Where a fit-out budget actually goes

The costs investors forget sit behind the ceiling and under the floor. Here is how an itemised quote fixes that.

Investors usually budget for what they can see: furniture, finishes and the sign above the door. The larger costs often sit behind the ceiling and under the floor.

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing works, kitchen extraction, fire systems and authority fees can make up a large share of a fit-out. They are also the items most often missing from an early estimate.

An itemised quote fixes this. Every line is priced before signing, approvals included, so the number in the contract is the number you plan around.

Keep a contingency for choices you make during the project, not for work that should have been in the scope from the start.