Office Renovation Costs: What Companies Should Expect and Where to Save
Alessandro Nicotra
Workplace Intelligence
In short
— The costs of an office renovation depend primarily on the extent to which building services, walls, and built-in fixtures are affected, and only secondarily on materials and furniture.
— Costs become more precise with each phase. A binding cost estimate is available with the construction project.
— A renovation pays off not just through rent and floor space, but through the people who work in it.
The first question from any executive board is legitimate: How much does it cost? The honest answer is that it depends less on the square footage than on the depth of the intervention. Those who know early on which levers determine the price can make conscious decisions about where an investment will have the greatest impact.
The most expensive square meter is the one that nobody needs.
How much does an office renovation cost in Switzerland?
Based on our experience, between approximately CHF 800 and 3,500 per square metre, depending on the scope of intervention. Refreshing surfaces, lighting, and furniture is at the lower end, starting from around CHF 800 per m². Targeted interventions with joinery work and built-in fixtures start at roughly CHF 1,400 per m². As soon as ventilation, air conditioning, heating, or building automation are adapted, costs start at around CHF 2,500 per m². These are benchmark figures from our projects. The actual costs depend on the building, the requirements, and the design. The Workplace Check shows you what the investment budget for your space would be in just a few minutes: it translates your way of working into a space requirement and calculates the costs for three scopes of intervention.
Construction prices in Switzerland have risen in recent years. The FSO's construction price index for renovation and conversion in October 2025 was a good 15 percent above the level of October 2020.
What drives the costs of an office renovation?
Building services the most. The more ventilation, air conditioning, heating, and electrical systems are involved, the more specialist planners are needed and the more expensive it becomes. Those who plan spaces so that the existing building services continue to function often save more than on any material.
Next is the spatial structure. New walls, glass partitions, acoustic measures, and built-ins account for a large part of the costs. The question is: where does an intervention truly add value, and where is new zoning sufficient?
And finally, quality and fit-out. Materials, lighting, and furniture determine the impact of a space. Here it pays to invest purposefully rather than spending the same amount everywhere. What is already there can often remain: at the new Bern University of Applied Sciences campus in Biel, around nine out of ten pieces of furniture were reused from existing stock.
HIAG Bahnhofplatz, Zurich
How accurate are cost estimates in each phase?
More accurate with every phase. According to SIA standard 102, the cost estimate prepared with the construction project has an accuracy of plus/minus 10 percent unless agreed otherwise (WEKA; City of Bern). Prior to this, the concept and preliminary project provide an estimate with a wider range.
That is why we present costs as early as possible: an initial estimate as early as the concept phase, and an accurate cost estimate with the construction project. Structured according to the eBKP-H building cost classification system, allowing options and offers to be compared.
Where can you save the most on an office renovation?
Where decisions are made early and accurately. The greatest savings do not come from haggling over offers, but beforehand.
The right floor area. Those who know exactly how their team works will not rent or build space that remains empty or is too cramped. Comparing the current office with the target scenario shows how floor area and rent will change.
The right intervention. New zoning that utilizes existing building services costs a fraction of a renovation that reconfigures ventilation and air conditioning. It often achieves almost the same effect.
Fewer surprises. Every design change during construction costs twice as much: in planning and on the construction site. Reviewing options prior to the construction project and having a cost estimate with plus/minus 10 percent accuracy reduce the risk of costly variations.
Less time. The faster executive management can decide, the shorter double rents and temporary arrangements will last. Comparing options side-by-side with their costs makes it possible to decide in a single meeting rather than over several rounds.
When is an office renovation worth it?
Often faster than expected, because the largest cost factor of an office is the people. According to the World Green Building Council, salaries and benefits typically account for around 90 percent of an organization's expenses. A space where a team collaborates better, can concentrate, and enjoys staying therefore has a stronger impact than any savings on floor space.
In Workplace Intelligence, we compare the current office and the target scenario side by side: area, rent, fit-out costs according to the fit-out standard, and the question of how quickly the renovation pays for itself through saved or better utilized space. When moving in phases, interim rents, temporary facilities, IT, and relocation costs are also factored in. This allows management to decide based on numbers, not gut feeling.
And the calculation has a second side: A renovation causes significantly fewer embodied greenhouse gas emissions than a new building. The KBOB therefore explicitly recommends evaluating renovation and reuse before considering a replacement new build.
Coop Legal Protection, Bellinzona
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an office renovation cost per square metre?
Based on our experience, between around CHF 800 and 3,500 per m², depending on the scope of intervention. The biggest difference is whether the building services need to be adapted. The Working Environment Check provides an initial calculation for your space.
Are furniture costs included in this?
Depending on the project. We list fit-out, building services, and furniture separately so it is clear what is being invested in.
Does the landlord contribute to the costs?
Often partially, especially with longer leases. How much is a matter of negotiation. A clear cost breakdown helps in this discussion.
How accurate is an initial cost estimate?
An initial assessment in the concept phase has a broader range. With the construction project, a cost estimate with an accuracy of plus/minus 10 percent is provided.
How can costs be saved without compromising on quality?
By touching building services as little as necessary, reusing existing elements, and investing where people feel the difference: in lighting, acoustics, and the places where people meet.
Sources
Swiss Construction Price Index October 2025, Federal Statistical Office, 2025
Cost estimates, tenders from architects or engineers, WEKA, 2026
Directives for cost determination, Building Construction Department City of Bern, 2013
Element-based building cost classification building construction eBKP-H, CRB, 2020
Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Offices, World Green Building Council, 2014
Embodied greenhouse gas emissions in building construction, KBOB, 2025
The best investment in an office is the one you feel the impact of every single day.
Contact
Listening is our first draft.
Every project begins with a conversation. Tell us what you have in mind: a new working environment, a restaurant, a space for the future. We bring an open mind, curiosity, and experience in strategy, interior design, and lighting. We'd love to meet at our studio on Gutstrasse in Zurich. Or wherever your project is coming to life.