Commercial Cost Guide

How much does a commercial fit-out cost in Brisbane?

By The WTD Editorial Team · Last reviewed October 2026 · Methodology

Updated October 2026·Independently researched·12 min read

A commercial fit-out in Brisbane is priced $695-$3,475/m2

per m² by specification - cat A, cat B, shopfitting and make-good priced separately

A commercial fit-out in Brisbane is usually priced per square metre by specification level: a cat A base fit-out sits well below a full cat B tenant fit-out. Shopfitting, partitioning, services upgrades and end-of-lease make-good are commonly quoted as separate line items. Verified bands are $695-$3,475/m2.

+4.5% Commercial fitout costs in Brisbane are up around 4.5% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in October 2026. Year on year

Typical Office Fit-Out in Brisbane

$1,925/m2

cat B, per m² supplied & installed

Cat A (base)

$695-$1,300/m2

Cat B (full)

$2,175-$3,475/m2

Premium / hospitality

$2,425-$3,925/m2

$695/m2$1,925/m2$3,050/m2

Commercial fit-out in Brisbane is priced per square metre by specification. A cat A base fit-out (services, ceilings, basic finishes) sits below a cat B tenant fit-out (workstations, meeting rooms, joinery and branding). Shopfitting, partitioning and services upgrades are scoped on top, and end-of-lease make-good is a separate cost many tenants overlook. Exact figures on this page are $695-$3,475/m2.

Pricing below is compiled from Brisbane commercial fit-out and shopfitting contractors, joinery suppliers and published commercial rate guides. All prices will include GST.

Quick answerA commercial fit-out in Brisbane is priced per square metre and varies widely by cat A vs cat B specification, services scope and finishes. Verified bands are $695-$3,475/m2. Get free Brisbane quotes →

Detailed Commercial Pricing — Commercial Fitout Cost in Brisbane 2026

Service	Low	Typical	High
Fit-out feasibility / concept design	$2,600per report	$6,950	$17,400
Cat A fit-out (base building)	$695/m²	$1,000	$1,300
Cat B fit-out (tenant, standard)	$1,300/m²	$1,750	$2,175
Cat B fit-out (full / premium)	$2,175/m²	$2,600	$3,475
Retail shopfitting	$870/m²	$1,725	$2,400
Hospitality fit-out (cafe / restaurant)	$2,425/m²	$3,225	$3,925
Office partitioning (plasterboard)	$52/m²	$65	$78
Glazed office partitioning	$260/m	$390	$520
Suspended ceiling (supply + install)	$43/m²	$87	$130
Joinery / custom cabinetry	$6,950per job	$13,050	$21,700
Services upgrade (mechanical / electrical / data)	$350/m²	$520	$780
End-of-lease make-good	$130/m²	$350	$565

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Prices include GST. Brisbane metro, October 2026.

Commercial Fitout Costs by Sector in Brisbane

Offices & Corporate

$1,300-$2,175/m2

Open-plan workstations, meeting rooms, breakout and end-of-trip facilities across multi-tenant towers and owner-occupied buildings in Brisbane. Cat A vs cat B scope and the services upgrade drive the rate far more than floor area.

Retail & Shopfronts

$870-$2,400/m2

Shopfitting for strip shops and shopping-centre tenancies in Brisbane - shopfront glazing, joinery, display, lighting and POS. Centre trading hours force after-hours work and landlord design approvals that lengthen the programme.

Hospitality

$2,425-$3,925/m2

Cafes, restaurants, bars and venues, where commercial kitchens, exhaust, grease arrest and hydraulic and mechanical services dominate the cost. In Brisbane, any development and building approvals should be in place before work starts, with environmental health (food premises) requirements checked alongside the build. Hospitality fit-outs price above the general band.

Medical, Healthcare & Professional Suites

$2,175-$3,475/m2

Consult rooms, treatment areas and reception with heavier compliance - infection control, accessibility, lead-lining for imaging and specialised services - and strict certification before Brisbane occupancy. Medical and healthcare fit-outs price above the general band.

What Brisbane Commercial Fitout Jobs Actually Cost

Small office cat B fit-out

$52,150-$130,450 total

A standard tenant fit-out of a Brisbane suite - workstations, a couple of meeting rooms, a kitchenette, ceilings, lighting and data. Priced per m² on the cat B specification, with services reuse from the base building where possible.

Cafe / restaurant fit-out

$156,500-$469,550 total

A Brisbane hospitality fit-out built around the commercial kitchen, exhaust canopy, grease arrestor and mechanical services, plus joinery, seating and shopfront. Any development and building approvals should be in place before work starts, with environmental health (food premises) requirements checked alongside the build.

Retail shop fit-out

$69,550-$130,450 total

A strip or centre tenancy in Brisbane - shopfront, joinery, display, lighting and flooring - staged after-hours around centre trading and signed off against the landlord design guidelines.

Medical / dental suite fit-out

$173,900-$347,850 total

Consult and treatment rooms with infection-control finishes, accessibility, specialised plumbing and certification, delivered to a strict Brisbane occupancy and compliance program.

Open-plan office refurbishment + make-good

POA

Refreshing an occupied Brisbane floor - new finishes, partitions and services tweaks - plus the end-of-lease make-good obligation on the outgoing tenancy, which is a separate cost line.

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What Affects Commercial Fitout Costs in Brisbane

Commercial fit-out quotes in Brisbane swing on the specification level, the services scope and the base-building condition far more than on floor area alone. Here are the main drivers.

Specification level (cat A vs cat B)

A cat A base fit-out and a full cat B tenant fit-out sit at very different price points. Premium finishes, bespoke joinery and branding push the rate up sharply.

Services scope

Mechanical (HVAC), electrical, data and hydraulic works are often the largest single driver. Reusing sound base-building services is far cheaper than new or relocated services.

Base-building condition & make-good

A raw shell, asbestos in an older Brisbane building, or a heavy end-of-lease make-good obligation all add cost beyond the visible fit-out.

Programme & after-hours access

Occupied buildings and centre trading hours force night and weekend shifts and staged handover - a real multiplier over a vacant tenancy.

Compliance & certification

BCA/NCC, accessibility (DDA), fire and essential-services compliance and formal certification add documentation, time and cost, especially for healthcare and hospitality.

Joinery, finishes & branding

Custom cabinetry, stone, glazing, feature lighting and branded elements are where budgets blow out. Standardised finishes keep the rate predictable.

How to Control Commercial Fitout Costs in Brisbane

Clarify cat A vs cat B in the brief before tendering - they are very different scopes and quotes are not comparable without it.

Lock the scope and design early; mid-build variations are the most common cause of Brisbane fit-out cost blowouts.

Negotiate make-good and a landlord fit-out contribution or rent-free incentive into the lease before you sign.

Get services (mechanical, electrical, hydraulic) scoped and surveyed early - they are the biggest cost and the biggest source of surprises.

Reuse sound base-building services and ceilings where you can instead of stripping back to shell.

Get multiple fixed-price tenders on an identical brief rather than comparing rough per-m² estimates.

Commercial fit-out cost by floor area in Brisbane

Quick answerA Brisbane commercial fit-out is priced per square metre by specification; total cost scales with floor area and cat A vs cat B scope. Verified bands are $695-$3,475/m2.

Commercial fit-out costs in Brisbane scale with floor area first, then specification. A small suite and a full-floor tenancy are quoted on the same per-square-metre logic, but the cat A vs cat B specification, the services scope and the finishes move the rate more than the size does.

Several factors push a Brisbane fit-out above the typical band: a raw shell needing full services, premium joinery and finishes, healthcare or hospitality compliance, asbestos in an older building, and after-hours staging in an occupied tower. End-of-lease make-good is a separate obligation that should be budgeted from the start.

Our Methodology

These are independent, GST-inclusive estimates from commercial contractors, suppliers and rate guides, and no contractor can influence them, so always get several written quotes. Read our full methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions — Commercial Fitout Cost in Brisbane

What are commercial fit-out costs in Brisbane?

In our Brisbane table the figures are $1,300–$2,175 a square metre for a standard Cat B tenant fit-out (typically $1,750), $695–$1,300 a square metre for a Cat A fit-out (base building) (typically $1,000) and $870–$2,400 a square metre for retail shopfitting (typically $1,725).

What is the difference between a cat A and cat B fit-out?

A cat A fit-out delivers the base building to a usable standard - services, ceilings, basic finishes and lighting. A cat B fit-out is the tenant-specific layer on top: workstations, meeting rooms, joinery, branding and any specialist requirements. Landlords often provide cat A, with the tenant funding cat B.

What do shopfitters charge in Brisbane?

Our Brisbane prices for retail shopfitting start at $870 and reach $2,400 a square metre, with $1,725 typical.

What is make-good and who pays for it?

Make-good is the obligation to return a leased tenancy to its original (often base-building) condition at the end of the lease. The outgoing tenant usually pays. It is a separate cost from the fit-out itself and should be negotiated into the lease up front.

How long does a commercial fit-out take in Brisbane?

A straightforward Brisbane office fit-out typically runs a few weeks once design and approvals are done; hospitality and medical fit-outs take longer because of services, certification and council or health approvals. Design, landlord approval and long-lead items often take longer than the build itself.

Can I get a landlord contribution towards my fit-out?

Often, yes. Brisbane landlords commonly offer a fit-out contribution, a cat A base fit-out, or a rent-free incentive to secure a tenant - especially on longer leases. These are negotiated as part of the lease deal, so raise them before signing.