Fitout Cost Per Square Metre Sydney: Benchmarks

Last updated: 9 October 2026

Office fitout cost per square metre Sydney figures range from about $400 for a light refresh to more than $3,500 for specialised space, and published benchmarks disagree because they measure different things. Turner & Townsend puts high-specification Sydney fitouts near A$7,221/m² and low specification near A$3,357/m², while other guides list far lower numbers. The gap is mostly scope: what is counted, what is excluded and which building the figure describes. This guide compares the benchmarks and shows how to turn them into a usable budget.

For a breakdown of where the money goes inside a project, read our guide to office fitout cost by trade package. This article does something different: it compares the rate-per-metre numbers you will meet online and explains how to use them.

What do Sydney benchmarks say about office fitout cost per square metre Sydney tenants pay?

Three kinds of sources publish rates: global cost consultants, local quantity surveyors and builders. Each has a different purpose, so their numbers are not interchangeable.

• Global consultant guides (Turner & Townsend, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL) compare cities, usually for premium CBD space. They often include furniture, IT, design and a high-end specification.
• Quantity surveyor cost reports (such as Rider Levett Bucknall) track construction cost movement across the market and are useful for escalation trends.
• Builder ranges reflect what contractors actually quote for typical tenancies. Our working ranges for 2026 are $400 to $900 per square metre for a refresh, $900 to $1,600 for a standard fitout, $1,600 to $2,800 for premium and $1,800 to $3,500 or more for specialised space.

JLL reports Australian fitout costs rising roughly 3.5 to 6 per cent year on year, so any benchmark more than a year old needs escalating. Cushman & Wakefield lists Sydney at about A$2,599/m² on a narrower basis, which shows how far two reputable sources can sit apart for the same city.

Why office fitout cost per square metre Sydney benchmarks differ

Five definitions explain nearly every discrepancy. Check each one before comparing two numbers.

1. Construction only versus all-in office fitout cost per square metre Sydney rates

A construction rate covers building work: partitions, ceilings, services, joinery and finishes. An all-in rate adds furniture, IT and AV, signage, moving and professional fees. The difference can be several hundred dollars per square metre or more.

2. Gross, net or usable area

Area can be measured as net lettable area, usable area or the area actually fitted out. A project that fits out 800 square metres of a 1,000 square metre lease looks cheaper per metre if you divide by the lease area. Always confirm the divisor.

3. Specification level

A high-specification fitout with stone, feature ceilings and acoustic glazing sits in a different cost band from a tidy open-plan refresh. Our guide to glass office partitions shows how one element, glazing, shifts the rate.

4. Building grade and location

Prime CBD towers add after-hours work, hoisting, loading dock charges and building-nominated trades. A suburban low-rise tenancy rarely carries those premiums.

5. Starting condition and date

A previously fitted floor is cheaper than a bare shell, and a benchmark from 2024 understates 2026 pricing. Treat every office fitout cost per square metre Sydney figure as dated.

A benchmark comparison table for office fitout cost per square metre Sydney

The table below puts the common quality tiers side by side. Rates are construction-focused ranges that we use for early budgeting, and they exclude furniture, IT and moving unless stated.

If your quote lands outside these bands, it is not automatically wrong. Ask what drives the difference: existing conditions, building rules or specification. For the cycle of decisions behind the rate, see our original cost per square metre guide.

How to apply office fitout cost per square metre Sydney rates to your floor

A simple four-step method turns a benchmark into a defensible feasibility budget.

1. Measure the right area. Use the area you will actually fit out, and note the lease area separately.
2. Pick the tier from the brief. Count enclosed rooms, specialist spaces and joinery. A plan with many glazed offices sits higher than open plan.
3. Adjust for building and condition. Add a premium for after-hours work or a bare shell, and subtract where you can reuse ceilings and services.
4. Add the items rates exclude. Furniture, IT, signage, moving, design fees and a 5 to 10 per cent contingency.

Example: 600 square metres of standard fitout at $1,300 per square metre gives $780,000 in construction. Add 8 per cent contingency, furniture, IT and fees, and the all-in project budget will be materially higher. This is why a single per-metre number should never be the final budget. Our test fit guide shows how to firm up the layout before pricing.

Why size changes the office fitout cost per square metre Sydney businesses see

Design, approvals, supervision and mobilisation are largely fixed. On a 150 square metre tenancy those costs spread across few metres, so the rate rises. On a 1,500 square metre floor they spread widely and repetition reduces trade costs, though services complexity grows. Read more in our guide to small office fitout fixed costs.

• Under 200 m²: expect rates at the top of the tier.
• 200 to 1,000 m²: the most predictable range.
• Over 1,000 m²: lower repeating costs, but pre-construction investigation matters more.

What the market does to office fitout cost per square metre Sydney tenants face

Leasing conditions affect net cost more than most tenants expect. The Property Council reported Sydney CBD vacancy of 13.8 per cent in January 2026, with higher vacancy in North Sydney and Parramatta. Knight Frank data shows North Shore incentives rising from 38 to 42 per cent between January 2025 and January 2026. Incentives can include fitout contributions or rent-free periods, which reduce your net cost per square metre even when the gross build cost stays the same.

Ask the landlord’s agent what is on offer before you set a budget, and read our guide to landlord approval for fitouts to understand how consent and incentives interact.

Reading office fitout cost per square metre Sydney by sector

Sector changes the brief, and the brief changes the rate. The same floor area costs different amounts depending on how the space is used, so ask for office fitout cost per square metre Sydney figures that match your sector rather than a generic average.

• Professional services and legal: more enclosed offices, meeting rooms and acoustic privacy, usually in the standard to premium bands.
• Technology and creative: more open plan and collaboration space, but heavy data, AV and feature finishes can lift the rate.
• Finance: higher security, resilience and trading-floor power, which pushes toward the specialised band.
• Health and allied services: wet areas, hydraulics and compliance requirements add trade cost.

Our guide to sector workplace design explains how these briefs differ in practice.

A worked example of office fitout cost per square metre Sydney budgeting

Consider a 400 square metre tenancy on a mid-rise Sydney floor with an existing ceiling grid and serviceable air conditioning. The brief calls for open-plan desks, four meeting rooms, a kitchen and a small comms room.

1. Pick the tier. A new layout with partitions, a kitchen and services changes sits in the standard band, $900 to $1,600 per square metre.
2. Adjust. Reusing the ceiling grid and air conditioning pulls toward the lower half, perhaps $1,000 to $1,300.
3. Calculate construction. 400 square metres at $1,000 to $1,300 gives $400,000 to $520,000.
4. Add contingency. At 5 to 10 per cent, add $20,000 to $52,000.
5. Add exclusions. Furniture, IT, signage, moving and design fees are separate and can add a large share again.

This is a feasibility range, not a quote. A site inspection will confirm whether the ceiling and air conditioning can truly be reused. If they cannot, the rate moves up, and that is exactly why a benchmark should always be tested against the actual space.

When to stop using office fitout cost per square metre Sydney benchmarks

Benchmarks are useful at the start and misleading near the end. Once you have a test fit and a site inspection, switch to a priced scope. A trade-by-trade quote shows which line items drive the total, so you can trade off specification against cost deliberately. It also names provisional sums and exclusions, which no per-metre figure can do.

A good test: if two quotes differ by more than 15 per cent per square metre, compare inclusions, area basis and provisional sums before comparing price. In most cases the difference is scope. Our guide to comparing contractor proposals shows how to line quotes up like for like, and the turnkey scope guide explains what a fixed price should cover.

Common mistakes when using an office fitout cost per square metre Sydney figure

• Comparing an all-in global figure with a construction-only quote. The numbers will never match.
• Using lease area instead of fitted area. This understates the true rate.
• Ignoring escalation. Costs rising 3.5 to 6 per cent a year compound over a long planning period.
• Cutting compliance to hit a rate. The National Construction Code sets minimums, and NCC 2022 Amendment 2 is the current code in NSW. See the Australian Building Codes Board for how it applies.
• Skipping existing conditions. Older buildings may need asbestos checks under SafeWork NSW duties, fire system recommissioning and switchboard upgrades.

For independent market cost trends, see Rider Levett Bucknall and NSW Government construction guidance.

How Office Fitouts Sydney turns a rate into a fixed price

Office fitout cost per square metre Sydney benchmarks get you to a budget range. A fixed price gets you to a contract. We book a free site inspection within 48 hours, measure the area, check ceilings, services and access, and provide a detailed fixed-price quote within 3 business days, with trades itemised, exclusions listed and provisional sums named. Our in-house designers, project managers and trades have delivered Sydney commercial fitouts for more than 15 years, and we also handle make good at the end of the lease.

See why we are among the best office fitouts in Sydney, or contact Office Fitouts Sydney to book your inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average office fitout cost per square metre Sydney?

There is no single average. Builder ranges run from $400 to $900 for a refresh and $900 to $1,600 for a standard fitout, with premium and specialised space higher. Global guides quote higher all-in figures.

Why does Turner & Townsend show a higher rate than my quote?

Its figure is an all-in benchmark that can include furniture, IT, fees and premium CBD specification, whereas many quotes cover construction only.

Is cost per square metre calculated on lease area?

Not always. Confirm whether a rate uses lease area, usable area or fitted area before comparing.

How much do costs rise each year?

JLL reports Australian fitout costs rising roughly 3.5 to 6 per cent year on year, so escalate older benchmarks.

Do landlord incentives reduce my cost per square metre?

They reduce your net cost. Fitout contributions and rent-free periods are common while vacancy remains elevated.

Should I budget from a per square metre rate alone?

Use it for feasibility only. Then add furniture, IT, fees and 5 to 10 per cent contingency, and replace it with a fixed-price quote.

How quickly can Office Fitouts Sydney quote?

We offer a free site inspection within 48 hours and a detailed fixed-price quote within 3 business days.