What will your fitout cost?
Office, shop, cafe, restaurant, medical or childcare. Answer four questions and get a Sydney cost range, a realistic program and the approval path — in ten seconds. No email needed to see the result.
Fitout costs by type of space
Each page has the rate band, worked examples, what drives the number and the approval path.
What a finished fitout looks like
Get a fixed price
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Sydney fitout rates, 2026
| $ per m² | Basic | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | 1,200–1,800 | 1,800–2,500 | 2,500–3,500 |
| Shop | 1,000–1,500 | 1,500–2,200 | 2,200–3,200 |
| Cafe, restaurant | 2,500–3,200 | 3,200–4,000 | 4,000–5,500 |
| Food court tenancy | 4,000–5,000 | 5,000–6,000 | 6,000–7,500 |
| Pharmacy | 1,800–2,400 | 2,400–3,200 | 3,200–4,200 |
| Gym, fitness studio | 1,200–1,800 | 1,800–2,500 | 2,500–3,500 |
| Medical, dental | 2,200–2,800 | 2,800–3,500 | 3,500–4,500 |
| Childcare | 2,000–2,600 | 2,600–3,300 | 3,300–4,200 |
Small tenancies under 80 m² run about 15% higher — fixed costs over less floor.
What drives the number
- Services — mechanical, electrical, hydraulics — are the biggest swing.
- A commercial kitchen and exhaust roughly doubles a hospitality budget.
- Joinery is where premium money goes.
- The base-building condition (make-good state) matters.
- Approvals add time more than money.
Questions people ask
How much does an office fitout cost in Sydney?
Between about $1,200 and $3,500 per m² in 2026. A basic refresh of an existing office — paint, carpet, some joinery — sits at the low end; a full design with new partitions, lighting, mechanical and feature joinery sits at the top. A 150 m² office lands between roughly $180,000 and $525,000 depending on finish.
How much does a shop fitout cost?
Retail runs $1,000–$3,200 per m². Shopfront glazing, display joinery and lighting drive it; a shop that keeps its existing services and changes finishes is cheapest.
How much does a cafe fitout cost?
Hospitality is the dearest per square metre — $2,500–$5,500 per m² — because of the kitchen, exhaust, grease trap, hydraulics and the council food-premises requirements that come with them.
How much does a food court fitout cost?
A food court tenancy in a Sydney shopping centre is usually 30–60 m² (typically about 40–50 m²) with the seating supplied by the centre, and costs $4,000–$7,500 per m², so a 45 m² outlet lands at roughly $200,000–$400,000. It is the dearest fitout per square metre: a full commercial kitchen, exhaust, grease arrestor and fire services squeezed into a small space, built to the centre's design rules, with after-hours work and the landlord's own approvals on top of council's.
How much does a medical fitout cost?
Medical and dental fitouts run $2,200–$4,500 per m². Infection control, accessibility, specialised plumbing and electrical, and the approvals that go with a health use push it above office rates.
How much does a childcare fitout cost?
Childcare centres run $2,000–$4,200 per m² of indoor area, before the outdoor play area. The National Quality Framework sets the space per child, every playroom group needs its own bathroom, and a new centre always needs a DA. Childcare fitout cost in detail.
Do I need council approval for a fitout?
Often not. Internal, non-structural work in a commercial building is usually exempt development under the NSW Codes SEPP. A change of use, a new shopfront or a food premises can go through a private certifier as complying development in a few weeks. Heritage buildings and some changes of use need a development application. The full approvals guide.
Where do these rates come from?
September 2026 Sydney design-and-construct pricing across the space types, set out in How much does a fitout cost in Sydney. They are a guide; a fixed price needs a walk-through.