You spend most hours of your day in the office—be it at home, a co-working unit, or a commercial office space. Therefore, it makes sense that you’d want to make this space as conducive to your work and lifestyle as possible. However, an office renovation project can also come as a result of growth, you want to move your business headquarters elsewhere, or you feel like the work atmosphere is simply outdated. Remodeling an office has the potential to offer the chance to truly consider the direction of your business and put that onto paper for a space that can nurture that growth.
Office renovations take multiple forms; they can be subtle and understated, like simply improving the space with a paint job or some new walls with the touch of an expert Delcoi interior designer. On the other hand, perhaps you want more of a custom touch to the entire building.
You would consider the question of cost per square foot or location and building codes according to how long it has existed. Beyond this, you will also need to take into account what your business requires space-wise and stylistically. Finally, renovation costs are heavily contingent on material costs; the more you consider the above questions in your project, the more you may find your spending budget growing.
The requirements for an office remodel in a new building site at an average cost of $40 per square foot may include:
This, however, does not include installations of office furniture and equipment like a coffee machine, printers, or a photocopier. As the price scale increases, one would find that a build-out with heavier installations like doors and new windows leans towards a $100 to $150 per square foot price range.
Older buildings tend to need far more consideration when it comes to material costs because there is great potential for taking on extensive construction costs to restructure a space in an old building. The office renovation cost is likely to increase with an older building because they often do not offer the building tech present in contemporary architecture. For instance, fire protection in older buildings may not be up to par. If there is a sprinkler system, a few hundred dollars may be needed to hire an engineer for an inspection. Installing a fresh sprinkler system in a medium-sized office would instead cost anything between $5,000 to $10,000, at about $200 per sprinkler head, and an additional $2,000 for permits, inspections, and plan-drawing.
Most commercial renovations require an architect or interior designer. Typically, an estimated 20% of your budget can be allocated to the cost of outsourcing -in numbers that can translate to anywhere between $40,000 and $200,000. While this is significant, bringing in a professional interior designer or architect could save you a great deal of trouble as the renovation project progresses.
Architects do both the physical and administrative heavy-lifting. For instance, the intricacies of an office remodel often require an overview of the size of the office in relation to the workers occupying it; there is also an assessment of code issues that are required, accessibility issues, and of course, the design and decorative elements in the workspace.
How well-lit your office space is can be critical to how you and your co-workers function in the space. Good lighting is proven to help increase productivity levels and the general mood of a room; therefore, it is important to take the element of decent lighting seriously when remodeling. Beyond this, office lighting can go a long way in the bid to impress a client or make them comfortable.
The average cost of basic lighting is approximately $250 a point (where two points is a light with a switch). An outlet with 110 voltage would need a $150 allocation in your renovation budget. Beyond the ambient lighting, signage for emergency exists costs an estimated $300 each.
To create an inviting environment in your office, the cost of millwork and finishes are critical. Luckily, there are many hacks one can use in order to keep this part of your budget low while maintaining a quality atmosphere in your office space for both workers and potential clients. The cost of millwork and finishes sits at about $25 per square foot.
The total cost of building walls can differ significantly, with the cost depending on many factors. Details like the type of wall material can change how they are priced. For instance, glass walls are typically sold as a package and not priced per square foot. Nonetheless, the use of executive design elements would stretch the total office renovation cost towards $150 a square foot. While square footage for a basic partition wall comes into play in a more traditional sense, it costs approximately $60 per ten linear square feet.
Again, the materials used can dramatically change the total office renovation cost.
Hardwood flooring typically starts at the cost of $7 a square foot, while a vinyl tile can cost approximately $4 a square foot; the same would apply to a commercial-grade carpet. Depending on the atmosphere you are trying to create, concrete flooring creates an industrial look that has become increasingly trendy -it is often the most budget-friendly option, pricing at $2 a square foot.
According to the US code, there is a minimum requirement of one bathroom per one to 15 staff members. Installation costs for a single bathroom could cost less than $15,000; installing a handicap-friendly shower would incur an additional cost of close to $6,000.
The office renovation cost of an office kitchen depends on the appliances mostly. A kitchenette with a sink and fridge sits at approximately $4000. Of course, this cost will grow depending on the size of the kitchenette and additional appliances like a coffee machine or microwave.
Office renovations usually require plenty of labor efforts. A typical office renovation usually calls for a labor cost of about 10 percent of your total office renovation budget. From location to location, the cost of labor is likely to change -in Philadelphia, for instance, labor costs are an estimated 40% higher than the national wage. In New York City, they are 70% higher.
Beyond this, the intricacies of building classifications from city to city also bear weight in labor costs. New York City, for instance, has union and non-union buildings. Typical build-out costs of an office in a non-labor building are usually below $40 per square foot. However, this cost can extend to $100 per square foot in a labor building.
Office spaces are typically a primary way to actualize your business; they are a symbol of growth and overall organizational progression. An office space remodel often the most exciting phase in your business journey. Whether moving to a new location or revamping the general office space, it is an equally long and layered process. Delcoi looks to make the process of renovating your office more accessible. Hiring professionals can be demanding, but it is critical to achieving the perfect commercial renovation.
Read more and check out our checklist for office renovation to ensure a smooth and successful project.
