A refurbishment contractor is the firm that physically delivers the work: strip out, partitions, ceilings, mechanical and electrical, decoration, joinery and the snagging at the end. Some also design, some work to an architect's drawings, and a growing number sell the whole thing as design and build. The distinction matters because a design studio that subcontracts every trade carries a different risk profile from a contractor with its own site teams.
This page lists every firm in the directory that delivers refurbishment or fit out work on site in London, grouped by the project sizes they actually take on. The data comes from public sources and the companies themselves, it is updated monthly, and nobody pays to rank higher.
Cat A is the landlord's base build: raised floors, suspended ceilings, basic mechanical and electrical, fire detection. It makes a floor lettable but not usable. Cat B is everything the tenant adds to make the space work for their business, from partitions and meeting rooms to kitchens, branding, furniture and IT. A refurbishment is usually Cat B work on a space you already occupy, sometimes with a phased programme so the team can keep working.
Most contractors here do both, but the enterprise firms tend to lead with Cat A and large Cat B programmes for landlords and corporates, while the boutique firms live almost entirely in Cat B and refurbishment for occupiers under 10,000 sq ft. If your lease has a dilapidations clause, ask whether the contractor handles the reinstatement too; many do and it saves running two contracts.
Track record at your size. A firm that delivers £20m Cat A programmes is not automatically the right fit for a 4,000 sq ft refit, and the reverse is also true. Ask for three recent projects within 50% of your floor area and budget.
In house trades or subcontracted. Both models work, but a contractor with directly employed site staff controls programme and quality more tightly. If everything is subcontracted, ask who the regular partners are and how long they have worked together.
De-fit and dilapidations. If you are leaving a space as well as fitting one out, a contractor that handles both removes a handover gap and a second set of preliminaries.
Accreditations. Constructionline, SafeContractor, CHAS and ISO 9001 or 14001 are the baseline. B Corp certification and employee ownership are worth noting for sustainability and staff stability.
Programme realism. A contractor that promises a 10,000 sq ft Cat B in six weeks is either exceptional or optimistic. The ranges below are typical for London.
Paid placements, clearly labelled. Featured firms are still verified the same way and still sit in the alphabetical list below.
Top of office refurbishment contractors with direct contact buttons on the card. Six slots per size band, first come first served.
See featured listingsTop of office refurbishment contractors with direct contact buttons on the card. Six slots per size band, first come first served.
See featured listingsTop of office refurbishment contractors with direct contact buttons on the card. Six slots per size band, first come first served.
See featured listingsGrouped by the floor areas each firm is set up to deliver, because that is the first thing that rules a contractor in or out. Alphabetical within each band, featured firms included, so nothing is hidden behind a paywall.
Typical projects £50k to £500k for scale ups, professional services and creative firms. One team designs, builds and furnishes.
Sustainability specialist D&B. Biophilic design. Green materials. Old Street tech hub location.
Fit out, boutique band.
Cat A vacant office refurbishment for landlords, developers and agents. Fast professional turnaround.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2006.
Low carbon fit out solutions. Energy performance upgrades. EPC improvements.
Refurbishment led, boutique band.
Sustainable interior retrofit specialist. Single source for all services. Ongoing churn management and facilities support.
Refurbishment led, boutique band.
500+ completed projects.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2012. Names Three and Robert Walters among its clients.
Flat management structure. Diverse sectors (banks, recruitment, law firms, hotels, education). Fast track delivery. 25+ years.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2000.
Commercial contractor for tenants, landlords & architects. City of London and West London specialist.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2001.
Turnkey office fit out. Medical fit out capability. Free complementary site visits. London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex.
Refurbishment led, boutique band. Names Goalhanger and Allergy Centre of Excellence among its clients.
250+ completed projects. Instant online fit out cost calculator. Multi sector (commercial + healthcare + retail). Phased works.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2010. Names Children with Cancer UK and Mimecast among its clients.
40+ years. Director is President of the FIS board. School refurbishment specialist. Bespoke joinery.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 1985.
Estate agent interior design. Healthcare/dental surgery refurbishment. In house branding services.
Cat A and Cat B, boutique band, trading since 1990. Names Bang & Olufsen and Samsung among its clients.
High end luxury office refurbishment. Bespoke designs. Lifetime guarantee on work. City of London focus.
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2000.
Economically priced fit outs for SMEs. Offices 1,000 to 10,000 sq ft. Owner operated (Crispin Maby, 20+ years experience).
Refurbishment led, boutique band, trading since 2002. Names Opera Gallery and Liberty of London among its clients.
Family run, independently owned. Cat B fit outs. Landlord refurbishments. Nationwide capability from small base.
Refurbishment led, boutique band. Names Begbies Traynor/Eddisons and QA among its clients.
London's only full service workplace consultancy specifically for SMEs. Limits to 5 projects at a time. Offsets 20 tonnes of carbon per £200k spent.
Design and build, boutique band.
People first approach. Educational sector strength. Acoustic furniture.
Cat A and Cat B, boutique band, trading since 2001.
Consultancy led. Agile working design. Research based approach. Spatial feasibility studies.
Refurbishment led, boutique band. Names OMD UK and MOO.com among its clients.
The core of the London occupier market. £300k to £5m projects, usually design and build, with dedicated project managers.
Multi sector fit out delivery with UK and Asia reach.
Fit out, mid market band, 50–200 staff.
Global delivery capability for multinational clients. 45+ years experience.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1979.
Landlord Cat A/A+ refurbishment specialist. Refurbishment of occupied buildings.
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band. Names Revantage Europe among its clients.
Coworking/flex space, education, laboratory fit out. Founders of The United Workplace global network. 10+ offices across Europe.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 2000, part of Fourfront Group, 250+ (group) staff, B Corp certified. Names Citrix and Infosys among its clients.
End to end refurbishment. 12 month defect period aftercare. Global brand client base.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 2001. Names Hugo Boss and Airbnb among its clients.
Scalable services for any project size. Dedicated project managers. Budget flexibility. Greater London.
Refurbishment led, mid market band.
Defect free delivery ethos. Projects £1m to £50m+. Fiercely independent. Directly employs many tradespeople.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 2000. Names Virgin Media and O2 among its clients.
70%+ repeat business. Hybrid workspace design.
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band, trading since 1996, 120+ staff, employee owned. Names AQA and Flutter/Paddy Power among its clients.
Office AND laboratory design & build. Science/biotech sector strength. Cambridge Oxford Arc and London focus.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 2000, 60+ staff.
Nearly 70 years in business. Project range £50,000 to £30 million. Cat A & Cat B fit out. Public sector.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 1955. Names Legal & General and Crown Estate among its clients.
Directly employs own tradesmen (rare in sector). Strong charity/not for profit sector presence.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1978. Names Shelter and L'Oréal among its clients.
Cut & carve refurbishments (complex, high impact). B Corp values. National multi site rollouts.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1998.
Start up and incubator spaces. Publishing sector. Master planning. 20+ years.
Fit out, mid market band, trading since 2005. Names Pan Macmillan and Little Brown Book Group among its clients.
Independent. Education/university/school fit outs. Change of use projects. Based in Clerkenwell.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 2006. Names Patrizia and Cushman & Wakefield among its clients.
Fixed price quotes. Guaranteed delivery programmes. Central London focus (Farringdon, Clerkenwell, Piccadilly, Soho, Mayfair).
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band, trading since 2014.
Sustainability first. £150k annual sustainability commitment. VR walkthroughs. Flex/coworking design.
Fit out, mid market band, trading since 1990, 50–200 staff, B Corp certified. Names Osborne Clarke among its clients.
Furniture consultancy in DNA. Financial services and legal sector strength.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 2004, ~15–16 staff.
Eco conscious approach. Works in listed central London buildings. London, Essex, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Hampshire.
Refurbishment led, mid market band.
One stop shop with strong sub contractor network and in house tradesmen.
Design and build, mid market band.
10,000+ projects completed.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1977. Names Lacoste and ServiceNow among its clients.
Landlord fit out specialists. Cat A+ plug and play spaces. People centric approach. In house tradespeople.
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band, trading since 1990.
Award winning. Landlord and occupier services. Sustainability focus.
Refurbishment led, mid market band.
Collaborative 6 step process. 3D visualisation. Award winning with 35+ years in the industry.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 1990.
Evidence based design. Agile working pioneer. One of the oldest firms in the market (72+ years).
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band, trading since 1953. Names Mount Street LLP and Honda among its clients.
Design & build exclusively. Coworking/flex design. University refurbishment.
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band, trading since 1995, B Corp certified. Names Gymshark and Adidas among its clients.
Three divisions: Lite (under £500k), Interiors (larger schemes), Regions (Cambridge/Home Counties). Wellness driven design.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1997, ~100–150 staff. Names Tech Companies among its clients.
End to end bespoke design & build. In house M&E team. 30+ years London specific experience.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1987, ~120–148 staff. Names Hampshire Trust Bank and Aristocrat among its clients.
High end institutional fit outs. Education, commercial, and cultural sectors.
Fit out, mid market band. Names London College of Fashion and University of the Arts among its clients.
Integrated services (fit out + M&E + IT infrastructure). London, Berkshire, Surrey, Kent coverage.
Design and build, mid market band. Names AVMI and CNBC London among its clients.
Free office design on all projects. Crittall glass partitions. Bespoke joinery. National coverage from Clerkenwell base.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 2000.
Luxury/high end refurbishment in prime central London. Family run. Tiered packages (basic to premium).
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 2014.
RIBA qualified design team. Biophilic design. Activity based working. Multi sector (offices, schools, industrial). 30+ years.
Cat A and Cat B, mid market band, trading since 1993. Names Hudl and Arch Insurance among its clients.
25+ years experience across London, Manchester and Hampshire offices.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 1990. Names Clearwater International and Tata Communications among its clients.
Fast track capability for out of hours work. Fully traceable supply chain materials.
Refurbishment led, mid market band.
International luxury brands. Prestigious capital projects across Dublin, London and Middle East.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 2004.
Part of Thirdway Group diversified across architecture, managed workspace, and furniture.
Refurbishment led, mid market band, trading since 2009, part of Thirdway Group.
Heritage buildings to modern developments. 15% faster than industry average. 1,000 to 50,000 sq ft projects.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 2000.
Right first time mindset. Manages multiple trades in house. Multi year client relationships.
Design and build, mid market band. Names Spaces/IWG Plc and AutoTrader among its clients.
4D Approach (Define, Design, Deliver, Devote). Fixed price guarantees. 3 year Zencare aftercare warranty. 5% profits donated to charity.
Design and build, mid market band, trading since 2008, ~30 staff. Names Legal Sector among its clients.
Landlord Cat A programmes, corporate headquarters and multi floor phased schemes. Usually with an independent architect and cost consultant.
Global operation with 60+ years' experience. B2B focused.
Fit out, enterprise band, trading since 1965.
Global workplace strategy and design. Biophilic design, WELL and green building certification. Research driven approach.
Fit out, enterprise band.
High end corporate fit outs, digital twin technology, programme driven delivery.
Fit out, enterprise band, trading since 1990, part of Mace Group. Names BMI and Major Financial Institutions among its clients.
Design led office fit out, workplace consultancy, biophilic design. 78%+ repeat business rate.
Refurbishment led, enterprise band, trading since 1977, part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, 201–500 staff. Names UniCredit and Greystar among its clients.
UK's leading fit out specialist. 91% net promoter score. Projects up to £200m.
Design and build, enterprise band, trading since 1942, part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, ~1,000 staff. Names Virgin Media O2 and GSK among its clients.
Major global player in corporate fit out with significant London operations.
Fit out, enterprise band, part of STO Building Group.
Global design & build backed by world's largest real estate services company. Operates in 20+ countries with local London expertise.
Fit out, enterprise band, part of JLL.
Integrated strategy design construction. London serves as EMEA HQ. Brands include Unispace Life Sciences, Bulb Interiors, Downstream.
Fit out, enterprise band, trading since 2010. Names Zoom Communications among its clients.
Heritage preservation, sustainable refurbishment, public sector. 500,000+ sq ft delivered in prestigious London locations.
Design and build, enterprise band, trading since 1852, part of Willmott Dixon Group, 4,000+ (group) staff.
Tell us the floor area, the budget and the timing and we will introduce three suitable firms from the directory. No fee, no obligation, and no company pays for the introduction.
Get matched| Office size | Typical Cat B cost | Typical programme on site | Contractor band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 3,000 sq ft | £50 to £120 per sq ft | 4 to 8 weeks | Boutique |
| 3,000 to 10,000 sq ft | £60 to £150 per sq ft | 8 to 16 weeks | Boutique or mid market |
| 10,000 to 30,000 sq ft | £80 to £150 per sq ft | 12 to 24 weeks | Mid market |
| 30,000 sq ft and above | £80 to £200+ per sq ft | 16 to 30+ weeks | Enterprise |
Ranges are for standard to good specification Cat B work in London. Add 4 to 12 weeks for design, consents and procurement before work starts. Furniture, IT and AV are usually priced separately. Full cost guide.
In practice the terms overlap. Fit out usually means work on an empty or newly leased space, refurbishment means upgrading a space that is already occupied or dated. Most London contractors do both, and the same firm will call the job whichever the client calls it.
For anything involving partitions, electrics, mechanical changes or fire compartmentation, yes. A main contractor coordinates the trades, carries the insurance and signs off building control. For decoration and furniture only, a fit out company or even a good decorator can be enough.
Typically 8 to 16 weeks on site once design is signed off, plus 4 to 12 weeks for design, landlord consent and procurement beforehand. Phased refurbishments of occupied space run longer.
Most design and build contractors will manage landlord's licence to alter applications and building control as part of the job. Planning permission is rarely needed for internal work, but listed buildings, conservation areas and changes of use are exceptions and need a specialist.