On a commercial or industrial site, the price tag is rarely just the work. It's the access plan, the height-safety setup, the make-good, the certification, and the cost of doing all of it without shutting the business down. Two contractors can quote the same scope and land thousands apart — not because one is cheaper, but because one priced the scaffold, the after-hours shifts and the waste removal while the other left them "provisional". On a commercial job, the price is a contract, not a number.
Everything is specified up a grade, too. Roof sheeting is heavier-gauge and warrantied longer; door operators are built for far more cycles than a residential opener; fire, electrical and structural work is signed off to Australian Standards by accredited people. Add height, restricted access, asbestos on stock built before the 1990s, traffic management on a street frontage, and the loading for working nights or weekends to keep you trading — and the same nominal job runs well past its residential equivalent.
These guides are built for facilities and property managers, strata committees, builders and owners. Each one breaks a trade down to its real line items, the drivers that move the number, and the 2026 ranges Australian businesses are genuinely paying — so you can budget with confidence and read a quote with a sharp eye. Pick a trade above for its full cost guide and to compare quotes from contractors who do commercial work in your city.
Commercial pricing tracks how a building is classified and used under the National Construction Code (the Class 2–9 system). These guides span roofing, fire safety, commercial doors, fit-out, line marking, asbestos removal, scaffolding, commercial painting and flooring - plus commercial cleaning, pest control, electrical, plumbing, air conditioning and security across the full non-residential and strata range:
Who are these guides for?
Facilities and property managers, strata committees and building managers, builders pricing subtrades, and owners scoping capital works or a compliance budget.
Are the prices GST-inclusive?
The ranges are GST-inclusive unless marked +GST. Trade and B2B quotes are often presented ex-GST, so confirm the basis before you compare.
Is commercial work tendered or just quoted?
Smaller jobs are quoted directly; larger or recurring works often go to tender or a negotiated contract with provisional sums, retention and a defects-liability period.
Why is commercial so much more than residential?
Higher-spec materials and plant, plus access, height, compliance, certification, asbestos risk on older buildings, and the premium for working around a live business.
Do you cover ongoing maintenance or multiple sites?
Several of these — fire compliance especially — are recurring obligations. Describe the scope or portfolio in your enquiry and we'll match you with contractors set up for scheduled and multi-site work.