Office Refurbishment delivered in City of London, London EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4
City of London · Office Refurbishment

Office Refurbishment in City of London

Office Refurbishment across City of London (EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4). Full-service office refurbishment for occupied and vacant London commercial space. We deliver CAT B fit-outs, M&E upgrades, partitioning, flooring, decorating and lighting under a single fixed-price contract, with a named project manager and principal contractor duties under CDM 2015.

Estate-approvedCDM 2015FIRASNICEIC£10M insured

Office Refurbishment in City of London — what businesses typically need

Office Refurbishment across City of London (EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4) is delivered by our in-house commercial team with current estate approvals and compliance records on file. We have completed works in or adjacent to 22 Bishopsgate, The Leadenhall Building, 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie-Talkie), The Scalpel, 100 Liverpool Street among others. Teams mobilise from our London operations base, with direct transport links via Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Bank, Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street, St Paul's, Aldgate and the new Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Every project is run by a named project manager reporting weekly with photographs and programme RAG. Out-of-hours loading, estate permit-to-work and managing-agent liaison are included in the prelims — not charged as variations.

The City of London market is dominated by global investment banks and trading houses, top-tier law firms and professional services, insurance and reinsurance (lloyd's market), each with distinct office refurbishment requirements — programme compression, landlord co-ordination, out-of-hours delivery, and full compliance ownership. Our commercial team has delivered office refurbishment in trophy buildings including 22 Bishopsgate, The Leadenhall Building, 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie-Talkie), The Scalpel.

The Square Mile is London's densest office market — 9m+ sqft of Grade A stock across trophy towers (22 Bishopsgate, Leadenhall Building, Walkie-Talkie, Scalpel) and period blocks around Liverpool Street and Moorgate. Occupiers are dominated by financial services, professional services, insurance and legal, with increasing tech and life-sciences take-up post-2022.

Our commercial delivery model

Standard working hours are 08:00–18:00 Mon–Fri; heavy noise works typically only permitted 08:00–18:00 or out-of-hours by managing-agent agreement. Trophy buildings commonly mandate loading slots booked 72 hours in advance. Loading bays are pre-booked through estate management — Broadgate, Paternoster, Aldgate all operate tight loading windows. Vehicles over 7.5t face restrictions in the City's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and in some streets under the Bank Junction traffic restrictions.

  1. Stage 1

    Measured survey and condition report within 5 working days

  2. Stage 2

    Space plan and CAT B design brief in 2 weeks

  3. Stage 3

    Fixed-price quote with CAT A dilapidations split

  4. Stage 4

    Principal contractor appointment under CDM 2015

  5. Stage 5

    Mobilisation with agreed DSEAR, RAMS and induction pack

  6. Stage 6

    Weekly programme reports to landlord and managing agent

  7. Stage 7

    Handover with O&M manuals, as-built drawings and building control sign-off

Programme, budget, and disruption

TierRangeWhat's covered
Light refresh£45–£75 per sqftPaint, carpet, light fittings, minor partitioning
Standard CAT B£85–£140 per sqftNew partitioning, flooring, M&E alterations, joinery, full redecoration
High-spec CAT B£160–£250 per sqftBespoke joinery, specialist lighting, VRF upgrade, executive suites
Trophy / HQ£275–£400+ per sqftArchitectural feature work, marble, timber, audio-visual, wellness spaces

City, Canary Wharf and prime Westminster carry a typical 10–20% premium over outer London zones due to loading restrictions, out-of-hours working and estate-approval overheads. Figures are guide ranges — we provide a fixed quote after survey.

Typical works we deliver in City of London

CAT B fit-out — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

CAT A plus — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Dilapidations works — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Partitioning — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Ceilings — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Flooring — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Redecoration — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

M&E alterations — delivered in City of London under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Planning and compliance for Office Refurbishment in City of London

Works in the City engage the City of London Corporation's planning framework and, for listed buildings, Listed Building Consent. Out-of-hours loading is tightly controlled under the Code of Construction Practice. Many buildings carry conservation area or heritage designations requiring specialist finishes and reversible alteration.

Service-specific compliance

CDM 2015 (principal contractor + principal designer route)FIRAS fire-stopping certification on compartmentationNICEIC certification on all electrical worksPart B fire safety compliancePart E acoustic performance testingPart M accessibility — level thresholds, door widths, WCsBS 5266 emergency lighting testingEICR report at completion£10M public and £10M professional indemnity

Buildings we have worked in across City of London

Notable buildings

  • 22 Bishopsgate
  • The Leadenhall Building
  • 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie-Talkie)
  • The Scalpel
  • 100 Liverpool Street
  • One Angel Court
  • Aldgate Tower
  • Salesforce Tower (Heron Tower)
  • Tower 42
  • Broadgate Tower
  • 1 Finsbury Circus
  • Paternoster Square
  • One New Change
  • Cannon Place

Notable estates

  • Broadgate Estate (British Land / GIC)
  • Paternoster Square (Mitsubishi Estate)
  • Aldgate Place
  • City of London Corporation managed zones
  • Great Portland Estates holdings

Reference list available on request under NDA.

Our process — seven stages

  1. Survey

    Measured condition survey within 5 working days, including M&E, fabric and compliance review.

  2. Brief

    Scope capture workshop with stakeholders — occupier, landlord, managing agent, FM team.

  3. Design

    Stage 3 design package with space plan, M&E schedules, specification and CAT A/B split.

  4. Fixed quote

    Lump-sum price against the design package. All prelims transparent.

  5. Mobilisation

    CDM notification, RAMS, permit-to-work, landlord licence-to-alter, estate approvals.

  6. Delivery

    Weekly client reports with photos, programme RAG, variation log, compliance status.

  7. Handover

    O&M manuals, as-built drawings, building-regs sign-off, 12-month defects period.

Office Refurbishment specifications by building type

Trophy tower Grade A (25,000+ sqft floor plates)

Office Refurbishment in trophy tower grade a (25,000+ sqft floor plates) is typically specified to light refresh level — paint, carpet, light fittings, minor partitioning. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Period refurbished blocks (5,000–15,000 sqft plates)

Office Refurbishment in period refurbished blocks (5,000–15,000 sqft plates) is typically specified to standard cat b level — new partitioning, flooring, m&e alterations, joinery, full redecoration. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Listed buildings in conservation areas (Bank, Guildhall)

Office Refurbishment in listed buildings in conservation areas (bank, guildhall) is typically specified to high-spec cat b level — bespoke joinery, specialist lighting, vrf upgrade, executive suites. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Converted warehouses (Shoreditch edge of EC2)

Office Refurbishment in converted warehouses (shoreditch edge of ec2) is typically specified to trophy / hq level — architectural feature work, marble, timber, audio-visual, wellness spaces. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Out-of-hours, weekend, and live-environment working

We deliver refurbishment works in live offices through phased 6pm–6am night shifts and weekend programmes. Dust-sealed segregation with negative-pressure extract, scent-neutral paint systems and noise planning co-ordinated with the managing agent. Out-of-hours staff are CSCS-inducted and attend the building's specific permit-to-work and fire evacuation briefings.

Standard working hours are 08:00–18:00 Mon–Fri; heavy noise works typically only permitted 08:00–18:00 or out-of-hours by managing-agent agreement. Trophy buildings commonly mandate loading slots booked 72 hours in advance. Loading bays are pre-booked through estate management — Broadgate, Paternoster, Aldgate all operate tight loading windows. Vehicles over 7.5t face restrictions in the City's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and in some streets under the Bank Junction traffic restrictions.

Planned preventative maintenance (PPM)

All City of London occupiers benefit from a PPM framework covering L8 water hygiene, EICR, emergency lighting, F-Gas registers and fabric maintenance. For a scoped PPM package in City of London see Office Maintenance in City of London or Commercial Maintenance in City of London.

Case studies

Anonymised project outlines from our City of London and adjacent-area portfolio — full reference list with contact introductions available on request under NDA.

Financial services HQ refurbishment

Scope · 12,000 sqft

Budget band · £1.6M

Programme · 14 weeks

Full CAT B including executive suite, trading floor, client meeting rooms

Delivered under single-contractor D&B with CDM 2015 principal contractor duty. Full compliance pack at handover.

Professional services CAT A plus

Scope · 7,500 sqft

Budget band · £620k

Programme · 9 weeks

Partitioning, flooring, LED lighting upgrade, redecoration

Delivered under single-contractor D&B with CDM 2015 principal contractor duty. Full compliance pack at handover.

Tech occupier refresh

Scope · 4,200 sqft

Budget band · £310k

Programme · 6 weeks

Open plan redesign, acoustic treatment, tea point and meeting rooms

Delivered under single-contractor D&B with CDM 2015 principal contractor duty. Full compliance pack at handover.

FAQs — Office Refurbishment in City of London

Can you work while our staff remain in the office?

Yes. We phase refurbishment into occupied and decanted zones, with physical hoarding, air-sealed segregation, and noise-generating works confined to out-of-hours shifts. A typical floor plate can be refurbished in 2–3 phases over 8–14 weeks.

How do you price refurbishment — open-book or fixed?

We price fixed lump-sum against an agreed scope. Any variations are priced per item with a written instruction before works proceed. No open-book percentage markups.

Do you handle the CAT A dilapidations split?

Yes. Where a lease requires CAT A reinstatement on exit, we split the quote between permanent CAT B works and end-of-lease reinstatement, so you can plan the dilapidations liability from day one.

What warranty do you provide?

10-year structural warranty where applicable; 2 years on M&E alterations; manufacturer warranties on finishes, carpet, flooring and light fittings passed through to the client.

Are you insured for commercial works in the City and Canary Wharf?

Yes — £10M public liability and £10M professional indemnity. Full cover for works in managed estates including Broadgate, Canary Wharf Group, Great Portland Estates and Grosvenor.

Do you handle landlord licence-to-alter applications?

Yes. Our project manager liaises with the managing agent and landlord's surveyor throughout, including drawings, M&E schedules, and dilapidations undertakings.

Do you hold estate approvals for Broadgate, Paternoster and Aldgate?

Yes — we hold up-to-date CSCS, insurance and compliance records on file with all major City estate managers. First mobilisation time from instruction is typically 5 working days.

How do loading restrictions affect programme?

Loading is pre-booked with the estate — for typical CAT B fit-out we request a rolling 72-hour slot allocation. For out-of-hours deliveries (6am–8am, 6pm–10pm) we book 2 weeks ahead.

Can you work around trading hours for investment banks?

Yes. Most works are phased into 6pm–6am night shifts with full dust-sealed segregation, low-noise tools and managed waste removal. Trading floors remain operational throughout.

Do you handle Listed Building Consent for City period buildings?

Yes — our architectural team manages LBC applications and works with the City's conservation officers on reversible fit-out, historic joinery retention and compatible finishes.

What's typical programme for a City CAT B fit-out?

5,000 sqft: 8–10 weeks. 15,000 sqft: 12–16 weeks. 30,000+ sqft: 18–24 weeks phased.

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Related insights

In-depth articles on commercial fit-out, compliance and market strategy.

Start with a survey in City of London

Measured condition survey within 5 working days. Fixed-price quote within 10. Estate approvals on file.