Office Fit-Out, Manchester

A property developer required a Cat B office fit-out estimate across three floors of a city-centre building in Manchester. The scope covered M&E services, partitioning, suspended ceilings, bespoke joinery and all finishes to create modern, open-plan workspace with meeting rooms and breakout areas.

The developer also needed a full Bill of Quantities to enable competitive tendering with multiple contractors. The documentation had to be clear and comprehensive enough to ensure genuine like-for-like comparison across all tenders, eliminating ambiguity and reducing the risk of post-contract variations.

The developer needed the estimate within a tight 7-day turnaround to meet their funding deadline. Any delay would jeopardise the project finance approval and potentially the entire development programme. This required our team to mobilise immediately and work intensively across the full scope.

The three floors had differing specifications that added complexity to the estimate. The ground floor included a reception area, shared amenities and a staffed kitchen, while the upper two floors were standard office fit-out with different partition layouts. The existing M&E services also needed upgrading to meet current building regulations, requiring a full assessment of what could be retained and what needed replacing.

• Full Cat B fit-out estimate broken down by floor, with each floor separately costed to allow phased procurement or independent budget tracking
• M&E services upgrade cost analysis, identifying which existing systems could be retained and which required full replacement to meet current regulations
• Bespoke joinery pricing for the reception desk, kitchen units and meeting room furniture, with material specification and finish options
• Acoustic partitioning specification and pricing comparison across three manufacturers, enabling the developer to make an informed selection based on performance and cost
• Bill of Quantities prepared for competitive tender procurement, structured to ensure like-for-like comparison across all contractor submissions

Our estimate and Bill of Quantities were delivered within the 7-day deadline, enabling the developer to secure their project finance on schedule. The BoQ was issued to four contractors for competitive tender, and the appointed contractor’s price came in within 1% of our estimate. Every tendering contractor commented that the documentation was clear and comprehensive, which meant the developer received genuine like-for-like prices with minimal qualifications. The project was delivered on time and within budget.