Between about $1,000 and $5,500 per square metre in 2026, depending on what the space is and how far the fitout goes. The table below is the design-and-construct range for each type of space, excluding GST, furniture, equipment and base-building work. Every figure comes from the same September 2026 Sydney pricing the calculator uses.
| $ per m² | Basic | Mid | Premium | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office | 1,200–1,800 | 1,800–2,500 | 2,500–3,500 | Office fitout cost |
| Shop | 1,000–1,500 | 1,500–2,200 | 2,200–3,200 | Shop fitout cost |
| Cafe | 2,500–3,200 | 3,200–4,000 | 4,000–5,500 | Cafe fitout cost |
| Restaurant | 2,500–3,200 | 3,200–4,000 | 4,000–5,500 | Restaurant fitout cost |
| Medical, dental | 2,200–2,800 | 2,800–3,500 | 3,500–4,500 | Medical fitout cost |
| Childcare | 2,000–2,600 | 2,600–3,300 | 3,300–4,200 | Childcare fitout cost |
Small tenancies under 80 m² run about 15% higher — the fixed costs of mobilising, certifying and connecting services are spread over less floor.
What "basic, mid and premium" mean
- Basic keeps the existing services — ceiling, lighting, air conditioning, plumbing — and changes what you can see: paint, floors, basic joinery, a counter. It is only possible where the last tenant's fitout was the same kind of use.
- Mid re-plans the space: new partitions, new lighting layout, joinery designed for the business, some mechanical and hydraulic work, feature finishes in the front of house.
- Premium is a full design-and-build: new services throughout, bespoke joinery, feature ceilings and floors, specialist lighting and acoustics. This is where flagship retail, hospitality and specialist medical sit.
What is not in the per-square-metre rate
- GST — add 10%.
- Loose furniture and equipment — desks and chairs, the espresso machine, dental chairs, cool rooms, point of sale.
- Base-building work — anything the landlord should be doing: the slab, the facade, the main switchboard, the building's fire services, an accessible WC in the common area.
- Data, security and AV — usually separate contractors.
- Outdoor areas — a childcare playground or a restaurant terrace is priced on its own.
- Make-good of your previous premises — see below.
How the number splits
Construction is 85–92% of the all-in figure. Design — the architect or designer, the documentation, the engineer where needed — is 5% of construction for a basic job, 8% for mid and 10% for premium. Approvals and certification are 1.5% for exempt work, 3% for complying development and 6% for a DA. The calculator shows the three lines separately.
Make-good and defit
Most commercial leases require the tenant to hand the premises back in the condition they were received — the make-good. A defit of an office or shop runs $150–$350 per m²; a hospitality defit with exhaust, grease trap and hydraulics to remove runs $300–$600 per m². Negotiating a cash settlement with the landlord instead is often cheaper than doing the work, and a builder's quote is the number to negotiate from.
Budgeting rule of thumb
Take the mid-range rate for your type of space, multiply by the floor area, add 10% GST and 10% contingency, and add the equipment separately. For a 150 m² office that is $2,150 × 150 = $322,500, plus GST and contingency, about $390,000 all in before furniture. Then get a fixed price before you sign the lease.