Shop fitting cost

Starting a shop is an exciting time, but making sure your retail space is ready for customers to come flooding in means organising your shop fitting. To help you budget for this, we’ve put together this guide on the average shop fitting cost in the UK.

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How much does shop fitting cost?

When it comes to the cost of fitting out a shop, to work out what you can expect to pay you’ll first need to decide what level specification you want. Obviously, the higher the spec and the more luxury the fixtures and fittings, the more the shop fitting is going to cost you.

Level of shop fitting	Average cost per sq ft
Low spec	£60
Medium spec	£90
High spec	£140
Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now

Here are the average costs of a shop fitting per square foot in the UK:

Low specification shop fitting – £60 per sq ft
Medium specification shop fitting – £90 per sq ft
High specification (category B) shop fitting – £140 per sq ft

Factors affecting the cost of fitting out a shop

The price you pay for your shop fitting project will depend on a number of factors, including:

Size of your shop space
Quantity and quality of fixtures and fittings
Any bespoke units needed
Labour costs
Any plumbing or electrical work needed
Access to the site
Your shop location

If you're looking to start your own coffee shop or fish and chip shop, then take a look at our handy guides for more information.

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4 tips for planning the cost of shop fitting

Planning a shop fitting can be a complex task, but having a plan of action before you start can save you time and money.

Here are our top tips to help your shop fitting project go as smoothly as possible:

1. Plan your space

Your planning needs to not just focus on standard logistics (lighting, checkouts, window displays, etc), you also want to consider the customer experience. Create a layout that encourages customers to browse the store whilst also keeping it simple so that they can easily move around without any hassle.

2. Set a budget (and be realistic)

This is standard practice for any project, make sure you crunch the numbers before you start any of the work. Do your homework, get quotes from the different tradespeople and professionals you might need – making sure you get multiple quotes to check you understand what fair and/or competitive prices are.

3. Stick to the essentials

It’s tempting to get caught up in unnecessary fixtures and fittings, but do your best to keep them to a minimum to keep the cost of fitting out a shop under control. The key is simplicity, start with the basics, invest in a few key features to add impact to your shop combined with a clever use of lighting, paint and simple staging.

4. Use a professional shop fitter

A shop fitting isn’t like a regular home decorating project, it comes with a unique set of needs and challenges. Save yourself time, money and stress in the long run by hiring a professional shop fitter who can provide valuable advice, contacts and clever ideas. An experienced shop fitter will also come with a network of suppliers and reliable tradespeople to carry out any related work needed.