Office fit-out cost per square metre in Dublin: what drives the number

Why a single rate is misleading

A per-square-metre rate is a useful shorthand, but it hides more than it reveals. A simple refresh of an open-plan floor and a full fit-out with meeting rooms, feature finishes and new services are worlds apart in cost, even at identical floor areas. Quoting one rate for both would be meaningless. The rate is an output of dozens of decisions about scope and quality, so the productive question is not "what is the rate?" but "what is driving it, and which of those things do I actually need?"

The biggest cost drivers

The fit-out level: Category A or Category B

The single biggest driver is how much is being done. A Category A fit-out delivers a space to a basic, lettable finish, while a Category B fit-out is the full occupier fit-out with layout, rooms, branding and finishes. A project that only needs light work costs very differently from one building out a complete workplace. We explain this split in our guide to Category A versus Category B fit-out.

Specification and quality of finishes

The quality level chosen for flooring, ceilings, joinery, glazing and finishes has a large effect. A robust, mid-range specification and a high-end, design-led one produce very different figures for the same layout. This is often where the budget is genuinely controllable.

Mechanical and electrical (M&E)

Services are frequently the largest and most underestimated cost. Heating, cooling and ventilation, power, lighting and data cabling all cost money, and any change to the existing services, adding meeting rooms that need their own air and power, for example, drives the figure up. M&E is often a bigger factor than the visible finishes.

Partitioning and enclosed rooms

Open space is cheaper than divided space. Every partition, meeting room, office and pod adds materials, doors, glazing and services, so the more enclosed rooms a design has, the higher the cost. The balance of open-plan to enclosed space is a major lever.

Building and delivery factors

Beyond the design itself, the building and how the work must be delivered affect the figure:

• Occupied or empty: fitting out while people are working, in phases and often out of hours, costs more than an empty floor. See our guide to phasing a fit-out in an occupied building.
• Access and location: restricted access, upper floors, limited loading and city-centre logistics all add to cost.
• Building condition and constraints: the state of the base building, and any listed or structural constraints, can add work.
• Furniture, technology and extras: loose furniture, AV and specialist equipment may sit inside or outside the fit-out budget, so it is important to be clear what is included.
• Professional fees and contingency: design, project management and a sensible contingency are part of a realistic budget.

How to build a realistic budget

The way to a reliable figure is to define the scope, the fit-out level, the specification, the amount of enclosed space and the services required, and then price that specific scope. Starting from a headline rate and hoping the project fits it is how budgets go wrong; starting from your actual requirements and pricing them is how they hold. A good fit-out partner will help you shape the scope to your budget, showing where money makes a difference and where it does not.

Arkomax delivers commercial office renovations and fit-outs across Dublin and Ireland. Rather than quote a rate that would not fit your project, we price your actual scope. See our commercial office renovations service and our projects, and get in touch for a quote built around what you need.

For the building standards a fit-out must meet, see the National Building Control Office.

Frequently asked questions

• How much does an office fit-out cost per square metre in Dublin?

  There is no single reliable rate, because the cost depends on what the project involves, not just the floor area. The fit-out level, specification, mechanical and electrical work, amount of enclosed space and building factors all move the figure substantially. A meaningful cost comes from a quote against your actual scope rather than a headline per-square-metre rate.
• What drives up the cost of an office fit-out?

  The biggest drivers are the fit-out level (Category A versus a full Category B), the quality of finishes and joinery, the mechanical and electrical work (heating, cooling, ventilation, power and data), and the amount of partitioning and enclosed rooms. Working in an occupied building, restricted access and out-of-hours working also add cost.
• Why is M&E such a big part of fit-out cost?

  Mechanical and electrical services, heating, cooling, ventilation, power, lighting and data, are frequently the largest and most underestimated cost. Any change to the existing services, such as adding enclosed meeting rooms that need their own air and power, drives the figure up, often more than the visible finishes do.
• How do I keep an office fit-out within budget?

  Define the scope clearly, the fit-out level, specification, amount of enclosed space and services, and price that specific scope, rather than starting from a headline rate. The controllable levers are usually the specification quality and the balance of open-plan to enclosed space. A good fit-out partner will help shape the scope to your budget.