Commercial Cost Guide

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

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

Updated June 2026·Independently researched·12 min read

A commercial fit-out in Sydney is priced $800-$3,500/m2

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

A commercial fit-out in Sydney 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 $800-$3,500/m2.

Typical Office Fit-Out in Sydney

$2,200/m2

cat B, per m² supplied & installed

Cat A (base)

$800-$1,500/m2

Cat B (full)

$2,500-$3,500/m2

Premium / hospitality

$2,500-$3,500/m2

$800/m2$2,200/m2$3,500/m2

Commercial fit-out in Sydney 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 $800-$3,500/m2.

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

Quick answerA commercial fit-out in Sydney is priced per square metre and varies widely by cat A vs cat B specification, services scope and finishes. Verified bands are $800-$3,500/m2. Get free Sydney quotes →

Detailed Commercial Pricing - Sydney 2026

Service	Low	Typical	High
Fit-out feasibility / concept design	POAper report	POA	POA
Cat A fit-out (base building)	$800/m²	$1,150	$1,500
Cat B fit-out (tenant, standard)	$1,500/m²	$2,000	$2,500
Cat B fit-out (full / premium)	$2,500/m²	$3,000	$3,500
Retail shopfitting	$1,000/m²	$1,500	$2,000
Hospitality fit-out (cafe / restaurant)	$2,800/m²	$3,700	$4,500
Office partitioning (plasterboard)	$60/m	$75	$90
Glazed office partitioning	$300/m	$450	$600
Suspended ceiling (supply + install)	$50/m²	$100	$150
Joinery / custom cabinetry	POAper job	POA	POA
Services upgrade (mechanical / electrical / data)	POAper job	POA	POA
End-of-lease make-good	POA/m²	POA	POA

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Prices include GST. Sydney metro, June 2026. Figures pending verification.

Commercial Fitout Costs by Sector in Sydney

Offices & Corporate

$1,500-$2,500/m2

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

Retail & Shopfronts

$1,000-$2,000/m2

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

Hospitality

$2,800-$4,500/m2

Cafes, restaurants, bars and venues, where commercial kitchens, exhaust, grease arrest and hydraulic and mechanical services dominate the cost. Sydney council and health approvals run in parallel with the build.

Medical, Healthcare & Professional Suites

$2,500-$4,000/m2

Consult rooms, treatment areas and reception with heavier compliance - infection control, accessibility, lead-lining for imaging and specialised services - and strict certification before Sydney occupancy.

What Sydney Commercial Fitout Jobs Actually Cost

Small office cat B fit-out

$60,000-$150,000 total

A standard tenant fit-out of a Sydney 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

$180,000-$540,000 total

A Sydney hospitality fit-out built around the commercial kitchen, exhaust canopy, grease arrestor and mechanical services, plus joinery, seating and shopfront. Health and council approvals run alongside the build.

Retail shop fit-out

$80,000-$150,000 total

A strip or centre tenancy in Sydney - 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

$200,000-$400,000 total

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

Open-plan office refurbishment + make-good

POA

Refreshing an occupied Sydney 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 Sydney

Commercial fit-out quotes in Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney

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 Sydney 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 Sydney

Quick answerA Sydney 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 $800-$3,500/m2.

Commercial fit-out costs in Sydney 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 Sydney 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

Commercial pricing on this page is compiled from Sydney commercial contractors, suppliers, published commercial rate guides and peak industry data. We cross-reference ranges from multiple sources and adjust for Sydney-specific factors. Our guides are produced independently; no contractor can influence a published figure. All prices are GST-inclusive estimates and will vary with your specific site. Always get multiple written quotes. Figures on this staging draft are pending verification. Read our full methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

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

A commercial fit-out in Sydney is priced per square metre by specification, with cat A base fit-outs well below full cat B tenant fit-outs, and hospitality and medical higher again. Verified Sydney bands are $800-$3,500/m2 - figures will be published once confirmed.

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.

How much does retail shopfitting cost in Sydney?

Shopfitting a Sydney tenancy is priced per square metre and depends on the shopfront, joinery, display, lighting and services. Centre design guidelines and after-hours work add to the cost. Verified bands are $1,000-$2,000/m2.

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 Sydney?

A straightforward Sydney 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. Sydney 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.