{"id":520174,"date":"2025-05-09T10:23:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T09:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=520174"},"modified":"2025-05-09T10:23:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T09:23:52","slug":"london-named-most-expensive-city-for-office-fit-outs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/buildings\/london-named-most-expensive-city-for-office-fit-outs-09-05-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"London named most expensive city for office fit-outs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth
\nWho is Harmsworth?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

London has topped a global ranking for high-specification office fit-out costs, driven by rising material prices, specialist skill shortages and growing demand for premium workspaces.<\/p>\n

According to Turner & Townsend\u2019s Global Office Fit-Out Guide 2025<\/em>, average costs in London have reached \u00a34,671 per square metre.<\/p>\n

This places the UK capital ahead of New York (\u00a34,470), Zurich (\u00a34,299) and San Francisco (\u00a34,293) as the most expensive location in the world.<\/p>\n

The consultancy firm cited a \u201cperfect storm\u201d of challenges affecting London\u2019s commercial interiors market, including post-pandemic office strategies, building safety regulations and the cost of skilled trades such as Chartered Fire Engineers.<\/p>\n

In particular, the report highlights that specialist MEP and sustainability roles now command fees up to twice the rate seen in New York.<\/p>\n

Turner & Townsend’s global head of occupier and retail, Nadia de Klerk, said that pressure to attract staff back to the office has led clients to invest in increasingly sophisticated fit-outs. \u201cIn London we are seeing a perfect storm,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gathering pace of return to office working, coupled with skilled trades shortages and high building material prices, have resulted in commercial fit-out costs being the world\u2019s most expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study compared fit-out costs across 50 global cities. London was the only UK city to appear in the top 10 globally.<\/p>\n

Sydney, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka and Brisbane completed the list of the most expensive cities for office fit-outs.<\/p>\n

Top 10 most costly high-spec office fit-out locations (2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
City<\/th>\nCountry<\/th>\nCost per square metre (\u00a3)<\/th>\nCost per square metre (US$)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
London<\/td>\nUK<\/td>\n\u00a34,671<\/td>\n$5,932<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New York<\/td>\nUS<\/td>\n\u00a34,470<\/td>\n$5,677<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zurich<\/td>\nSwitzerland<\/td>\n\u00a34,299<\/td>\n$5,460<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
San Francisco<\/td>\nUS<\/td>\n\u00a34,293<\/td>\n$5,452<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sydney<\/td>\nAustralia<\/td>\n\u00a33,745<\/td>\n$4,756<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Los Angeles<\/td>\nUS<\/td>\n\u00a33,707<\/td>\n$4,708<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tokyo<\/td>\nJapan<\/td>\n\u00a33,637<\/td>\n$4,619<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hong Kong<\/td>\nChina<\/td>\n\u00a33,602<\/td>\n$4,575<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Osaka<\/td>\nJapan<\/td>\n\u00a33,500<\/td>\n$4,445<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brisbane<\/td>\nAustralia<\/td>\n\u00a33,476<\/td>\n$4,415<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Source: Turner & Townsend<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth Who is Harmsworth? London has topped a global ranking for high-specification office fit-out costs, driven by rising material prices, specialist skill shortages and growing demand for premium workspaces. According to Turner & Townsend\u2019s Global Office Fit-Out Guide 2025, average costs in London have reached \u00a34,671 per …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135716,"featured_media":350827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[547,78193,57171],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n