Office fit-out cost in India: timeline and who to hire (2026)

A warm shell already has flooring, a ceiling, base air conditioning and washrooms. A bare shell has none of these. For HVAC, a raised floor and a ceiling grid, a bare shell adds roughly ₹400–600 per sq ft. That figure comes from a single source, so treat it as a guide only.

Landlords often give a rent-free period to cover the fit-out. On warm-shell deals some also contribute ₹300–600 per sq ft towards the work. Ask for both in writing.

Plan on about 80–100 sq ft per seat. Older rules of thumb of 150 sq ft per person are now seen as too generous. Dense layouts such as call centres can go lower. Premium offices with more meeting space go higher.

If your team works hybrid, you may not need a desk for everyone. Many organisations now plan for about 1.0 to 1.5 people per desk. Count your real daily attendance before you sign for space.

These ranges are for carpet area in a warm shell. They are turnkey, including furniture, IT cabling and fees, and exclude GST. Published corporate benchmarks sit at the Grade-A end. Most small offices land in the first two rows.

Mumbai runs about 12% above Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai, and Delhi NCR about 6%. For smaller cities such as Jaipur, Indore or Kochi we found no hard data. A discount of 10–15% is a rough estimate only.

One cost consultant's India split for corporate fit-outs gives a useful picture. Services such as air conditioning, electrical and fire take a larger share in India than elsewhere in the region.

On smaller projects, under about 5,000 sq ft, design and project management fees usually take a bigger share, around 8–12%. Then add a contingency of 5–10% to the whole figure.

1. Brief, test-fit, design and bill of quantities: 2–4 weeks.
2. Landlord and building approvals: 2–3 weeks, alongside design.
3. Demolition, civil work and partitions: 2–3 weeks.
4. Air conditioning, electrical, data, fire and plumbing: 3–5 weeks, alongside civil work. Order AC plant early.
5. False ceiling and flooring: 2–3 weeks.
6. Joinery for pantry, storage and reception: 2–3 weeks.
7. Furniture install: 1–2 weeks on site, but ordering can take 6–8 weeks (a rough estimate).
8. IT, AV, security and signage: 1–2 weeks.
9. Snagging, fire NOC and handover: 1–2 weeks. Fire NOC takes 15–30 days, so apply early.

In all, expect 8–14 weeks on site after design and 12–20 weeks end to end. Try to fit as much as you can inside the rent-free period.

You have two broad routes. A turnkey design-build firm designs and builds for one price, with its margin inside the per sq ft rate. It is usually quicker, though firms selling turnkey naturally promote it. The other route is a separate designer, contractor and project manager. This gives you more control and costs more in fees.

You need an architect if you are changing structure or the façade, or need building plans or an occupancy certificate. Whichever route you take, get 2–3 quotes against the same drawings and bill of quantities.

Read the reinstatement clause in your lease. Many landlords want the space returned to shell at exit, which is an extra cost you will pay years later.

• Put in your brief: headcount, desk-sharing ratio, cabins, meeting rooms, phone booths, pantry, AV level, server room and access control.
• Ask for a bill of quantities that lists each trade separately.
• Agree what is included: furniture, IT cabling, fees, approvals and GST.