Construction & Refurbishment Advice

What affects office fit-out cost?

A useful budget starts with the required outcome and the condition of the building. Floor area helps describe a project, but a rate per square metre will only be meaningful when the inclusions are clear.

Separate the main cost decisions

• Existing condition: what can be retained, what needs repair and what must be removed?
• Layout: how many enclosed rooms, meeting spaces, reception areas and shared facilities are needed?
• Services: what changes are required to power, lighting, ventilation, heating, cooling and data?
• Specification: what finish, durability and acoustic performance does each space need?
• Delivery: can the site be cleared, or must works be phased around occupants and restricted hours?

Furniture, IT equipment, professional fees, approvals and VAT should be identified separately when comparing proposals. Ask each bidder to show exclusions and provisional allowances. An apparently cheaper quotation may cover a different package.

RICS identifies cooling, audiovisual systems, IT and higher-specification meeting spaces as cost drivers in current office fit-outs. See its fit-out sector analysis.

KRP example: the published Staple House project in Winchester describes CAT A refurbishment across three floors. Its scope provides useful context when discussing a project; it is not a price benchmark for a differently specified building.

Discuss your office fit-out scope →

What should you prepare for a refurbishment quotation?

Give contractors the same brief so you can compare like for like. A short, organised information pack is more useful than a long wish list with unclear priorities.

1. Property details: address, building use, approximate work areas and a contact for access.
2. Required outcome: describe the problem to solve and which areas are included.
3. Existing information: relevant drawings, surveys, service records and known building constraints.
4. Specification: required layouts, fittings and finishes, with any items still to be selected clearly marked.
5. Operational requirements: occupied areas, opening hours, delivery restrictions and planned shutdowns.
6. Responsibilities: identify who will handle design, approvals, specialist equipment and landlord liaison.
7. Programme and budget: provide the target date, the reason it matters and the available budget range if known.

Ask the quotation to distinguish defined work, assumptions, exclusions and allowances. Agree how changes will be priced and approved before work starts. A fixed quotation relates to a defined scope; an incomplete brief still leaves decisions to resolve.

Commercial clients also have project-management duties under CDM 2015. Early planning and suitable appointments matter from the start; see HSE’s commercial-client guidance.

Arrange a commercial refurbishment discussion →

Can refurbishment take place while a building stays open?

Sometimes, but the layout and work scope must support a workable separation between construction and normal use. A phased programme should say which spaces stay available, when they change and how each phase is handed back.

Questions to resolve before agreeing the programme

• Can occupants reach the facilities they need without passing through work areas?
• Which activities create noise, dust, vibration or service interruptions?
• Where will materials, waste and deliveries move through the site?
• Which operations need an agreed shutdown or a temporary relocation?
• Who tells staff, visitors and neighbouring occupiers about changes?
• What checks are needed before an area reopens?

HSE highlights boundaries, controlled access and managing hazards to people outside the work area in its guidance on protecting the public. The project team should turn these principles into arrangements suited to the actual site and its users.

Out-of-hours working may help with selected activities, but it can affect cost, supervision, access and sequencing. Compare a fully cleared site with a phased option before assuming that keeping every area open is the best solution.

See KRP’s approach to occupied-building refurbishment →

How should a commercial washroom refurbishment be planned?

Start with the people using the building and the facilities they will need throughout the works. Replacing finishes and fittings is only part of the brief: services, access, maintenance and temporary arrangements also need decisions.

1. Assess the existing space: record the layout, condition and known issues with drainage, plumbing, ventilation and electrical services.
2. Confirm the requirements: discuss user numbers, accessibility, cleaning, durability and the intended specification with the appropriate project specialists.
3. Choose a phasing plan: establish which facilities can remain available and whether temporary provision or a closure is needed.
4. Coordinate the package: agree the interfaces between service alterations, cubicles, sanitaryware, flooring, wall finishes and ceilings.
5. Plan reopening: allow for checks, cleaning, snagging and handover information before returning the area to use.

HSE explains employers’ responsibilities for suitable welfare facilities, including toilets and washing facilities, in its workplace-facilities guidance. The appropriate provision and design depend on the building and its users.

KRP example: the BH Live work in Portsmouth and Southsea included renewal of male and female changing facilities within a wider refurbishment package. See the published project scope and photographs for the work delivered.

Discuss a washroom refurbishment →

What makes a refurbishment programme realistic?

The construction period is only one part of the time needed to deliver a project. A useful programme also allows for surveys, design decisions, approvals where required, procurement, access arrangements and handover.

Work backwards from the required outcome

Identify the date the space must be usable and the reason for that deadline. Then check the decisions and dependencies that must be resolved before work can begin. Long-lead products, service shutdowns, specialist attendance and occupied areas can determine the sequence.

• Separate target dates from confirmed commitments.
• List outstanding client selections and the dates they are needed.
• Identify which tasks rely on earlier work being complete.
• Include inspections, testing where applicable, cleaning and snagging.
• Agree how the programme will be reviewed when the scope or site conditions change.

KRP’s published projects illustrate why scope matters: Staple House records a 12-week programme, while the Chichester commercial refurbishment records four weeks. These are individual project histories, not promised durations for future work.

Ask for a programme tied to your surveyed scope and access arrangements. A credible completion date should explain its assumptions and the decisions needed to maintain it.

Discuss your scope and target date →