are viable
Acoustic challenges, especially in open-plan areas
How the existing reception area, circulation, and utility cores can be retained or reconfigured

This assessment shapes everything that follows. A good space assessment tells you what’s possible and what’s not — saving you from designing a layout that can’t actually be built.

Space Planning

Space planning is the discipline of fitting the right amount of the right kinds of space into the building you’ve got. For a typical modern office, you’ll be balancing:

Desk-based working areas — open-plan or cellular, depending on the work
Collaborative spaces — meeting rooms, project rooms, informal breakout areas
Quiet spaces — phone booths, focus rooms, library-style zones
The reception area — first impression for clients, often where the brand expression starts
Welfare areas — kitchens, breakout, WCs
Storage and services — server rooms, comms cabinets, plant rooms, stationery

The right ratio depends on your business. A law firm’s space planning looks nothing like a software company’s. A growing business that needs flexibility looks different again. Your contractor’s designer should ask about how your team actually works before drawing a single line.

Office Design and Interior Design

This is where the office environment takes shape — colour palettes, materials, finishes, lighting design, furniture, branded elements, biophilic design (plants, natural materials), acoustic treatments, and wayfinding.

For most working offices, the design-and-build contractor’s in-house designers can handle this. For client-facing offices where image and brand expression matter — law firms, design agencies, hospitality-driven workplaces — you may want a dedicated interior design specialist.

A well-designed office environment isn’t a luxury. Research consistently shows that thoughtful office design improves employee satisfaction, reduces absenteeism, and supports retention. Cheap design is usually expensive in the long run.

Design Development

Once the initial concept is agreed upon, design development is the process of working it up into detailed drawings and specifications that can actually be built. This produces:

Detailed architectural drawings
Mechanical and electrical (M&E) services layouts
Finishes schedules and specifications
Furniture and loose-fitting schedules
A detailed scope of work document that every contractor on the project will work from

The design development phase typically takes 2-6 weeks for a full refurbishment, longer for a complex fit-out. Rushing it is a false economy — every hour spent here saves a day on site.

Who Do You Actually Call? (And In What Order?)

This is the bit most buyers get wrong. They Google “office refurbishment” and call the first design-and-build firm they find. Or worse — they try to coordinate the whole thing themselves by hiring an architect, a contractor, an M&E firm, and an interior designer separately, then play project manager between them.

For 80% of office refurbishments, the right first call is a single design-and-build contractor who handles everything. They scope the work, design it, deliver it, and bring in any specialists they need as subcontractors. You have one point of contact, one contract, and one team accountable for the whole job.

Here’s the full cast of professionals you might need, and when each one actually matters:

Design-and-Build Contractor (Your First Call)

A multi-discipline contractor who handles the whole design and build project — design, mechanical and electrical installations, refurbishment, fit-out, and aftercare. They give you a single point of contact and a single point of accountability.

When you need them: Almost always. This is your default first call.

Architect

A qualified professional (RIBA-registered) who designs spaces and prepares the technical drawings needed for planning permission and Building Regulations approval.

When you need them: If you’re making structural modifications, applying for planning permission, working on a listed building, or doing a complex space-planning exercise.

When you don’t: For most internal office refurbishments — no walls being knocked through, no planning needed — your design-and-build contractor has in-house designers or works with architects on a sub-contract basis. You don’t need to hire one separately.

Interior Designer

Focused on the look, feel, and brand expression of the space — finishes, materials, furniture, lighting design, brand integration.

When you need them: For client-facing spaces where image matters (law firms, design agencies, hospitality-driven offices), or where you want a distinctive brand experience.

When you don’t: For functional, working office space where competent, professional finishes are enough.

Building Surveyor

Assesses the condition of a building, identifies defects, and produces reports for due diligence, dilapidations, or a schedule of works.

When you need them: If you skipped a proper condition survey at purchase, or if there are dilapidations claims to resolve (common when buying tenanted property).

Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Contractor

A specialist who designs, installs, and certifies the building’s services — electrics, lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, plumbing, and fire systems.

When you need them: Always, but usually as a sub-contractor under your design-and-build contractor. Sometimes hired directly for service-only projects.

Worth knowing: mechanical and electrical installations typically account for 30-40% of a full refurbishment budget. If a contractor’s quote seems low and doesn’t itemise M&E clearly, that’s usually where corners are being cut.

Project Manager

An independent professional who oversees the project management on your behalf — managing the contractor, the programme, the budget, and the risks.

When you need them: On large or complex projects (£500,000+), or when you have no time or expertise to oversee it yourself.

When you don’t: On most office refurbishments under £500,000, your design-and-build contractor’s project manager is enough — assuming you trust them.

The Step-by-Step Process: What Actually Happens

Once you’ve made the right first call, here’s what the process actually looks like. We’ve written this as a walkthrough of how a typical office refurbishment unfolds from first phone call to final handover.

Step 1: Initial Site Visit and Brief

Your contractor will visit the building with you, walk through the space, and ask questions to understand your goals, budget, timeline, and constraints.

What to prepare: Floor plans if you have them, a rough budget range, your target occupancy date, and a sense of how the space needs to work.

What to expect: A conversation, not a sales pitch. Any contractor worth working with will spend most of the visit listening and measuring, not talking.

Duration: 1-2 hours on site, plus follow-up.

Step 2: Outline Proposal and Budget Estimate

Within 1-2 weeks of the site visit, you should receive an outline proposal. It should include:

A summary of the scope of work as the contractor understands it
An indicative cost range (not a final price)
An indicative programme (timescales)
A list of assumptions and exclusions
The next steps if you want to proceed

Red flag: Any contractor who gives you a firm, fixed price after a single visit without proper investigation isn’t being honest. Either they’re guessing, or they’ve baked an enormous contingency into the price.

Step 3: Detailed Design and Scope

If you decide to proceed, the contractor moves into the design development phase. This produces:

Detailed drawings and the proposed office layout
M&E (services) designs — where power points go, what lighting is installed, where the heating and HVAC systems run
Material and finish specifications
A detailed scope of work document

Duration: 2-6 weeks, depending on complexity.

Your involvement: Sign-off on drawings, finishes, and any value-engineering decisions (where you can save money by adjusting specifications).

Step 4: Costed Proposal and Contract

With detailed designs agreed, you’ll receive a firm, costed proposal — often called a Bill of Quantities or detailed quote. This is the price you sign up to.

Alongside it, you’ll get a contract. The two most common in the UK are:

JCT contracts (Joint Contracts Tribunal) — the standard for most commercial construction work. Various versions exist for different project sizes and types.
NEC4 contracts — more collaborative in style, common on larger or public-sector projects.

Don’t sign without reading. If contracts aren’t your area, consider having a construction solicitor review it — typical cost £500-£1,500, well worth it on any refurbishment over £100,000.

Step 5: Programme and Start Date

The contractor will give you a programme — a detailed schedule showing each phase of work and when it starts and finishes. This is your reference point throughout the project.

Typical lead time between signing the contract and work starting: 2-6 weeks. This allows for ordering materials with long lead times, mobilising the team, and any final approvals.

Step 6: Strip-Out and Enabling Works

If your refurbishment involves removing existing finishes, partitions, ceilings, or services, this phase comes first. Temporary site services (power, lighting, welfare facilities for the workforce, waste management) are installed, and the existing building is stripped back to whatever the new design starts from.

Duration: 1-3 weeks, depending on scope.

Step 7: Main Works — Construction and Installation

This is the bulk of the project. Construction and installation run in a specific sequence — you can’t put a finished floor down before the wiring is in the walls. The typical order is:

Structural works — any structural modifications, mezzanine installations, openings cut, columns moved
First-fix services — mechanical and electrical installations routed through walls, ceilings, and floor voids before they’re closed up. HVAC ductwork, water and waste pipes, electrical cabling, data cabling, fire protection systems
Drywall systems and partitioning — internal walls built, plasterboarded, and finished
Ceilings — suspended ceilings, exposed services treatments, or feature ceiling installations
Second-fix services — light fittings, sockets, switches, sanitaryware, radiators or HVAC grilles all installed and connected
Finishes — flooring, paint, wall coverings, tiling
Joinery and furniture — built-in joinery, reception desk, kitchen units, loose furniture

Duration: This is where most of your timeline lives — 4-16 weeks depending on scope.

Your involvement: Site meetings (usually weekly), decisions on any unforeseen issues, sign-off on finishes as they’re installed.

What Actually Gets Installed: Services and Systems

Most of the cost — and most of the long-term performance — of an office refurbishment sits in the services and systems you can’t see once the job’s done. Worth understanding what they are.

HVAC Systems

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. Modern office HVAC systems do three jobs: keep the space at a comfortable temperature, supply fresh air, and remove stale air. In smaller offices, you’ll typically see split-system air conditioning with mechanical ventilation. In larger offices, you’re more likely to find centralised systems with VRV/VRF (variable refrigerant volume/flow) air conditioning and dedicated air handling units.

HVAC is one of the most significant expenses in any full refurbishment — typically 15-25% of total cost. It’s also where energy-efficient systems pay off most over time.

Energy-Efficient Lighting

Modern office lighting is almost universally LED. Compared to the fluorescent strips and halogen downlights they replaced, LED energy-efficient lighting uses 60-80% less energy and lasts 25,000-50,000 hours. The case for upgrading existing lighting during refurbishment is straightforward — the energy savings typically pay back the cost within 3-5 years.

Modern lighting requirements for offices are governed by CIBSE LG7 (the Lighting Guide for Offices) and Building Regulations Approved Document L. They cover lux levels at the working plane, glare control, colour rendering, and energy efficiency.

Smart Lighting Systems

Smart lighting systems take energy-efficient lighting a step further. Sensors automatically dim or switch off lighting when areas aren’t occupied or when there’s enough daylight. Scheduling reduces unnecessary lighting outside working hours. Some systems integrate with the HVAC and blinds to optimise the whole building’s energy use.

The upfront cost is higher — typically 30-50% more than basic LED — but the energy savings, plus the contribution to the building’s EPC rating, often justify it on commercial properties.

Fire Protection Systems

Fire protection systems are non-negotiable in office refurbishment. They cover:

Fire detection — smoke and heat detectors, manual call points, sounders and beacons, connected to a fire alarm panel
Fire suppression — sprinklers, gas suppression in server rooms, dry risers in taller buildings
Passive fire protection — fire-rated partitions, fire doors, intumescent seals, fire-stopping around service penetrations
Means of escape — illuminated exit signs, emergency lighting, clear escape routes

The required specification depends on the building, its size, its layout, and its use. Fire ratings for walls, doors, and partitions are specified in minutes of fire resistance (30, 60, 90, 120) and must match the building’s fire strategy. A fire engineer or your contractor’s specialist will design this to comply with Building Regulations Approved Document B.

Office Acoustics

Acoustics is the thing that ruins more open-plan offices than any other single design choice. Hard floors, exposed ceilings, and glass partitions reflect sound; without proper treatment, the office becomes a noisy, distracting place to work, which directly damages employee satisfaction and productivity.

Good office acoustics design involves:

Sound-absorbing ceiling tiles or acoustic baffles
Acoustic wall panels in noisy areas
Phone booths and pods for confidential conversations
Sound masking systems in large open-plan areas
Properly specified glazing and partitioning for meeting rooms

This is one of the things buyers most often skip during value engineering and most regret afterwards.

Step 8: Testing and Commissioning

Once the main construction and installation are complete, every system in the building goes through testing and commissioning. This means:

Electrical installations tested to BS 7671 and certificated
HVAC systems are balanced, performance-tested, and commissioned
Fire alarm and detection systems tested and certified
Water systems flushed, sampled, and certificated (including Legionella controls)
Smart systems (lighting, building management) programmed and verified

This is also when snagging happens — a detailed walk-through to identify any small defects or unfinished items. Scuffs in paintwork, a door that doesn’t quite close, a light that flickers, grout that needs touching up. Small stuff, but you want it done before handover.

Duration: 1-2 weeks.

Step 9: Final Handover and Aftercare

Final handover is the formal completion of the project. The contractor hands over the building with:

All certificates (electrical installation certificates, gas safety, F-Gas, asbestos register update, building regs sign-off, fire alarm commissioning)
The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) manual — a folder (digital and/or physical) containing manuals, warranties, and maintenance schedules for everything installed
Keys, access codes, alarm codes
A defects liability period (usually 12 months) during which the contractor returns to fix any latent defects at no charge

What good looks like: A proper, professional handover meeting where the contractor walks you through everything that’s been done and how to look after it. Not a phone call saying “we’re finished, here are the keys.”

Compliance and Approvals: What You Can’t Skip

This is the section nobody talks about until it bites them. Refurbishing an office isn’t just a matter of picking finishes — there are legal duties, statutory approvals, and regulatory requirements that apply whether you know about them or not.

Building Regulations

England’s Building Regulations apply to most construction work, including refurbishments that change the structure, services, or fire safety arrangements of a building. Your contractor will handle the approvals, but you (as the building owner) are legally responsible for ensuring the work complies.

When they apply: Almost always for full refurbishments. Sometimes, for light refurbishments, depending on what’s being changed.

Approval routes: Either through your local authority’s Building Control, or through an Approved Inspector (private sector equivalent).

CDM 2015 (Construction Design and Management Regulations)

This is the big one that most buyers don’t realise applies to them.

Under CDM 2015, if you’re commissioning construction work — which a refurbishment is — you become the “Client” under the regulations and have specific legal duties. These include:

Making suitable arrangements for managing the project
Ensuring sufficient time and resources are allocated
Appointing a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor (in writing) on any project where more than one contractor will be involved
Providing pre-construction information to those appointed
Ensuring welfare facilities are in place
Ensuring a Construction Phase Plan is prepared

Why it matters: HSE enforces CDM 2015. Breaches can result in prosecution. Your contractor will help you discharge these duties, but they remain your legal duties as the Client.

Planning Permission

For internal refurbishment of an office that remains an office, planning permission is usually not required.

You will likely need planning permission for:

Changes of use (office to retail, office to residential, etc.)
External works (signage, extensions, replacement windows on listed buildings)
Listed building consent for any changes to listed properties

When in doubt: Speak to your local planning authority’s pre-application service. Or ask your contractor — they’ll know.

Fire Safety (Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005)

The Fire Safety Order requires the “Responsible Person” — usually the building owner or occupier — to carry out a fire risk assessment and put suitable fire safety measures in place.

After any refurbishment, you must update the fire risk assessment to reflect the new layout, escape routes, fire detection, and fire suppression systems.

Accessibility (Equality Act 2010)

Building owners and occupiers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to remove barriers for disabled people. Refurbishment is often the right moment to address accessibility — wider doorways, accessible WCs, level thresholds, induction loops at reception desks.

It’s not a tick-box exercise. Reasonable adjustments depend on the size of the building, its use, and what’s practical. But ignoring accessibility during a refurbishment is a missed opportunity and a potential legal risk.

Asbestos

If your building was constructed or refurbished before the year 2000, a refurbishment and demolition (R&D) asbestos survey is legally required before any refurbishment work begins. This is non-negotiable under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Your contractor will usually commission this on your behalf, but the duty sits with the building owner.

Electrical Certification (EICR)

Periodic Electrical Installation Condition Reports are required to certify the safety of electrical installations. After a refurbishment that involves electrical work, your contractor must issue an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) certifying the new work.

F-Gas Regulations

If you’re installing, replacing, or significantly altering air conditioning systems, F-Gas regulations apply. Only F-Gas certified engineers can carry out the work.

EPC Ratings and MEES

The building’s EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating is an increasingly important consideration in commercial refurbishment. Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), commercial properties currently need a minimum EPC rating of E to be let, with tightening requirements proposed for future years.

If you’ve bought an older office, check its current EPC rating before scoping the refurbishment. Bringing the rating up — through better insulation, energy-efficient lighting, modern HVAC systems, smart controls, and energy-efficient systems generally — is usually cheaper to do during a refurbishment than as a separate exercise later.

EPC regulations have changed multiple times in recent years and are subject to ongoing government review. Check the current requirements with a qualified energy assessor or your contractor before making decisions based on rating thresholds.

How Long Does It Actually Take?

Realistic end-to-end project timeline from first call to moving in:

Light refurbishment: 9–16 weeks

Pre-construction: 4–6 weeks
On-site works: 4–8 weeks
Snagging: 1–2 weeks

Full refurbishment: 16–27 weeks

Pre-construction: 6–8 weeks
On-site works: 8–16 weeks
Snagging: 2–3 weeks

Cat A fit-out: 16–27 weeks

Pre-construction: 6–10 weeks
On-site works: 8–14 weeks
Snagging: 2–3 weeks

Cat B fit-out: 22–40 weeks

Pre-construction: 8–12 weeks
On-site works: 12–24 weeks
Snagging: 2–4 weeks

Add 10-15% contingency on any project. Things go wrong, designs evolve, and lead times slip on specialist items. Building contingency into your expectations from day one means you won’t be disappointed when reality catches up.

How Much Does It Actually Cost?

We believe in being upfront about pricing. Here’s the breakdown of what you can expect to pay for office refurbishment in the UK at current rates:

Construction costs (per square foot of floor area)

Light refurbishment: £40-£80 per sq ft
Full refurbishment: £80-£150 per sq ft
Cat A fit-out: £60-£100 per sq ft
Cat B fit-out: £100-£200+ per sq ft

Additional costs to budget for

Professional fees (design, project management): 3-7% of build cost
Architect fees (if needed): 5-12% of build cost
Planning and Building Regulations fees: £500-£5,000 depending on project
Surveys (asbestos, condition, M&E): £1,000-£5,000+
Furniture and IT: Highly variable, typically £1,000-£3,000 per person
Contingency: 10-15% on top of all of the above
VAT at the prevailing rate, on everything

A worked example

A 5,000 sq ft office refurbishment at full-refurbishment specification:

Construction: £100/sq ft × 5,000 = £500,000
Professional fees @ 5%: £25,000
Surveys and approvals: £4,000
Contingency @ 12%: £63,500
Subtotal: £592,500
VAT @ 20%: £118,500
Total: £711,000

These are realistic figures. Anyone quoting dramatically less is either cutting corners on specification or hasn’t included things they’ll add later as variations.

How to Choose the Right Contractor

You’re about to spend a significant amount of money with a contractor you may never have worked with before. Here’s how to make a confident choice.

Look for these accreditations

These are the credentials reputable UK contractors hold. Lack of them isn’t always a deal-breaker, but their presence tells you the contractor has been independently assessed.

NICEIC — electrical work, certified to current regulations
CHAS — health and safety competence
Constructionline — pre-qualification standard used by main contractors and public sector
SMAS Worksafe — Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) compliant
SafeContractor (Alcumus) — third-party health and safety verification
CSCS — Construction Skills Certification Scheme, for site operatives

Verify their insurance

Ask to see current certificates for:

Public liability — minimum £5 million, ideally £10 million
Employer’s liability — minimum £10 million (legally required)
Professional indemnity — for any design responsibility, minimum £1 million

Ask for references and visit past projects

A reputable contractor will be happy to give you contact details for recent clients on similar projects. Pick up the phone. Ask the previous clients:

Did the project finish on time and on budget?
How were issues handled when they came up?
Would you use them again?
How was communication throughout?

Better still, ask if you can visit a completed project to see the quality of work in person.

Red flags to watch for

Pricing the job over the phone, without a site visit
Vague proposals with no detailed scope of work or specification
No written contract on offer
Requests for large up-front payments (more than 10-15% of contract value before work starts)
No registered office or proper business credentials
Reluctance to provide references or insurance documentation
Significantly lower price than other quotes (usually means corners being cut)

Questions to ask on your first call

What experience do you have with projects of this size and type?
Who is the project manager, and how often will I see them?
What’s your typical timeline from contract signing to start on-site?
What happens if there are variations to the original scope?
What’s included in your aftercare and defects liability period?
Can you provide three references from comparable projects?

Where ETS Fits In

We deliver office refurbishment, fit-out, mechanical and electrical, and building maintenance — under one roof, from one Bristol-based team that’s been doing this since 1979.

That matters because office refurbishment is rarely a single discipline. You need someone who can strip out the old space, reconfigure the electrics, install new HVAC systems and energy-efficient lighting, replace the plumbing where it needs replacing, deal with structural modifications and drywall systems, install mezzanine floors where the building allows, handle fire protection systems and acoustic treatments, take care of all the testing and commissioning, and certify it all at the end. Splitting that work across multiple contractors creates gaps in communication and accountability. We close those gaps by handling it ourselves.

Our team holds the accreditations you’d expect — NICEIC, CHAS, Constructionline, SMAS Worksafe, Alcumus SafeContractor, CSCS. We work across the South West, South Wales, the Midlands, Thames Valley, and the south coast — and across the UK for multi-site rollouts.

If you’ve just bought an office and want to talk through what comes next, we’re happy to spend 20 minutes on the phone or visit your building to give you a proper steer — no obligation, no pressure.

Call us on 0117 9414 666, or drop us a line and we’ll get back to you the same working day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an architect to refurbish my office?

For most internal office refurbishments — no walls being knocked through, no planning permission needed — you don’t need a separate architect. Your design-and-build contractor will have in-house designers or work with architects on a sub-contract basis. You only need to hire an architect directly if you’re making structural modifications, applying for planning permission, or working on a listed building.

How much does it cost to refurbish a small office in the UK?

For a small office (under 2,000 sq ft) in the UK, expect to pay £40-£80 per sq ft for a light refurbishment and £80-£150 per sq ft for a full refurbishment. A 1,500 sq ft office would typically cost £60,000-£120,000 for light work or £120,000-£225,000 for full work. Add 20-25% on top for professional fees, contingency, and VAT.

Do I need planning permission to refurbish my office?

For internal refurbishment of an office that remains an office, planning permission is usually not required. You will need it if you’re changing the building’s use, doing external works, altering signage, or working on a listed building. When in doubt, check with your local planning authority’s pre-application service.

Can I keep working in my office during a refurbishment?

Sometimes, yes — but it depends on the scope of work. Light refurbishments can often be phased so that part of the office stays in use. Full refurbishments and fit-outs almost always require the space to be empty. Your contractor will help you scope a phasing plan if continued occupation matters, but be aware that phasing extends the project timeline and increases cost.

What’s the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out?

Cat A fit-out is the landlord’s version — basic finishes, raised floors, suspended ceilings, lighting, and air conditioning. It’s a blank canvas ready for a tenant. Cat B fit-out is the occupier’s version — everything Cat A includes plus partitioning, branded finishes, furniture, kitchens, collaborative spaces, and IT cabling. The complete usable office space tailored to a specific business.

What is shell and core, and how does it differ from fit-out?

Shell and core is the absolute base building delivered by a developer — external walls, structure, core services (lifts, stairs, main utilities), and not much else. The building isn’t usable as an office in this state. To make it occupiable, you need a Cat A fit-out (and usually a Cat B fit-out on top of that for an end-occupier). Buying a shell-and-core building means budgeting for substantially more refurbishment than buying an already-fitted space.

What EPC rating does my office need after refurbishment?

The building’s EPC rating is governed by the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), which currently require commercial properties to meet a minimum EPC rating of E to be let. The government has proposed tightening requirements in future years, though specific deadlines have changed multiple times. The rules are under ongoing review, so check the current position with a qualified energy assessor before making decisions. Upgrading energy-efficient systems — better insulation, energy-efficient lighting, modern HVAC systems, smart lighting systems — during refurbishment is usually cheaper than retrofitting later.

How do you design an office space that supports employee satisfaction?

The best office design balances five things: enough open-plan space for collaboration, enough quiet space for focused work, dedicated collaborative spaces (meeting rooms, project rooms, breakout areas), a welcoming reception area, and good office acoustics throughout. Natural light, biophilic elements (plants, natural materials), comfortable temperatures from properly designed HVAC systems, and the right energy-efficient lighting all contribute. Research consistently shows that thoughtful office design improves employee satisfaction, reduces absenteeism, and supports retention.

What’s involved in space planning for an office refurbishment?

Space planning starts with a space assessment of the existing building — load-bearing walls, ceiling heights, natural light, service routes, and existing constraints. Then your designer maps out the right ratio of desk space, meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, quiet zones, reception area, welfare areas, and storage based on how your team actually works. The output is a detailed office layout that becomes the foundation of the design development phase. Good space planning is the difference between an office that just about works and one that genuinely supports productivity.

Can mezzanine floors be added during an office refurbishment?

Yes — in buildings with high enough ceilings, mezzanine floors can dramatically increase usable office space without extending the building footprint. They’re particularly common in offices converted from former industrial buildings or warehouses. A mezzanine installation requires structural calculations, Building Regulations approval, and fire safety compliance (escape routes, fire ratings for the structure). The cost varies significantly by size, structure, and finish — typically £30-£80 per square foot of new mezzanine area for the structural element alone, plus all the standard fit-out costs on top.

Do I need to commission a survey before refurbishing?

If the building was constructed before 2000, a refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey is legally required before any refurbishment work begins. Beyond that, a condition survey is wise if you skipped one at purchase — it can identify defects, dilapidations, or hidden issues that affect the scope of work and cost of the refurbishment.

What is CDM 2015, and does it apply to my refurbishment?

CDM 2015 is the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015. It applies to almost all construction work, including office refurbishments. As the person commissioning the work, you become the “Client” under the regulations and have specific legal duties — including appointing a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor in writing, providing pre-construction information, and ensuring welfare facilities are in place. Your contractor will help you discharge these duties, but the legal responsibility sits with you.