Planning a relocation and wondering about the cost of an office fit-out in Warsaw? Instead of relying on market generalizations, utilize our advanced office fit-out cost calculator. This professional analytical engine generates a precise CAPEX budget estimation for a turnkey office delivery in just 3 minutes.
The algorithm verifies current price-per-sqm rates, maps construction and MEP installation costs, and identifies optimization potential through ESG strategies (Re-use). Build a secure financial model and investment schedule based on hard data from an experienced general contractor in the Design & Build model.
The CAPEX calculator shows the entry cost of preparing an office space, but it does not yet answer three key questions: whether the assumed area is correct, what the full lease cost will be over time, and what ESG footprint a given scenario will generate. That is why it is worth completing the analysis with the test-fit calculator, TCO calculator and Carbon Engine.
Verify office capacity, functional layout, number of workstations, meeting rooms and offices to make sure that the CAPEX calculation is based on the right space planning assumptions.
See how the office entry cost connects with rent, service charges and lease term to evaluate the full cost of the decision — not only at the start, but across the entire lease horizon.
See how scope of works, resource retention, HVAC, energy, materials, vacancy and life-cycle phases A/B/C affect the CO₂e result and the business assessment of the ESG scenario.
Four Ecoffices calculators create one coherent decision-making model: area → investment cost → occupancy cost → carbon footprint.
In the second quarter of 2026, the question “how much does an office fit-out cost?” should not be reduced to a single rate per square metre. From the perspective of an investor, tenant and management board, the more important question is: what budget layers does the project consist of, what actually drives the cost, and what class of office do we want to build. This is why the Ecoffices calculator does not work like a simple “sqm x price” estimator, but like an investment model. It combines the cost baseline, functional programme, office layout, standard, glazing, furniture, AV and IT, building systems, logistics, resource retention level, risk and delivery time. As a result, the output is not a random number from the internet, but an ordered CAPEX estimate based on Ecoffices’ execution and design logic.
The following scenarios show how the fit-out budget changes for specific areas: 320, 745, 1370, 1750, 2200 and 2840 m². Each variant includes not only the area, but also the standard, office layout, logistics, HVAC, glazing, furniture, AV/IT, building systems, server room, resource retention and landlord contribution. The data is model-based, but kept within a realistic range: from PLN 2260/m² to PLN 6299/m² net.
| Scenario | Investment profile | Area | Team | Work model | Initial condition | Standard | Baseline / m² net | CAPEX / m² net | Functional programme | Fit-test | Delivery scope | HVAC | Glazing | Furniture | IT/AV | Building systems | Server room | Resource retention | Logistics | Net CAPEX | Risk range | Construction works | Finishes | Installations | Extras / PM / FF&E | Landlord contribution | Tenant CAPEX | CAPEX vs annual rent | Timeline | CO₂e | kg CO₂e/m² | Main cost-forming factor | Ecoffices conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1320 m² Eco Start office | Small office with a controlled entry budget | 320 m² | 32 people | Mostly office-based | Developer standard | Eco Start | PLN 2260 | PLN 2260/m² | 32 workstations, 2 meeting rooms, kitchenette, basic open space | Tight, 78/100 | Hard Fit-Out | Basic | Low / optional | Outside baseline scope | Outside baseline scope | Light | None | 0% | Normal | PLN 723,200 | PLN 665,344 – 781,056, ±8% | 31% | 23% | 34% | 12% | 0% / PLN 0 | PLN 723,200 | 1.9x | 18 weeks | 60.8 t | 190 kg | scope control and simple programme | The most cost-efficient variant. It works with a simple programme, but has limited margin for meeting rooms, offices and extras. |
| S2745 m² Eco Flow office | Medium-sized office for a service company | 745 m² | 62 people | Hybrid | Developer standard | Eco Flow | PLN 3080 | PLN 3420/m² | 62 workstations, 5 meeting rooms, 3 offices, kitchen, focus rooms | Comfortable, 88/100 | Hard Fit-Out | Extended | Medium, meeting rooms + selected offices | Partly included | Basic package | Fire alarm system / basic approvals | IT point | 10% | Normal | PLN 2,547,900 | PLN 2,293,110 – 2,802,690, ±10% | 28% | 24% | 33% | 15% | 22% / PLN 560,538 | PLN 1,987,362 | 2.6x | 21 weeks | 134.4 t | 180 kg | HVAC, glazing and more complete equipment | A typical business variant. The budget increases against the baseline, but still remains within a rational cost-per-square-metre range. |
| S31370 m² AV/IT office | Large office for a technology company | 1370 m² | 115 people | Hybrid | Shell & Core | Eco Flow | PLN 3080 | PLN 4550/m² | 115 workstations, 8 meeting rooms, boardroom, focus areas, booths, server room | Tight, 81/100 | All-In | High standard | High, meeting rooms + boardroom | PLN 4900 / workstation | PLN 2500 / workstation | Fire alarm + sprinklers + BMS | Standard, 12 m², 4 RACK cabinets, 24 kW | 8% | Night / weekend | PLN 6,233,500 | PLN 5,236,140 – 7,230,860, ±16% | 27% | 21% | 38% | 14% | 26% / PLN 1,620,710 | PLN 4,612,790 | 3.6x | 25 weeks | 249.9 t | 182 kg | Shell & Core, HVAC, server room, BMS and AV | A technically heavier scenario. The cost is not driven by the finish standard alone, but by installations, AV/IT, server room and building approvals. |
| S41750 m² modernisation | The company stays in its current office and modernises the space | 1750 m² | 145 people | Hybrid | Renovation / modernisation | Eco Flow | PLN 2480 | PLN 2800/m² | 145 workstations, 10 meeting rooms, kitchen, storage, partial layout change | Comfortable, 91/100 | Hard Fit-Out | Extended | Medium, partial retention of walls | Partial replacement | PLN 1800 / workstation | Light / existing systems | None | 45% | Normal | PLN 4,900,000 | PLN 4,410,000 – 5,390,000, ±10% | 28% | 25% | 31% | 16% | 0% / PLN 0 | PLN 4,900,000 | 2.2x | 22 weeks | 257.3 t | 147 kg | resource retention and limited installation changes | The best compromise between cost, ESG and function. Resource retention reduces both the budget and the carbon footprint, but requires a proper existing-condition audit. |
| S52200 m² Eco Signature HQ | Headquarters with a strong representative effect | 2200 m² | 175 people | Office-based / hybrid | Developer standard | Eco Signature | PLN 5200 | PLN 5890/m² | 175 workstations, 12 meeting rooms, boardroom, offices, chillout, server room | Tight, 82/100 | All-In | High standard | High, but controlled | PLN 6500 / workstation | PLN 2500 / workstation | Fire alarm + voice alarm + sprinklers + BMS | Extended, 18 m², 6 RACK cabinets, 45 kW | 8% | Difficult | PLN 12,958,000 | PLN 10,884,720 – 15,031,280, ±16% | 27% | 25% | 35% | 13% | 28% / PLN 3,628,240 | PLN 9,329,760 | 4.2x | 25 weeks | 383.8 t | 174 kg | high standard, logistics, systems and server room | A representative but still realistic HQ scenario. It requires scope control, because every additional premium element quickly multiplies CAPEX. |
| S6Large 2840 m² office | Large high-standard space with controlled scope | 2840 m² | 230 people | Hybrid / office-based | Developer standard | Eco Signature | PLN 5200 | PLN 6005/m² | 230 workstations, 16 meeting rooms, boardroom, offices, kitchens, server room | Tight, 80/100 | All-In | High standard | High, controlled by area | PLN 6500 / workstation | PLN 2500 / workstation | Fire alarm + voice alarm + sprinklers + BMS | Extended, 24 m², 8 RACK cabinets, 60 kW | 10% | Difficult | PLN 17,054,200 | PLN 14,325,528 – 19,782,872, ±16% | 26% | 24% | 36% | 14% | 28% / PLN 4,775,176 | PLN 12,279,024 | 4.3x | 25 weeks | 485.6 t | 171 kg | scale, installations, systems and logistics | For a large area, the key factors are not individual materials, but control over the programme, installations, logistics and the standard of repeatable zones. |
The scenarios have been set for specific areas from 320 to 2840 m², without extreme and low-credibility unit rates.
The biggest differences come from the number of meeting rooms, HVAC, glazing, building systems, AV/IT, server room and logistics — not from area alone.
Only after including the landlord contribution can the tenant see the actual cost on their side and compare it with annual rent.
In the Ecoffices model, the starting point is not a general estimate, but a conscious standard assumption. The current calculator structure is based on three proprietary levels: Eco Start, Eco Flow and Eco Signature. These variants are not just marketing labels. Each has a different cost baseline, glazing logic, typical equipment level and default technical layer load. This means that from the very beginning, the investor receives an answer as to whether they are building a cost-rational, business-class or more representative office.
According to the current Ecoffices methodology, after agreed variant adjustments, the baseline net cost / m² used in the calculator is as follows:
These numbers do not yet represent the full final cost. They are the cost baseline from which the calculator starts working. The final result is then adjusted by office layout, scope of works, logistics type, glazing share, equipment scope, building systems, resource retention level, area size, timeline and additional modules — including the server room, if planned by the investor.
From the Ecoffices perspective, office fit-out cost in Q2 2026 should be understood as the cost of an office scenario, not a single price per square metre. This is a very important distinction. An office does not cost “the same” only because it has a similar area. A different budget is created for a project with a simple open space, limited glazing and conservative AV, and a different one for a space with more meeting rooms, offices, glazing, high HVAC standard, extended technology, additional building requirements and a stronger representative layer.
In practice, this means that at Ecoffices we do not look at cost through one final number, but through the structure of the project. We are interested not only in “how much it will be”, but also in why it will be that amount. This is the key difference between an indicative tool and a real investment model.
What distinguishes the Ecoffices calculator from simple estimators is not only the cost layers, but also hard usable and spatial parameters. In the model, we use, among others:
From the investor’s point of view, these numbers are critical. Thanks to them, the calculator not only calculates the cost, but also checks whether the assumed programme logically fits within the area and volume. In practice, this means that the financial result is not detached from the office function. This is very important, because many overly optimistic industry estimates are created precisely because they calculate cost for a space that later turns out to be too tight programmatically.
In the Ecoffices model, the functional programme is numerical, not descriptive. Indicatively, we assume among others:
In addition, the kitchenette is calculated as an 8 m² base plus approximately 1.1 m² per person simultaneously using the dining area, storage is estimated at approximately 10 / 20 / 30 m², phone booths at around 2 m², focus rooms at around 7 m², and circulation allowance at approximately 28%. In practice, this means that the calculator does not count “bare square metres”, but the real office programme.
In the Ecoffices model, the investor sees cost not as one sum, but as a cumulative layer structure. From an investment decision perspective, this is a major advantage because it immediately shows whether the budget is loaded mainly by construction works, finishes, installations or extras.
In the calculator logic, for developer standard space, the installation layer has a very large share. The model assumes that in such a scenario around 44% of the cost baseline goes to installations, while the remaining part is split indicatively into 55% construction works and 45% finishes. In modernisation, the installation share falls to around 36% of the baseline, but demolitions, clashes and scope risk become more important.
In Ecoffices practice, the final cost is most strongly influenced by the following groups of parameters:
This is important because investors often try to optimise the budget through minor material adjustments, while the largest effect comes from simplifying the programme, reducing the number of small rooms or taking a rational approach to technology.
In the Ecoffices model, internal glazing is not an abstract add-on, but a specific item. We assume an indicative range from PLN 1100/m² to PLN 2500/m², while presets set glazing by default at PLN 1100/m² for Eco Start, PLN 1350/m² for Eco Flow and PLN 1700/m² for Eco Signature. A higher glazing share also means more demanding doors, more difficult acoustics and execution details.
Typical default furniture levels are PLN 4900 / workstation for Eco Start and Eco Flow and PLN 6500 / workstation for Eco Signature. For AV/IT technology, the model assumes from PLN 1800 to PLN 2500 / workstation. The server room is also important in the calculator, as it affects not only the area, but also cooling, electrical power and execution risks. The layered model immediately shows how these decisions change the budget.
Time is money. In the Ecoffices model, the timeline is: 6 weeks for design, 2 weeks for approvals and 12–16 weeks for works and commissioning. An overly complex layout, dense logistics or higher building requirements extend delivery, which the calculator immediately reflects in the final timeline.
The calculator can reduce the financial and carbon result through resource retention, meaning the preservation of part of the existing infrastructure, installations, light fixtures, floorboxes, walls, ceilings, floors or equipment. With a high level of resource retention, the impact on the carbon footprint can reach approximately 35% reduction in the simplified model. In addition, the system shows not only total cost, but also tenant-side cost after subtracting the landlord contribution — the so-called TIA / contribution. This is key to real negotiations.
According to Ecoffices experts, in Q2 2026 fit-out should be analysed through hard baseline levels: PLN 2260/m² (Eco Start), PLN 3080/m² (Eco Flow) and PLN 5200/m² (Eco Signature). The final budget is the result of this baseline adjusted by function, installations, glazing, resource retention and time. The investor is not buying a “square metre”, but a specific office scenario.
If the goal is a fair investment decision, do not rely on generalities. Check the baseline, add the programme, calculate installations and include the landlord contribution — this is exactly what the Ecoffices calculation engine provides.
The calculator shows an indicative, layered cost of fit-out delivery — from shell & core condition or from refurbishment / modernization.
The calculation also considers the functional program (meeting rooms, offices, kitchenette, storage, booths, focus rooms, server room), attendance model, minimum volume of 13 m³ / person, and risk layers. The result is indicative and is intended for budgeting decisions, not as a replacement for a contractor’s offer.
In the current version of the calculator, the base levels for shell & core condition are:
These are calculation bases, not always the final all-in cost. The final result depends on the functional program, glazing, installations, building systems, furniture, AV / IT, logistics, server room, re-use, and all other settings.
The biggest impact comes not from the area itself, but from program complexity and the number of technical layers.
In practice, 10 additional small rooms can generate a greater cost increase than dozens of square meters of open space.
A server room is not just “a small IT room.” In the calculator, it works as a special function that simultaneously affects:
That is why even a small server room can change not only a single cost item, but also the budget structure and timeline of the entire investment.
The calculator shows cost as a layered structure, not just as one total.
This makes it possible to immediately see whether the budget is mainly driven by the construction layer, installation layer, finishing layer, or technology.
The Ecoffices model typically assumes:
In practice, the entire process usually fits within a maximum of 25 weeks. Fast-track shortens construction, but almost always increases cost and organizational pressure.
In simple terms: fit-out is CAPEX, while office operation is OPEX.
CAPEX usually includes:
OPEX usually includes:
That is why, in investment analysis, it is worth looking not only at CAPEX itself, but also at the total cost of occupying the space.
This is one of the best comparison metrics for a CFO, management board, and investor.
Simple formula:
This approach makes it possible to compare options not only at CAPEX level, but also in terms of the organization’s actual monthly burden.
Budget contingency protects the investor against costs that appear only after approvals and detailed delivery issues are finalized.
In the calculator, we show this as a risk range. The better the input data and the more defined the program, the smaller the deviation.
Risk ranges show how much the result may shift when delivery or technical assumptions change.
This is not a “calculator error,” but a deliberate way of showing that fit-out cost naturally includes a range of uncertainty.
Re-use means using part of the existing elements instead of building everything from scratch.
In the Ecoffices model, up to 70% re-use can be assumed. This can reduce both cost and the project’s carbon footprint.
The model assumes a baseline of 190 kgCO₂e / m² for fit-out.
This is a simplified indicator used for indicative decision-making. As the level of re-use increases, the result is reduced linearly. A full LCA audit requires detailed material and engineering data.
Yes — often in the form of a fit-out contribution / budget or another refinancing model.
That is why, in the calculator, it is worth distinguishing between the total project cost and the cost after refinancing.
Yes — as separate, optional cost layers.
This makes it possible to compare “bare fit-out” with the full investment budget, without artificially mixing different scopes into one number.
In many cases, yes — provided that the higher standard is driven by function, durability, and user quality, not just visual effect.
That is why the calculator allows comparison of Eco Start / Eco Flow / Eco Signature and analysis not only of total cost, but also of cost per month and cost after refinancing.