Fill these out accurately as they affect everything in this calculator . This calulator works on Square Feet so please do not enter Square Metres or you will get a nasty surprise ! What is the maximum number of staff you want to allow for ? This is important as it governs things like data cabling, which must be installed just once at the beginning of the build to avoid unecessary costs further down the line !

Before you can fitout your new offices, you need to have a blank canvas from which to start. Often when you take an office space, the partitons and fittings of the previous tennant will still be there and you will need to remove these before you can start work. This covers everything from old carpets, partition walls and kitchens to ceilings and electrical installations.

Whilst you will often find an office that has Electrical points installed you will rarely, if ever, find an office with the data & Telecoms Cabling installed before you move in. The two are often, and should not be, confused with each other. The industry standard is CAT5e cabling and this is the correct way to run both your phones and your computers. You will need to allow for at least 2.5 points per person and you need to cable your new space for the maximum number of people you think you will ultimately have in your office. Unlike furniture, for example, which you can buy as you need it, cabling is difficult and expensive to add to which is why you should always plan for the future. The person doing the space planning for your office will typically design the space for the maximum number of occupants as well as for fax machines, photocopiers & printers etc. All of these items need cabling points as well and these need to be factored in to your costs.

Normally, especially when the landlord has refitted the office prior to you moving in, the ceiling will be in place and will not need additonal works. Where you are taking a space that has not been refitted or you have additonal requirements you may wish to put in a new ceiling yourself. New ceilings are generally suspended ceilings with ceiling tiles that are either of a mineral board or metal construction. If you select that you wish to have a new ceiling the costing calculator has assumed you want a mineral board ceiling tile which is the cheaper of the two options.

Often when you take a new office space there is existing ground power for computers and equipment already in place. It is, however, unlikely that the existing electrcial points will be in the correct locations for your new desk layout and you will need to add to, and move, existing electrcial points. When estimating electrcial points, it is best to allow 1 DSO (Double electrcial socket) per person plus enough DSO's to cover all of your other equipment. Do not forget the equipment in your Comms Room / IT Area as well! By law you will also need to ensure that all of the electrical circuits in your new office have been tested and certified before you move in to comply with building regulations.

When you take your new office space the main lighting will normally be in place. There is, however, normally always work that needs to be done to make the lighting arrangement work for your new office layout. You will need to re-switch the lights where you build individual offices (Building regs. requirements in most cases) as well as to move light fittings where they get in the way of new walls. You may also wish to install different lights in reception and in your Boardroom for example so that you can either Dim the lights (not possible with fluorescant tubes) or create a different environment as you often find in reception areas. Where you add new offices and rooms you will often also need to upgrade the emergency lighting in certain places.

Your main office space will normally be open plan and will require, to a greater or lesser degree, dividing up into different spaces and rooms. This is done with internal partitioning. There are a thousand different types of partitoning to choose from so for simplicities sake, this calculator works on the basis that you are either going to install solid or glass partitons. The calulator formula is based on 20 different projects that we have carried out, and their average cost per square foot for partitoning, where there has been a mix of glass and solid partitons. Dependant on your requirements, the costings may vary significantly so please be aware of this.

If the landlord has refitted the office prior to you taking the lease, there is normally a carpet already laid. The landlord may, however, also decide to give you a carpet allowance which is normally in the region of £20 per square foot. If you need to fit a new carpet and you need to strip out the existing carpet you will need to account for this in your Stripout costs. You may also wish to install some Wood or Slate effect flooring in your reception area as well as in your kitchen area to create a different look and to provide a flooring that will not mark with a high footfall and spilt cups of coffee !

Most offices need a tea point or small kitchen area where their staff can make hot drinks and microwave food. If there is not one already present you may wish to install one yourself. Most employers provide a fridge and a dishwasher (to avoid arguments over who cleans what) as well as a microwave and kettle.

You will need to decide if you want to decorate your new offices or if the current décor is satisfactory. The decoration of new partiton walls is automatically done with this calculator so only select the "YES" if you want to decorate the main existing walls.

Installing Air-Conditioning into your new office will not be a cheap excersise and will also require significant consultation and persmissions from your new landlord. Often the office will have A/C or you have decided to take an office without A/C and live with it. The one area you will need to consider is your comms room and whether you need additonal A/C for this area. If it is an enclosed room with a door the chances are you will need to install a small standalone unit as the existing A/C will not be strong enough !