Office Refurbishment delivered in Holborn, London WC1, WC2
Holborn · Office Refurbishment

Office Refurbishment in Holborn

Office Refurbishment across Holborn (WC1, WC2). Full-service office refurbishment for occupied and vacant London commercial space. We deliver CAT B fit-outs, M&E upgrades, partitioning, flooring, decorating and lighting under a single fixed-price contract, with a named project manager and principal contractor duties under CDM 2015.

Estate-approvedCDM 2015FIRASNICEIC£10M insured

Office Refurbishment in Holborn — what businesses typically need

Office Refurbishment across Holborn (WC1, WC2) is delivered by our in-house commercial team with current estate approvals and compliance records on file. We have completed works in or adjacent to Sea Containers House, One New Oxford Street, Holborn Viaduct House, Warwick Court, Kingsway Tower among others. Teams mobilise from our London operations base, with direct transport links via Holborn (Central, Piccadilly), Chancery Lane (Central), Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern, Elizabeth line), Russell Square (Piccadilly), Farringdon (Elizabeth line, Thameslink). Every project is run by a named project manager reporting weekly with photographs and programme RAG. Out-of-hours loading, estate permit-to-work and managing-agent liaison are included in the prelims — not charged as variations.

The Holborn market is dominated by top-tier law firms (magic-circle, silver-circle and mid-tier), media and publishing (guardian, warner bros), higher education (lse, soas proximity), each with distinct office refurbishment requirements — programme compression, landlord co-ordination, out-of-hours delivery, and full compliance ownership. Our commercial team has delivered office refurbishment in trophy buildings including Sea Containers House, One New Oxford Street, Holborn Viaduct House, Warwick Court.

Midtown spans the Inns of Court (legal), Gray's Inn Road (media — Guardian, Warner Bros Discovery), Kingsway and Holborn itself. Modern Grade A around Chancery Lane sits alongside period stock in Bloomsbury and around the Inns.

Our commercial delivery model

Camden and Westminster both restrict noisy works to 08:00–18:00 Mon–Fri, 08:00–13:00 Sat. Inns of Court buildings have additional sitting-term restrictions during legal terms. Kingsway is a red route — loading is permitted only in booked bays outside peak hours. Gray's Inn Road and High Holborn bays fill early; we book through Camden/Westminster parking services 48 hours ahead.

  1. Stage 1

    Measured survey and condition report within 5 working days

  2. Stage 2

    Space plan and CAT B design brief in 2 weeks

  3. Stage 3

    Fixed-price quote with CAT A dilapidations split

  4. Stage 4

    Principal contractor appointment under CDM 2015

  5. Stage 5

    Mobilisation with agreed DSEAR, RAMS and induction pack

  6. Stage 6

    Weekly programme reports to landlord and managing agent

  7. Stage 7

    Handover with O&M manuals, as-built drawings and building control sign-off

Programme, budget, and disruption

TierRangeWhat's covered
Light refresh£45–£75 per sqftPaint, carpet, light fittings, minor partitioning
Standard CAT B£85–£140 per sqftNew partitioning, flooring, M&E alterations, joinery, full redecoration
High-spec CAT B£160–£250 per sqftBespoke joinery, specialist lighting, VRF upgrade, executive suites
Trophy / HQ£275–£400+ per sqftArchitectural feature work, marble, timber, audio-visual, wellness spaces

This area sits outside the core trophy-tower premium zone — programme and pricing typically sit at the mid-range of the bands below. Figures are guide ranges — we provide a fixed quote after survey.

Typical works we deliver in Holborn

CAT B fit-out — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

CAT A plus — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Dilapidations works — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Partitioning — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Ceilings — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Flooring — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Redecoration — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

M&E alterations — delivered in Holborn under estate-approved loading and out-of-hours protocols.

Planning and compliance for Office Refurbishment in Holborn

Camden (north of High Holborn) and Westminster (south) split the area, with Bloomsbury Conservation Area, Gray's Inn Conservation Area and Kingsway Conservation Area all engaging. Listed buildings in the Inns of Court require LBC; Kingsway's Grade II*-listed facades restrict any external alteration.

Service-specific compliance

CDM 2015 (principal contractor + principal designer route)FIRAS fire-stopping certification on compartmentationNICEIC certification on all electrical worksPart B fire safety compliancePart E acoustic performance testingPart M accessibility — level thresholds, door widths, WCsBS 5266 emergency lighting testingEICR report at completion£10M public and £10M professional indemnity

Buildings we have worked in across Holborn

Notable buildings

  • Sea Containers House
  • One New Oxford Street
  • Holborn Viaduct House
  • Warwick Court
  • Kingsway Tower
  • 100 Kingsway
  • One Southampton Row
  • Lincoln House
  • Central St Giles
  • The Post Building
  • Bloomsbury Square (50 Bedford Row)
  • Chancery House

Notable estates

  • The Bedford Estate (Bloomsbury edge)
  • Crown Estate (Holborn edge)
  • Inns of Court (Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn)

Reference list available on request under NDA.

Our process — seven stages

  1. Survey

    Measured condition survey within 5 working days, including M&E, fabric and compliance review.

  2. Brief

    Scope capture workshop with stakeholders — occupier, landlord, managing agent, FM team.

  3. Design

    Stage 3 design package with space plan, M&E schedules, specification and CAT A/B split.

  4. Fixed quote

    Lump-sum price against the design package. All prelims transparent.

  5. Mobilisation

    CDM notification, RAMS, permit-to-work, landlord licence-to-alter, estate approvals.

  6. Delivery

    Weekly client reports with photos, programme RAG, variation log, compliance status.

  7. Handover

    O&M manuals, as-built drawings, building-regs sign-off, 12-month defects period.

Office Refurbishment specifications by building type

Modern Grade A (Kingsway, Holborn) — 10,000–25,000 sqft plates

Office Refurbishment in modern grade a (kingsway, holborn) — 10,000–25,000 sqft plates is typically specified to light refresh level — paint, carpet, light fittings, minor partitioning. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Period refurbished stock (Gray's Inn Road, Bloomsbury)

Office Refurbishment in period refurbished stock (gray's inn road, bloomsbury) is typically specified to standard cat b level — new partitioning, flooring, m&e alterations, joinery, full redecoration. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Inns of Court chambers buildings

Office Refurbishment in inns of court chambers buildings is typically specified to high-spec cat b level — bespoke joinery, specialist lighting, vrf upgrade, executive suites. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Listed Victorian and Georgian terraces

Office Refurbishment in listed victorian and georgian terraces is typically specified to trophy / hq level — architectural feature work, marble, timber, audio-visual, wellness spaces. Programme is governed by loading access and estate working-hours framework.

Out-of-hours, weekend, and live-environment working

We deliver refurbishment works in live offices through phased 6pm–6am night shifts and weekend programmes. Dust-sealed segregation with negative-pressure extract, scent-neutral paint systems and noise planning co-ordinated with the managing agent. Out-of-hours staff are CSCS-inducted and attend the building's specific permit-to-work and fire evacuation briefings.

Camden and Westminster both restrict noisy works to 08:00–18:00 Mon–Fri, 08:00–13:00 Sat. Inns of Court buildings have additional sitting-term restrictions during legal terms. Kingsway is a red route — loading is permitted only in booked bays outside peak hours. Gray's Inn Road and High Holborn bays fill early; we book through Camden/Westminster parking services 48 hours ahead.

Planned preventative maintenance (PPM)

All Holborn occupiers benefit from a PPM framework covering L8 water hygiene, EICR, emergency lighting, F-Gas registers and fabric maintenance. For a scoped PPM package in Holborn see Office Maintenance in Holborn or Commercial Maintenance in Holborn.

Case studies

Anonymised project outlines from our Holborn and adjacent-area portfolio — full reference list with contact introductions available on request under NDA.

Financial services HQ refurbishment

Scope · 12,000 sqft

Budget band · £1.6M

Programme · 14 weeks

Full CAT B including executive suite, trading floor, client meeting rooms

Delivered under single-contractor D&B with CDM 2015 principal contractor duty. Full compliance pack at handover.

Professional services CAT A plus

Scope · 7,500 sqft

Budget band · £620k

Programme · 9 weeks

Partitioning, flooring, LED lighting upgrade, redecoration

Delivered under single-contractor D&B with CDM 2015 principal contractor duty. Full compliance pack at handover.

Tech occupier refresh

Scope · 4,200 sqft

Budget band · £310k

Programme · 6 weeks

Open plan redesign, acoustic treatment, tea point and meeting rooms

Delivered under single-contractor D&B with CDM 2015 principal contractor duty. Full compliance pack at handover.

FAQs — Office Refurbishment in Holborn

Can you work while our staff remain in the office?

Yes. We phase refurbishment into occupied and decanted zones, with physical hoarding, air-sealed segregation, and noise-generating works confined to out-of-hours shifts. A typical floor plate can be refurbished in 2–3 phases over 8–14 weeks.

How do you price refurbishment — open-book or fixed?

We price fixed lump-sum against an agreed scope. Any variations are priced per item with a written instruction before works proceed. No open-book percentage markups.

Do you handle the CAT A dilapidations split?

Yes. Where a lease requires CAT A reinstatement on exit, we split the quote between permanent CAT B works and end-of-lease reinstatement, so you can plan the dilapidations liability from day one.

What warranty do you provide?

10-year structural warranty where applicable; 2 years on M&E alterations; manufacturer warranties on finishes, carpet, flooring and light fittings passed through to the client.

Are you insured for commercial works in the City and Canary Wharf?

Yes — £10M public liability and £10M professional indemnity. Full cover for works in managed estates including Broadgate, Canary Wharf Group, Great Portland Estates and Grosvenor.

Do you handle landlord licence-to-alter applications?

Yes. Our project manager liaises with the managing agent and landlord's surveyor throughout, including drawings, M&E schedules, and dilapidations undertakings.

Do you work in Inns of Court chambers?

Yes — we have delivered refurbishment works in chambers buildings across Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn, operating within the Inn's own permit and fabric-protection regimes and around sitting terms.

How does the Bloomsbury Conservation Area affect fit-out?

Interior fit-out is generally unaffected, but any external alteration, signage or shopfront change engages conservation area consent. Our architects handle the applications.

What's the typical law-firm fit-out programme in Holborn?

8,000 sqft: 10–12 weeks. 15,000 sqft law-firm full CAT B with library and mediation rooms: 14–18 weeks.

Can you handle Grade II* listed buildings on Kingsway?

Yes — our heritage team handles LBC applications for internal reversible fit-out, with conservation officer pre-application consultation built into the mobilisation programme.

Do you hold compliance records for the major managing agents here?

Yes — Savills, Knight Frank, CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers all hold our compliance pack on file.

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Related insights

In-depth articles on commercial fit-out, compliance and market strategy.

Start with a survey in Holborn

Measured condition survey within 5 working days. Fixed-price quote within 10. Estate approvals on file.