Planning an office fit-out: cost, timeline and who to hire

Design IRL Editorial · Figures checked 7 November 2026 · For founders and small business owners fitting out a leased office · How we make our guides

Most office budgets go wrong before any work starts, at the point where the lease is signed. This guide walks you through the shell you are taking, the space you need, what each finish level costs and who does what.

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Start with the shell you are taking

A warm shell already has flooring, a ceiling, base air conditioning and washrooms. A bare shell has none of these. For HVAC, a raised floor and a ceiling grid, a bare shell adds roughly ₹400–600 per sq ft. That figure comes from a single source, so treat it as a guide only.

Landlords often give a rent-free period to cover the fit-out. On warm-shell deals some also contribute ₹300–600 per sq ft towards the work. Ask for both in writing.

Lease	Typical rent-free period
5-year warm shell	90–120 days
9-year warm shell	120–180 days
5-year bare shell	150–180 days
9-year bare shell	180–240 days

From one lease-negotiation primer. Your deal may differ.

Work out how much space you need

Plan on about 80–100 sq ft per seat. Older rules of thumb of 150 sq ft per person are now seen as too generous. Dense layouts such as call centres can go lower. Premium offices with more meeting space go higher.

If your team works hybrid, you may not need a desk for everyone. Many organisations now plan for about 1.0 to 1.5 people per desk. Count your real daily attendance before you sign for space.

What it costs per sq ft and per seat

These ranges are for carpet area in a warm shell. They are turnkey, including furniture, IT cabling and fees, and exclude GST. Published corporate benchmarks sit at the Grade-A end. Most small offices land in the first two rows.

Finish level	₹ per sq ft	Rough ₹ per seat at 90 sq ft	What you get
Basic or startup	₹1,400–2,300	₹1.3–2.1 lakh	Modular furniture, open plan, split ACs, few cabins
Standard	₹2,300–3,800	₹2.1–3.4 lakh	Gypsum partitions, grid ceiling, VRF or ducted AC, meeting rooms
Premium	₹3,800–6,000	₹3.4–5.4 lakh	Acoustic rooms, custom joinery, more AV and amenity
Grade-A corporate	₹5,500–7,500	₹5.0–6.8 lakh	Corporate benchmark spec, hybrid collaboration

Per-seat figures are our own rough arithmetic from the per sq ft ranges.

Mumbai runs about 12% above Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai, and Delhi NCR about 6%. For smaller cities such as Jaipur, Indore or Kochi we found no hard data. A discount of 10–15% is a rough estimate only.

Where the money goes

One cost consultant's India split for corporate fit-outs gives a useful picture. Services such as air conditioning, electrical and fire take a larger share in India than elsewhere in the region.

Head	Share of fit-out
Builders' works: civil, partitions, ceiling, flooring	32%
HVAC, electrical, fire and UPS	29%
Security, IT and AV	17%
Furniture and fittings	16%
Professional services	5%

On smaller projects, under about 5,000 sq ft, design and project management fees usually take a bigger share, around 8–12%. Then add a contingency of 5–10% to the whole figure.

How long it takes

Brief, test-fit, design and bill of quantities: 2–4 weeks.
Landlord and building approvals: 2–3 weeks, alongside design.
Demolition, civil work and partitions: 2–3 weeks.
Air conditioning, electrical, data, fire and plumbing: 3–5 weeks, alongside civil work. Order AC plant early.
False ceiling and flooring: 2–3 weeks.
Joinery for pantry, storage and reception: 2–3 weeks.
Furniture install: 1–2 weeks on site, but ordering can take 6–8 weeks (a rough estimate).
IT, AV, security and signage: 1–2 weeks.
Snagging, fire NOC and handover: 1–2 weeks. Fire NOC takes 15–30 days, so apply early.

In all, expect 8–14 weeks on site after design and 12–20 weeks end to end. Try to fit as much as you can inside the rent-free period.

Who to hire

You have two broad routes. A turnkey design-build firm designs and builds for one price, with its margin inside the per sq ft rate. It is usually quicker, though firms selling turnkey naturally promote it. The other route is a separate designer, contractor and project manager. This gives you more control and costs more in fees.

Role	Typical fee
Interior or workplace designer	₹50–150 per sq ft for design only, or 5–10% of project
Project manager (PMC)	5–10% of project cost
MEP consultant	1.5–3% of project or ₹20–40 per sq ft, a rough estimate with no Indian source

You need an architect if you are changing structure or the façade, or need building plans or an occupancy certificate. Whichever route you take, get 2–3 quotes against the same drawings and bill of quantities.

Tax and the exit bill

GST on fit-out work

Fit-out work done as a works contract is usually charged GST at 18%. For work that becomes part of the building, including tenant fit-outs and interiors, input tax credit is generally blocked. Movable items such as furniture, IT and equipment are treated differently. The rules have changed recently, so confirm your own position with a CA before you fix the budget.

Read the reinstatement clause in your lease. Many landlords want the space returned to shell at exit, which is an extra cost you will pay years later.

Put in your brief: headcount, desk-sharing ratio, cabins, meeting rooms, phone booths, pantry, AV level, server room and access control.
Ask for a bill of quantities that lists each trade separately.
Agree what is included: furniture, IT cabling, fees, approvals and GST.

Find the people

Sources

Most published cost figures come from firms that sell the work. We give ranges and you should get 2–3 quotes.