How much does an office fit-out cost per square foot in Singapore?
Office fit-out in Singapore generally runs from around S$50 to S$150 per square foot in 2026, depending on whether it is a basic, mid or high-spec fit-out. Layout complexity, M&E works and finishes are the main cost drivers.
Most fit-out quotes hide the real number in the parts nobody reads first.
A fit-out is not the same as a refresh. It is building a raw or stripped office from scratch: partitions, ceiling, M&E, flooring, joinery, the lot. That is why the singapore office fit out cost per square foot swings from S$70 to over S$190.
This guide breaks the cost down by component, not just by tier. You will see where each dollar goes, how CBD pricing differs from Jurong and business-park zones, and which line items quietly inflate a cheap-looking quote.
How much does an office fit-out cost per square foot in Singapore?
Quick Answer: A Singapore office fit-out runs S$70 to S$90 psf for basic, S$85 to S$110 psf for mid-range, and S$125 to S$200+ psf for premium. Cushman & Wakefield puts a collaborative hybrid fit-out near S$180 psf, the highest in Southeast Asia. Your final figure depends on M&E load, partition type, and joinery, not just floor area.
These are CAT B planning bands, meaning a full tenant build-out on top of a developer’s base shell.
For a 3,000 sq ft office near Raffles Place, basic lands around S$210,000 and premium can pass S$600,000 before furniture and IT. We see the same area quoted 40 percent apart, and the gap is almost always M&E and joinery scope, not the headline rate.
Singapore sits at the top of the regional table. Cushman & Wakefield ranks it the most expensive market in Southeast Asia at roughly US$140 psf average, ahead of Manila and Bangkok. Labour, compliance coordination, and high workplace expectations push the number up.
If you want our broader budgeting bands and hidden-cost traps, our office renovation cost guide covers the refresh and reinstatement angles this page does not.
Where your fit-out budget actually goes, component by component
Tier bands tell you the total. They do not tell you what you are paying for.
Here is how a typical Singapore office fit-out budget splits across the major trades, based on published 2026 contractor data and what we cost on live projects.
- Partitions and doors: 20 to 25 percent, around S$16 to S$30 psf. Glass meeting rooms cost two to three times a gypsum wall once you add doors, seals, and hardware.
- M&E (electrical, data, air-con): 20 to 25 percent, around S$16 to S$30 psf. This is the biggest variable. Redistributing the air-con and adding power points stacks fast.
- Ceiling and lighting: 15 to 20 percent, around S$12 to S$24 psf. An exposed ceiling looks cheaper but needs more light fittings to compensate.
- Flooring: 10 to 15 percent, around S$8 to S$18 psf. Carpet tiles sit at the bottom, timber and stone at the top.
- Carpentry and joinery: 10 to 15 percent, around S$8 to S$18 psf. Reception desk, pantry cabinets, storage walls. Premium joinery is where high-end budgets earn their number.
- Professional fees: 8 to 12 percent, around S$6 to S$14 psf. Interior designer, M&E engineer, and project management. Required, not optional.
In our experience, M&E and joinery decide your tier more than anything else. A client can keep mid-range finishes everywhere, then jump into premium the moment they ask for six glass meeting rooms wired for video calls.
CAT A vs CAT B: what your landlord already paid for
Plenty of tenants overpay because they do not know what the base building already includes.
CAT A is the developer’s shell-plus: raised floor, basic ceiling grid, perimeter air-con, and a blank lobby. CAT B is your fit-out on top: layout, partitions, branding, joinery, and the M&E changes your plan needs.
If you lease a Grade A tower near Marina Bay, much of CAT A is done. Your psf rate then reflects CAT B only. Lease an older Grade B unit in Jurong or a business-park block, and you may inherit a bare slab, which means more ceiling and M&E in your scope and a higher effective rate.
This is why a quote with no CAT reference is a warning sign. Ask the contractor in writing what base condition they assumed. A number priced against a finished CAT A shell will balloon the day you hand over a stripped unit.
For a deeper look at the technical layer, our guide on pantry, fire safety, and MEP planning shows how these services drive both cost and lead time.
CBD versus Jurong: does location change the psf?
The rate per square foot does shift by zone, though less than rent does.
CBD towers around Raffles Place and Marina Bay carry stricter building management rules: after-hours-only hacking, service lift bookings, heavier protection requirements, and refundable deposits. That site overhead lands inside your psf, often adding a few dollars across the job.
Business-park and industrial-zone offices in Jurong, one-north, and Changi tend to allow more flexible work hours and simpler logistics. From our base at Tradehub 21 in Jurong, we see lighter building-rule overhead on these projects, though the trade-off is often a rawer starting unit.
What rarely changes by zone is the trade cost itself. A glass partition costs the same in Tanjong Pagar as in Tampines. The location premium is in access rules, timing, and compliance coordination, not the materials.
The line items that inflate a cheap quote
A low headline psf usually means scope was left out, not that the contractor is generous.
Watch these four:
M&E redistribution. Moving air-con zones and adding a server room is often priced as a variation after you sign. Confirm how many power and data points are included, and the unit rate beyond that count.
Fire safety coordination. If your layout shifts sprinklers, detectors, or exit routes, the works need SCDF approval with plans submitted by a Qualified Person. The Singapore Civil Defence Force sets this out in its plan approval process. Coordination time is real cost, even when bundled.
Reinstatement. Most leases require you to strip the office back at the end. Budget S$15 to S$20 psf now so it does not ambush your deposit later.
Building deposits and protection. Lift padding, debris control, and refundable deposits affect cashflow timing, especially in managed CBD towers.
Our office renovation cost mistakes guide goes deeper on the traps that turn a tidy budget into a variation pile.
How to budget your fit-out in four steps
You can build a usable range before you call a single contractor.
- Measure your area in net usable sq ft.
- Pick a tier band: basic S$70 to S$90, mid-range S$85 to S$110, premium S$125 to S$200+.
- Multiply for a base fit-out range.
- Add allowances: reinstatement S$15 to S$20 psf, IT and AV, building deposits, compliance coordination, and 5 to 10 percent contingency.
For a 3,000 sq ft mid-range office, that is roughly S$255,000 to S$330,000 in fit-out, plus those allowances on top. Knowing this before quotes arrive stops the panic when the first number lands higher than the website promised.
Our office renovation service and commercial interior design teams sanity-check scope first, then quote the right tier, so you compare like for like.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an office fit-out cost per square foot in Singapore?
Basic fit-outs run S$70 to S$90 psf, mid-range S$85 to S$110 psf, and premium S$125 to S$200+ psf. Cushman & Wakefield places a collaborative hybrid fit-out near S$180 psf, the highest in Southeast Asia.
What is the difference between a fit-out and a renovation?
A fit-out builds out a raw or stripped unit into a working office: partitions, ceiling, M&E, flooring, and joinery. A renovation updates an existing functional office. Fit-outs usually cost more per square foot because the scope starts closer to bare.
What is the most expensive part of an office fit-out?
M&E and joinery. M&E (electrical, data, air-con) and carpentry each take 20 to 25 and 10 to 15 percent of the budget, and both swing the most with specification. Glass meeting rooms and custom joinery push a project from mid-range into premium fastest.
Does an office fit-out need SCDF or BCA approval?
If your works affect fire safety systems like sprinklers, detectors, or exit routes, they need SCDF approval with plans submitted by a Qualified Person. Building plan changes go to BCA through the CORENET e-submission system. Your contractor coordinates this, but the time still affects your schedule.
How much should I budget for reinstatement at the end of my lease?
Plan for S$15 to S$20 psf. Most Singapore commercial leases require you to return the unit to its original condition, so set this aside at the start rather than letting it eat your deposit.
Plan the budget before you collect quotes
Three things decide your fit-out psf: base building condition, M&E load, and joinery scope. Get those clear and the tier bands become a planning tool instead of a guessing game.
Know your CAT A starting point, count your M&E and joinery scope honestly, and keep a contingency. Do that and the first quote stops being a shock.
Want a clean budget range before quotes? Contact MetaDesign Interior and we will sanity-check your scope, then quote the right tier with no hidden line items.
MetaDesign Interior | Office Design & Commercial Renovation | Singapore
