In short
What does an office project budget include?
Much more than the works: real estate, works, furniture, IT and audiovisual, the move, professional fees, change support, exit from the old premises (reinstatement, double rent) and contingencies. To compare scenarios, the same items are counted with the same assumptions, then the project budget is checked against contractors' bids tendered package by package.
- “Cat A” and “Cat B” are not regulatory categories: what they include is checked in the lease and its schedules.
- A price per square metre without a brief or a survey reassures but does not protect.
- The architect tells the client if the budget is clearly insufficient and commits no expense without the client's agreement (architects' code of ethics, art. 36).
The items in a complete budget
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Real estate | Rent, service charges, taxes, any rent-free period, security deposit |
| Works | Partitions, ceilings, floors, electrical, heating-ventilation-air conditioning, plumbing, joinery, finishes |
| Furniture | Workstations, chairs, storage, meeting rooms, social spaces; reuse possible |
| IT and audiovisual | Networks, hybrid rooms, displays, booking, access control |
| Relocation | Move, sorting, archives, IT, temporary premises if needed |
| Fees | Architect, engineering consultants, technical inspection, health and safety coordination depending on the project |
| Support | Change management, training, signage |
| Exit | Reinstatement of the former premises, double rent during the transition |
| Contingencies | Provision for unforeseen costs, higher in refurbishment than in new build |
What the landlord delivers, what you pay for
The market often refers to “Cat A” for a floor delivered ready for fit-out (raised floors, ceilings, basic lighting and air handling, toilets) and to “Cat B” for the tenant's own fit-out (partitions, finishes, specific networks, furniture). These are not regulatory categories: what they include must be checked in the lease and its annexes, line by line.
Keeping to the budget
- Set an overall project budget for each scenario, with the same items.
- Tender to contractors trade package by trade package, on a common pricing framework.
- Make decisions before the contracts are signed, not during the works.
- Handle changes in writing, with their costed impact.
The architect must inform the client when the budget is manifestly insufficient for the brief, and may not commit any expenditure without the client's agreement (architects' code of ethics, art. 36).
Frequently asked questions
Why don't you give a price per square metre?
Because a price per square metre without a brief, without a survey of the existing premises and without a defined scope is reassuring but offers no protection. We draw up an overall project budget based on your brief and the existing premises, then test it against contractors' bids.