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Keep up to dateIndicative building costs | |||
Low rise £/m2 | Medium rise £/m2 | High rise £/m2 | |
Basic speculative offices | |||
Non air-conditioned | 450-630 | 560-770 | 670-920 |
Air-conditioned | 550-760 | 650-930 | 900-1150 |
High quality speculative offices | |||
Non air-conditioned | 600-900 | 700-1050 | - |
Mixed-mode ventilated | 950-1250 | 1050-1350 | 1150-1500 |
Air-conditioned | 750-1050 | 850-1300 | 1000-1450 |
Prestige office buildings | |||
- | 1100-1325 | 1350-1800 | |
Costs are at outer London price levels for August 1996 (DL&E outer London tender index of 262). | |||
Costs of demolitions, external works and enabling works are excluded |
Cost breakdown | |||
Element cost (£) | £/m2 gfa (£) | % of total cost | |
Substructure | 295 900 | 29.01 | 3 |
Reinforced insitu concrete raft foundations, insulation and waterproofing | 2775 m2 @ | £105 | |
300 mm high reinforced insitu concrete perimeter upstand, insulation and damp proofing | 225 m @ | £20 | |
Frame and upper floors | 1 002 700 | 98.3 | 10.18 |
Reinforced insitu concrete frame and upper floors: 3.5 kN/m2 live load, 450 mm diameter columns, 450 mm thick troughed slabs, average reinforcement 85 kg/m3 | 7125 m2 @ | £110 | |
300 mm high reinforced insitu concrete perimeter upstand | 985 m @ | £20 | |
Extra over for 7.5 kN/m2 live loading for plant and storage areas | 425 m2 @ | £14 | |
Extra for fair-faced finish to circular columns | 740 m2 @ | £5 | |
Extra for architectural finish to exposed soffits | 7125 m2 @ | £15 | |
Structural steel framing to lightweight roofing, universal sections | 10 t @ | £970 | |
Structural steel framing to curtain walling and atrium, rolled hollow sections | 50 t @ | £1,200 | |
Intumescent paint to structural steelwork | 120 m2 @ | £25 | |
Additional steelwork framing to plant rooms, risers etc | allow | £10 000 | |
Roof | 638 300 | 62.58 | 6.48 |
Reinforced insitu concrete frame and roof slab, upstands, average reinforcement content 65 kb/m3 | 2250 m2 @ | £100 | |
Extra for 7.5 kN/m2 live loading for plant rooms | 300 m2 @ | £14 | |
Extra for fair-faced finish to circular columns | 250 m2 @ | £5 | |
Extra for architectural finish to exposed soffits | 2250 m2 @ | £15 | |
Inverted roof coverings, single-ply membrane, rigid sheet insulation, ballast, including allowances for upstands, kerbs etc | 2250 m2 @ | £45 | |
Atrium glazing: sealed double-glazed units, monopitch configuration, automatic opening vents for natural ventilation control | 290 m2 @ | £350 | |
Roof-level solar shading to atrium, aluminium aerofoil sections with fixed pitch | 215 m2 @ | £300 | |
Lightweight raised seam aluminium roofing, secondary supports, insulation, vapour barrier and sheet lining, accessories | 490 m2 @ | £90 | |
Rainwater goods, aluminium gutters and concealed downpipes | 2775 m2 @ | £10 | |
Access gantries for atrium maintenance and cleaning, including balustrades and handrails | item @ | £25 000 | |
Mansafe system for roof access to atrium | item @ | £10 000 | |
Stairs | 144 800 | 14.2 | 1.47 |
Atrium feature stairs; steel framing, limestone treads, powder-coated finish, armoured glass balustrade, hardwood handrail | 3 flights @ | £12 000 | |
Escape stairs: precast concrete, granolitihic finishes, mild steel handrails and balustrades | 18 flights @ | £4,000 | |
Access stairs, catwalks and platforms to plant rooms and roof levels | item @ | £20 000 | |
15 mm armoured plate glass balustrade and hardwood handrail at permieter of atrium | 35 m @ | £480 | |
External walls and windows | 2 055 900 | 201.56 | 20.88 |
Double-glazed curtain walling, insulated aluminium framing, mechanically operated clerestory opening lights, manually operated opening lights, ceramic fritting, aluminium spandrel panels | 4050 m2 @ | £320 | |
Double-glazed curtain walling to atrium at high level, insulated aluminium framing, mechanically operated opening lights | 165 m2 @ | £300 | |
Double-glazed Planar frameless glazing to entrance lobby, structural steel support | 80 m2 @ | £450 | |
Aluminium composite solar shading and light shelf, fixed vanes, support steelwork and bracing | 1100 m2 @ | £200 | |
Flat aluminium composite cladding panels, cladding rails, insulation, 150 mm blockwork backing wall including accessories and wind bracing to plant rooms | 300 m2 @ | £140 | |
Composite masonry walling: handmade facing brickwork (bricks @ £450 per 1000), insulation, 140 mm blockwork inner leaf, ties, wind bracing, closers, head restraint | 3185 m2 @ | £110 | |
Aluminium copings, flashings and perimeter details to curtain walling system | 400 m @ | £50 | |
Reconstituted limestone copings, cappings and string courses to masonry walling | 300 m @ | £50 | |
Louvres to plant rooms and intakes | 150 m2 @ | £180 | |
External doors | 54 800 | 5.37 | 0.55 |
Revolving doors to entrance lobby, in glass enclosure | 2 @ | £18 000 | |
Fully glazed double doors to entrance lobby | 2 @ | £4,000 | |
Escape doors: insulated powder-coated steel doors and frames, stainless steel and aluminium ironmongery | 4 @ | £900 | |
Internal partitions | 741 500 | 72.7 | 7.53 |
140 mm thick solid blockwork, fair-faced work, including accessories | 2550 m2 @ | £25 | |
Metal stud partition: two layers 12.5 mm plasterboard both sides, insulation, skim coate | 880 m2 @ | £35 | |
Metal stud partition, shaftwall construction, 19 mm core board, two layers 12.5 mm plasterboard one side, skim coat | 850 m2 @ | £50 | |
Glazed aluminium-framed screens to atrium perimeter, mechanically operated opening lights linked to building management system | 1650 m2 @ | £280 | |
Frameless, toughened, silicone-jointed glass enclosure to lifts | 320 m2 @ | £350 | |
Plastic laminate finish WC cubicles and doors | 56 @ | £350 | |
Plastic laminate finish full-height ductcasing, IPS or similar | 90 m @ | £120 | |
Internal doors | 99 800 | 9.78 | 1.01 |
Veneer-faced solid core doors, fire resisting vision panels, stainless steel ironmongery | 50 @ | £800 | |
Ply-faced solid core doors for painting, satin anodised aluminium ironmongery | 58 @ | £600 | |
Allowance for riser access doors and panels | item @ | £25 000 | |
Wall finishes | 49 900 | 4.89 | 0.51 |
Emulsion paint to blockwork/plasterboard | 900 m2 @ | £2 | |
Plasterboard drylining to blockwork, 12.5 mm wallboard on metal-framed firrings, skim coat | 1750 m2 @ | £10 | |
Limestone cladding to blockwork partitions in reception area | 180 m2 @ | £120 | |
Ceramic tiling to WCs | 180 m2 @ | £50 | |
Floor finishes | 503 800 | 49.39 | 5.12 |
Concrete hardener / dust sealant to raised floor plenum and plant room areas | 8400 m2 @ | £2 | |
Medium-duty raised floor to office areas, 450 mm high | 8100 m2 @ | £30 | |
Extra for bridging support to raised floors and factory cutting to tiles for grilles and socket outlets | 8100 m2 @ | £18 | |
Limestone tiles, sand/cement screed to reception area | 175 m2 @ | £100 | |
Hardwood flooring to atrium | 375 m2 @ | £100 | |
Hardwood skirtings | 1700 m @ | £8 | |
Ceramic non-slip floor tiles to WCs, sand/cement screed | 360 m2 @ | £60 | |
Coved ceramic skirting to WC areas | 300 m @ | £10 | |
Entrance mats and frames | item @ | £5,000 | |
Ceiling finishes | 76 400 | 7.49 | 0.78 |
Paint finish to exposed soffit of troughed slab, sealer and masonry paint | 14 900 m2 @ | £3.50 | |
Suspended ceilings to WC areas | 430 m2 @ | £25 | |
Plasterboard feature ceiling to reception/public areas | 135 m2 @ | £100 | |
Fittings, fixtures and furniture | 59 800 | 5.86 | 0.61 |
Reception desk | item @ | £20 000 | |
Vanity units | 8 @ | £600 | |
Manually operated window blinds to office areas | 1100 m2 @ | £30 | |
Mirrors | item @ | £2,000 | |
6 nr catering sinks for kitchen area | allow | £2,500 | |
Sanitary appliances | 70 600 | 6.92 | 0.72 |
Sanitary fittings, basins, WCs, urinals, showers | 130 @ | £500 | |
Cleaners' sinks | 8 @ | £700 | |
Services equipment | 153 000 | 15 | 1.55 |
Building management system, including automatic control of opening lights in external walls and fixed internal partitions, lighting control system | 10 200 m2 @ | £15 | |
Disposal installations | 61 200 | 6 | 0.62 |
Rainwater disposal, aluminium and plastics pipework | 10 200 m2 @ | £2 | |
Sanitary disposal, plastics pipework | 10 200 m2 @ | £4 | |
Water installations | 117 200 | 11.49 | 1.19 |
Copper rising main, boosted cold water, localised hot water heaters | 10 200 m2 @ | £11 | |
Drinking water | item @ | £5,000 | |
Space heating and air treatment | 1 206 000 | 118.24 | 12.25 |
Gas installation | item @ | £18 000 | |
Air-handling plant, refrigeration and heat recovery. Displacement ventilation system to office areas, provision for four-pipe, fan-coil system to cellular space and localised officve areas, ductwork terminated at floor level | 10 200 m2 @ | £65 | |
Low-temperature hot water heating, finned tube convectors, pipework, insulation, gas-fired boilers | 10 200 m2 @ | £42 | |
Toilet extract installation | 10 200 m2 @ | £3 | |
Mechanical smoke extract to atrium | 16 500 m3 @ | £4 | |
Electrical installations | 808 000 | 79.22 | 8.21 |
Mains supply, high/low voltage intake, transformers, switchgear | 10 200 m2 @ | £6 | |
Power supply to mechanical plant | 10 200 m2 @ | £5 | |
Low-voltage distribution in risers to office areas | 10 200 m2 @ | £10 | |
Small power to landlord's areas | 1750 m2 @ | £10 | |
Lighting and emergency lighting to landlord's areas | 1750 m2 @ | £25 | |
Lighting to office areas, purpose-made, low glare fittings, category 2 luminaires providing uplight/downlight illumination to 350 lux, automatic controls | 8450 m2 @ | £40 | |
Controls to office areas lighting, excluding dimming | 8450 m2 @ | £10 | |
Standby power, two diesel generators | item @ | £110 000 | |
Lift installation | 230 000 | 22.55 | 2.34 |
Thirteen-person hydraulic lift, glass car, travel speed 1 m/s, serving four levels (glazed enclosure measured separately) | 2 @ | £85 000 | |
2000 kg hydraulic goods lift; stainless steel car, serving four levels | 1 @ | £60 000 | |
Protective installations | 50 600 | 4.96 | 0.51 |
Earthing and bonding | 10 200 m2 @ | £2 | |
Lightning protection | 10 200 m2 @ | £1 | |
Dry riser installation | item @ | £20 000 | |
Communications systems | 61 200 | 6 | 0.62 |
Fire, smoke-detection, alarm and public-address system | 10 200 m2 @ | £4 | |
Wireways for telephones and structured cable only | 10 200 m2 @ | £2 | |
Builders work in connection with services | 201 500 | 19.75 | 2.05 |
Associated builders'work: service ducts and risers, holes sleeves, chases, bases, fire stopping etc | allow | 7.50% | |
Preliminaries and contingencies | 1 164 000 | 114.12 | 11.82 |
Contractor's management and staff, site accommodation and establishment | allow | 8% | |
Design and reserve and contingency | allow | 5% | |
Total for shell-and-core construction | 9 846 900 | 965.38 | 100 |
Element cost (£) | £/m2 gfa (£) | % of total cost | |
DEVELOPER's CATEGORY A FIT-OUT | |||
(based on net lettable area of 8450 m2) | |||
Wall finishes | 6 000 | 0.6 | 0.65 |
Emulsion paint to plasterboard partitions and drylining in office areas | 3 000 m2 @ | £2 | |
Floor finishes | 228 200 | 22.37 | 24.24 |
Carpet tile finish to raised floor tiles (raised floor included in shell and core) | 8450 m2 @ | £27 | |
Services installation | 50 700 | 4.97 | 5.39 |
Extension of building management system to office areas | 8450 m2 @ | £6 | |
Space heating and air treatment | 278 500 | 27.3 | 29.58 |
Displacement ventilation installation, distribution ductwork in office area, floor-mounted diffusers, interface, with central building management system | 7950 m2 @ | £30 | |
Distributive ventilation installations, four-pipe, fan-coil installation to localised areas, distribution ductwork, pipework, fan-coil units, grilles and diffusers, insulation, condensate drainage, controls, interface with central building management system | 500 m2 @ | £80 | |
Electrical installations | 199 000 | 19.51 | 21.14 |
Small power installation, under-floor distribution, one outlet per 5 m2 of office accommodation | 8450 m2 @ | £20 | |
UPS installation | item @ | £30 000 | |
Communication systems | 67 600 | 6.63 | 7.19 |
Final connections of fire, smoke-detection, alarm and public-address systems in office areas | 8450 m2 @ | £8 | |
Preliminaries and contingencies | 111 200 | 10.9 | 11.81 |
Contractor's management and staff, site accommodation and establishment | allow | 8% | |
Design reserve and contingency | say | 5% | |
Total for developer's category A fit-out | 941 200 | 92.28 | 100 |
Total construction cost (excluding external works) | 10 788 100 | 1057.66 | - |
Alternative element specifications | |||
Net extra / (saving) £/m2 gfa | |||
Substructure | |||
Construction of basement car park in lieu of raft foundation, reduced level dig, insitu concrete loadbearing structure, drop head columns 2775m2 @ £190 | 58.6 | ||
Frame and upper floors | |||
Composite frame construction: Slimfloor system, structural steel framing with welded plates to top and bottom flanges, precast floor slabs (extra over cost includes suspended ceiling) 7125 m2 @ £80 | -7.92 | ||
Extra over cost of white concrete for exposed floor and roof slabs in lieu of ordinary Portland cement concrete 2800 m2 @ £100 | 31.1 | ||
Roof | |||
Two-coat asphalt roofing, vapour barrier, ballast 2250 m2 @ £35 | -2.5 | ||
Grass roof, vapour barrier, waterproofing membrane, roof barrier, drainage board, insulation, top soil and seed, including allowance for perimeter balustrading, (120 m @ £100) 500 m2 @ £125 | 4.45 | ||
External walls | |||
Portland stone cladding on precast concrete units, with blockwork backing wall, in lieu of composite masonry walling 3185 m2 @ £380 | 95.6 | ||
Double-glazed curtain walling, composite aluminium and softwood framing, manual and mechanically operated opening lights, in lieu of aluminium-framed curtain walling 4050 m2 @ £270 | -22.5 | ||
Triple-glazed indirectly openable curtain walling, sealed double-glazing units with opening lights, fully glazed wind shield, insulated glass with ceramic fritting, in lieu of aluminium-framed curtain walling 4050 m2 @ £700 | 171.1 | ||
Ceiling finishes | |||
Suspended ceiling in lieu of exposed soffit of troughed slab with high-quality finish 8800 m2 @ £35 | 19.57 | ||
Space, heating and air treatment | |||
Chilled ceiling installation to office areas, 70% active cooling panels 8450 m2 @ £180 | 65.76 | ||
Four-pipe, fan-coil air-conditioning installation to office areas (extra over cost includes suspended ceiling) 8450 m2 @ £130 | 48.89 |
Regional variations | |
All costs are based on a scheme located in South-East England and should be adjusted using the following location factors for schemes in other regions: | |
Inner London | 1.09 |
Outer London | 1.03 |
South-West | 0.94 |
East Midlands | 0.92 |
West Midlands | 0.93 |
East Anglia | 0.95 |
Yorkshire and Humberside | 0.93 |
North-West | 0.97 |
Northern | 0.94 |
Scotland | 0.97 |
Wales | 0.92 |
Northern Ireland | 0.79 |