The Square Mile is the historic core of London and one of the world’s leading financial centres, home to the Bank of England, Lloyd’s of London, and thousands of banking, insurance, legal and professional services firms. Strictly speaking the City is not a London borough: it is governed by the City of London Corporation, which also acts as its planning authority. For office occupiers it is a market like no other, where some of Europe’s tallest towers stand a short walk from listed banking halls and medieval street patterns, and where expectations for workspace quality are among the highest anywhere.
Transport access is exceptional. Bank station connects the Central, Northern and Waterloo & City lines with the DLR, while Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street and Mansion House bring commuters in from every direction. The Elizabeth line serves the Square Mile at Liverpool Street, which also has an entrance at Moorgate, and at Farringdon, whose eastern entrance sits beside Smithfield on the City’s western edge. Estates such as Broadgate, next to Liverpool Street, and Paternoster Square, beside St Paul’s Cathedral, provide large modern floor plates, while the City Cluster around Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street holds the Square Mile’s tallest towers, led by the 62-storey 22 Bishopsgate.
Office Refurbishment Costs in City of London
Office refurbishment in the City of London typically costs between 90 to 150 pounds per square foot. This is premium pricing by London standards, reflecting high rents, demanding building management requirements and the standard of finish City occupiers expect. The range covers a standard refurbishment: flooring, ceilings, lighting, decoration and basic mechanical and electrical upgrades. Full fit outs with bespoke joinery, AV systems and specialist finishes will sit at the top of the range or above it, whether your building is near Bank, on Bishopsgate or around St Paul’s.
Every building in the Square Mile is different, so we do not price from a rate card alone. We provide a detailed, itemised quotation after an initial site survey, so you know exactly what is included, what is excluded and what the programme looks like before any work begins.
Why Choose City of London for Your Business
The City remains the natural home for financial and professional services. Clients, counterparties, regulators and the legal world, from the barristers’ chambers of Temple to the Old Bailey, are all within walking distance, and the concentration of talent in the Square Mile is unmatched. A well-refurbished City office sends a clear signal of credibility and permanence to clients and recruits alike, which matters in a market where first impressions are formed in the reception and the boardroom.
The office stock spans an unusually wide range. Modern towers such as 22 Bishopsgate and the Leadenhall Building offer large, open floor plates with raised floors and high ceilings, while older buildings around Fleet Street, Cheapside and the lanes off Cannon Street offer character, period features and sometimes listed status, along with irregular layouts and lower floor-to-ceiling heights. Both types respond well to refurbishment, but they demand different approaches, and building management requirements in the City are among the most exacting in London.
Types of Office Refurbishment We Deliver in City of London
We deliver the full spectrum of commercial refurbishment across the Square Mile. Cat A refurbishments prepare floors for the letting market: raised access flooring, suspended ceilings, lighting, air conditioning and fire systems finished to the standard City agents and tenants expect. Cat B fit outs turn those floors into working offices, with partitioning, meeting suites, joinery, branding and client-facing front of house areas. For financial services occupiers we also deliver specialist environments, including dealing and trading floors with enhanced power, structured cabling, UPS resilience and cooling.
In older and listed buildings, our refurbishments respect heritage features such as facades, staircases and panelled rooms while discreetly integrating modern services, cabling and environmental performance upgrades. City projects are often phased or carried out outside trading hours, so occupied buildings can keep operating while the work proceeds.
Planning and Building Considerations in City of London
The City of London Corporation is the local planning authority for the Square Mile, so applications are decided by the Corporation rather than a borough council. A substantial part of the City is covered by conservation areas, including Bank, Fleet Street and Smithfield, and the area contains a large number of listed buildings. Internal alterations to a listed office usually require listed building consent even where planning permission is not needed, and works affecting the exterior of buildings in conservation areas face additional controls. New tall buildings are steered towards the City Cluster in the east of the Square Mile, which is one reason high-quality refurbishment of existing stock is so active everywhere else in the City.
Most office refurbishment is internal and does not need planning permission at all, but nearly every City project needs landlord approval. In multi-tenanted buildings you will normally need a licence to alter before work starts, and building management rules on deliveries, hoisting, noise and contractor hours are strict. We handle these approvals and constraints as part of the project and build them into the programme from day one, so they do not become surprises mid-build.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does office refurbishment cost near Bank or Liverpool Street?
Office refurbishment in the core of the City, around Bank, Liverpool Street and the City Cluster, typically costs between 90 to 150 pounds per square foot. The final figure depends on the building specification, the floor plate size and the level of finish, and out-of-hours working requirements can add to cost. We confirm pricing with an itemised quotation after a site survey.
Do I need consent to refurbish a listed office building in the Square Mile?
Usually, yes. Internal and external alterations to a listed building generally require listed building consent from the City of London Corporation, and buildings in conservation areas such as Bank, Fleet Street and Smithfield face further controls on external works. Alongside statutory consents, most leases require landlord approval through a licence to alter. We advise on which consents apply to your building and manage the applications.
Can you refurbish offices in the City outside of normal working hours?
Yes. Many City buildings require noisy works, deliveries and lift use to take place in evenings and at weekends to minimise disruption to other tenants. We plan for out-of-hours working from the start, including night-time deliveries, restricted lift access and coordination with building management, and we price it transparently in the quotation.
Do you handle dealing floor and trading environment fit outs?
Yes. We deliver specialist fit outs for financial services environments, including dealing floors, which require enhanced power supply, structured cabling, UPS systems, cooling and raised floors for cable management. Minimising downtime is critical in trading environments, so this work is planned around your operational hours.
Areas We Cover in City of London
We deliver office refurbishment across the whole of the Square Mile, in every district within the City’s boundaries:
Aldersgate, Aldgate, Bank, Barbican, Bishopsgate, Blackfriars, Broadgate, Cannon Street, Cheapside, Fenchurch Street, Fleet Street, Leadenhall, Liverpool Street, Ludgate Hill, Mansion House, Monument, Moorgate, Smithfield, St Paul’s, Temple.
Our Services
We offer a full range of office refurbishment and fit out services across City of London:
- Office Refurbishment: complete workspace transformation from survey to handover
- Office Fit Out: full design and build for new or existing spaces
- Office Design: creative, functional workspace design that reflects your brand
- Space Planning: optimise your floor plan for productivity and hybrid working
- Office Renovation: modernise and refresh tired workspaces cost-effectively
Other London Areas
We cover all of Greater London. Explore our area hub pages:
Get Your Free Quote
Ready to transform your City of London office? Whether you need a complete refurbishment, a targeted renovation, or expert design advice, we would love to hear about your project. Our team will visit your site, understand your requirements, and provide a detailed, no-obligation quotation.
Get in touch today to book your free consultation, or call us to discuss your project with one of our refurbishment specialists.