An accurate office refurbishment quote starts with an accurate brief. If contractors receive different information, make different assumptions or price different levels of finish, the totals may look precise but they are not genuinely comparable.

A useful brief does not need to be a long technical document. It needs to explain what the business is trying to achieve, what is known about the building, which work is required and which decisions are still open. It should also state the budget, programme, access restrictions and information that each contractor must include in its response.

The practical aim is simple: give every tendering contractor the same starting point, then ask them to identify their assumptions, exclusions and remaining risks. That produces clearer conversations, fewer surprises and a much stronger basis for selecting the right proposal.

The short answer: what should an office refurbishment brief include?

Your brief should cover:

• The business reason for the refurbishment

• Details of the existing office and how it is currently used

• A room-by-room scope of work

• Items to retain, remove, repair or replace

• The required standard of finish

• A realistic budget range, clearly stating whether it includes VAT

• Target dates and any fixed operational deadlines

• Access, working-hour and occupied-building restrictions

• Available drawings, surveys and compliance information

• Landlord, managing-agent and approval requirements

• The format in which quotations should be returned

• A request for assumptions, exclusions, provisional sums and lead times

If these points are unclear, contractors will have to fill the gaps themselves. One may allow for new flooring throughout while another assumes local repairs. One may include out-of-hours working while another prices normal access. Those differences can create a misleading gap between quotations.

1. Start with the business objective

Begin by explaining why the project is happening and what a successful result should achieve. This helps the contractor understand the priorities behind the list of works.

The objective might be to:

• Accommodate a growing or changing team

• Support hybrid working

• Improve the client-facing environment

• Update a tired office without relocating

• Reconfigure meeting and collaboration space

• Improve staff facilities

• Complete a rebrand

• Resolve building-condition or compliance issues

• Prepare a space for a new tenant or occupation date

Include current and expected headcount, typical attendance patterns, visitor requirements and any future changes already planned. A layout designed for the number of desks on a drawing can still fail if it does not reflect how people actually work.

If you are still deciding whether the project is a fit-out or a refurbishment, read our guide to office fit-out versus refurbishment before finalising the brief.

2. Describe the existing office properly

Record the property address, floor or unit, approximate area and whether the space will be empty or occupied during the work. Note the building type, the areas included and any known defects or previous alterations.

Useful existing information can include:

• Floor plans and reflected ceiling plans

• Landlord or managing-agent fit-out guides

• Asbestos information

• Fire strategy documents

• Electrical, lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation records

• Access-control and security information

• Drainage and plumbing details

• Existing equipment or furniture schedules

• Photographs of each room and service area

Do not present uncertain information as fact. If drawings are old, areas are inaccessible or services have not been tested, say so. A contractor can then identify the surveys or opening-up work needed before offering a fixed construction price.

Our office refurbishment permissions checklist explains why planning permission is only one of several approvals that may need to be checked before work begins.

3. Build the scope room by room

A room-by-room structure is easier to price than a general request to “modernise the office”. List every relevant area, including reception, open-plan workspaces, meeting rooms, private offices, kitchens, tea points, washrooms, storage, corridors and external access areas.

For each space, state what will be retained, removed, repaired, altered or installed. The scope may need to cover:

• Strip-out and disposal

• Wall amendments and partitions

• Glazed partitions and doors

• Fire doors and associated hardware

• Ceiling tiles and access panels

• Flooring, preparation and skirtings

• Painting, decorating and branding

• Joinery, storage and fitted furniture

• Desks, seating and loose furniture

• Lighting, power and data

• Heating, cooling and ventilation

• Plumbing, drainage, kitchens and toilets

• Security, access control and audiovisual equipment

• Final cleaning, testing and handover information

Separate essential requirements from optional improvements. This allows contractors to return a compliant base price with clearly identified alternatives, rather than making different guesses about where value engineering may be acceptable.

4. State the required quality and finish

Words such as “high quality”, “modern” and “commercial grade” are open to interpretation. Where the finish matters, provide a product, performance requirement, visual reference or approved equivalent.

For example, identify the expected flooring type, partition performance, colour scheme, ironmongery finish, lighting approach and durability needed in high-traffic areas. If materials must match existing finishes, include photographs and allow for samples to be approved.

Avoid over-specifying products before the existing building has been reviewed. A clear performance requirement can give the contractor room to suggest a suitable alternative while keeping the quotation aligned with the intended result.

5. Give a realistic VAT-inclusive budget expectation

A budget helps the project team propose a scope and specification that can actually be delivered. It should state whether VAT, professional fees, surveys, furniture, IT equipment, landlord costs and contingency are included.

Barry Turner & Son has advised that office refurbishment projects can range from approximately £5,000 to £120,000 including VAT, depending on the size of the office and the work required. Redecoration, electrical alterations, flooring, ceiling tiles, glazed partitions, wall changes, plumbing, toilet facilities, furniture and rebranding can all change the final figure.

That range is planning guidance, not a rate card. The condition of the building, access, specification, working hours and level of uncertainty still need to be assessed. Our London office refurbishment cost guide explains the main variables in more detail.

If the approved budget is not yet fixed, provide a working range and ask contractors to explain what can be achieved within it. Hiding the budget rarely creates better value; it often produces proposals that solve different versions of the project.

6. Explain the programme and operational constraints

State the preferred start date, completion date and occupation date, plus any lease event, school holiday, shutdown period or client commitment that cannot move.

Barry Turner & Son has indicated that many office refurbishment programmes fall within a two-to-eight-week site period. The actual duration depends on scope, office size, access, design decisions, approvals, procurement and whether the building remains in use.

Your brief should explain:

• Permitted working hours

• Restrictions on noisy or dusty work

• Loading, parking and delivery arrangements

• Lift use and shared access routes

• Security and sign-in requirements

• Available welfare, power and water

• Material-storage limitations

• Areas that must remain operational

• Required phasing or temporary facilities

• Daily cleaning and hand-back expectations

Phased and out-of-hours work can reduce disruption, but it may also affect sequencing, productivity and cost. Contractors need to understand these restrictions before pricing, not after appointment.

7. Identify approvals and decision-makers

Name the person who can approve scope, finishes, costs and programme changes. Also identify any landlord, managing agent, designer, facilities representative, IT team or specialist consultant who will influence decisions.

Record what approvals are already in place and what remains outstanding. Depending on the project, this may include landlord consent, planning or listed-building checks, Building Regulations, fire-safety review, asbestos information and construction health-and-safety arrangements.

Clear decision-making matters because even a well-planned site programme can be delayed by late approvals, unanswered technical questions or materials released too late.

8. Ask every contractor to price in the same format

Set out the information that each quotation must contain. At minimum, request:

• An itemised price aligned with the scope

• Confirmation of whether VAT is included

• A proposed programme and lead times

• Assumptions and exclusions

• Provisional sums and the reason for each one

• Optional items priced separately

• Payment terms and quotation validity

• The proposed project team

• Insurance and health-and-safety information

• Information still required from the client

• The process for approving variations

• Testing, certification, warranties and handover deliverables

Where one contractor includes an item and another excludes it, adjust the comparison before judging the totals. The lowest headline figure may not represent the lowest final cost if important works have been omitted or left as unclear provisional sums.

9. Compare quotations on a like-for-like basis

Review each return against the brief rather than comparing the total alone. Check:

• Has the full room-by-room scope been included?

• Are quantities and specifications comparable?

• Are VAT and professional costs treated consistently?

• Are access restrictions and working hours allowed for?

• Are surveys, approvals and unknown conditions identified?

• Are lead times compatible with the programme?

• Are testing, certification and handover included?

• Are exclusions clear and reasonable?

• Does the proposal explain how the work will be managed?

Create one clarification list and issue the same relevant questions to each contractor. Record any revised assumptions in writing so the final decision is based on the same scope.

A practical pre-quotation checklist

Before sending the brief, confirm that you have:

• Defined the project objective and success criteria

• Recorded headcount, attendance and operational needs

• Included every room and work package

• Marked items to retain, repair, remove and replace

• Provided existing plans, surveys and photographs

• Stated the VAT-inclusive budget or working range

• Set realistic target dates and access rules

• Identified required approvals and decision-makers

• Separated essential and optional works

• Requested assumptions, exclusions and provisional sums

• Asked for an itemised price and programme

• Allowed time for a site visit and clarification period

Turn the brief into a buildable project

The strongest brief is clear enough to price but honest about what is still unknown. It gives contractors a common starting point, creates a written record of priorities and makes it easier to identify risks before they become variations on site.

Barry Turner & Son delivers commercial refurbishment and fit-out work across London, Kent and surrounding areas. The team can review an existing office, identify missing information and help turn an early requirement into a practical scope, budget and programme.

If you are preparing an office refurbishment brief, request a site review and quotation to discuss the space, priorities, access and next steps.

Frequently asked questions

How detailed should an office refurbishment brief be?

It should be detailed enough for contractors to understand the same scope, quality, access conditions and programme. Where information is not available, identify the gap and ask contractors to state what survey or decision is needed.

Should I give contractors my budget?

Yes. State an approved budget or realistic working range and confirm whether it includes VAT, fees, furniture, IT, landlord costs and contingency. This helps the team develop a deliverable proposal instead of designing to an unknown figure.

Why are office refurbishment quotes so different?

Quotations often differ because contractors have allowed for different work, specifications, access arrangements or levels of risk. An itemised brief and a written list of assumptions and exclusions make those differences easier to identify.

Can a contractor give a fixed quote without a site survey?

Only where the scope and existing conditions are sufficiently clear. Surveys, service testing or opening-up works may be required before unknown conditions can be removed from the price.

How long should I allow for an office refurbishment?

Many office refurbishment site programmes fall within approximately two to eight weeks, but design, approvals, procurement and access planning happen before the work starts. The final programme should be based on the actual scope and building constraints.