How Long Does an Office Fit Out Take?

Every fit out conversation reaches this question early, because the answer decides when you commit to a lease, when you serve notice on your current space, and when your team packs boxes. The honest answer is a range, and this article shows you what sits behind it, so you can build a timeline you can trust.

The short answer

A small office fit out can complete in four to six weeks on site. A mid-sized project typically runs eight to twelve weeks. A large or complex floor, with new mechanical and electrical services, can take three to six months. Design, approvals, and procurement add time before anyone lifts a tool, so the full journey from first survey to handover runs longer than the build alone.

Those ranges assume clear, brief and steady decisions. Projects slip when decisions stall, when landlord approvals drag, or when long-lead items get ordered late. The fastest fit outs are rarely the ones with the most people on site. They are the ones where the plan settled early.

The stages, and how long each takes

1. Survey and brief: one to two weeks. A measured survey and a working brief covering headcount, layout, and priorities.
2. Design: two to four weeks. Space planning, concept, and the detail the build team prices from. Larger schemes take longer.
3. Costing and approvals: two to six weeks. The quote lands quickly. Landlord consent, where required, sets the pace here.
4. Procurement: two to eight weeks, overlapping other stages. Furniture and specialist items carry the longest lead times.
5. The build: four weeks to six months, dependant on size, scope and complexity, as above.
6. Handover: one week. The walk-through, the fixes, and the keys.

Stages overlap in a well-run programme. Procurement starts while approvals run, and a phased build can begin before every detail of the final phase is fixed. A contractor who manages design and build together compresses the timeline harder than one handing work between separate firms.

What impacts the timeline of a fit out

• Slow decisions. Every unresolved choice on finishes or layout holds space on the programme. Agree a decision-maker on your side and the schedule holds.
• Landlord approvals. A licence for alterations can take weeks in a managed London building. Start the paperwork early and the wait runs in parallel rather than in front.
• Long-lead items. Bespoke joinery, specialist lighting, and some furniture ranges carry lead times of six weeks or more. Order early but more importantly start planning your office fit out early to allow ample time to accommodate lead times for such items.
• Building constraints. Restricted access, lift bookings, and permitted working hours slow city-centre sites. An experienced contractor prices these into the programme rather than discovering them.
• Scope creep. Additions mid-build cost more time than the same choices made at design stage. Fix the scope, then build it.

How to keep your project on schedule

Start earlier than feels necessary, appoint your contractor before you finalise the lease if you can, and let one partner carry design and build together. Early appointment means the fit out team can assess the space, flag approval timelines, and start procurement while legals complete. Our office fit out team plans programmes this way, and it routinely saves weeks against a stop-start approach.

Build a buffer into your own plans too. If your lease ends in June, aim to fit out in April. A programme with slack absorbs a late delivery or a slow approval without drama. A programme without slack turns every small delay into a crisis.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a fit out take for a small office?
On site, four to six weeks is typical for a smaller space with straightforward services. Allow another four to six weeks before that for survey, design, quoting, and any approvals, so the full journey runs two to three months at least.

Can a fit out run outside working hours?
Yes. Evening and weekend working keeps a business running through a fit out, and some buildings require noisy work out of hours anyway. However, this can cause an increase in cost. It can extend the calendar slightly while reducing disruption, which is a trade worth making for most occupied offices.

When should we appoint a fit out company?
Before you commit to the space, ideally. A contractor who surveys a building before you sign can tell you what the fit out will cost and how long it will take, which protects you from leases that look cheap and fit out expensively.

What is the longest lead time to watch for?
Furniture and bespoke items usually hold the record, with some ranges running six to twelve weeks from order. A contractor who locks the furniture schedule at design stage keeps those lead times inside the programme instead of beyond it.

Ready to Start Your Office Fit Out?

Do you want a fit out that lands on time and works from day one?

Rap Interiors has more than 30 years’ experience delivering office fit outs across London, Kent, and the South East, with a dedicated team running every programme from survey to handover. From design to build, we cover every aspect of the project.

To book a consultation, please call 0333 600 1234, email refurb@rapinteriors.co.uk or fill out the enquiry form below.