Office Construction Cost Calculator
Apply a dated, location-specific construction rate and user-entered allowances. No market rate, regional factor, quality multiplier, fee, contingency, escalation, or external-works percentage is embedded.
Who it's for: architects, owners, and estimators who already have a dated office construction benchmark rate and need transparent arithmetic — not a market forecast — for a specific quantity and allowance set, at feasibility or schematic design.
Published benchmarks
Office hard construction cost per square foot by city (RLB) and fit-out costs (Cushman & Wakefield, JLL). Pick a row to use it as the entered rate, or enter your own.
| Benchmark | Value | Unit | Edition | Scope | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office, prime class, hard construction cost | 255–425 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Austin, TX | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, prime class, hard construction cost | 460–725 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Boston, MA | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, prime class, hard construction cost | 355–580 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Chicago, IL | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, prime class, hard construction cost | 275–415 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Los Angeles, CA | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, prime class, hard construction cost | 425–985 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | New York, NY | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, prime class, hard construction cost | 350–580 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Washington, DC | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, secondary class, hard construction cost | 165–230 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Austin, TX | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, secondary class, hard construction cost | 285–425 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Boston, MA | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, secondary class, hard construction cost | 215–350 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Chicago, IL | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, secondary class, hard construction cost | 215–305 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Los Angeles, CA | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, secondary class, hard construction cost | 245–610 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | New York, NY | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office, secondary class, hard construction cost | 240–380 | $/sf | Q1 2026 | Washington, DC | RLB Quarterly Construction Cost Report, North America, Q1 2026 | |
| Office fit-out hard cost, most expensive market | 219.32 | $/sf | 2026 | San Jose, CA | Cushman & Wakefield Office Fit Out Cost Guide (Americas) | |
| Office fit-out hard cost | 219.26 | $/sf | 2026 | San Francisco, CA | Cushman & Wakefield Office Fit Out Cost Guide (Americas) | |
| Office fit-out hard cost | 212.59 | $/sf | 2026 | New York, NY | Cushman & Wakefield Office Fit Out Cost Guide (Americas) | |
| Office fit-out hard cost | 113.97 | $/sf | 2026 | Indianapolis, IN | Cushman & Wakefield Office Fit Out Cost Guide (Americas) | |
| Office fit-out hard cost, lowest US market | 108.26 | $/sf | 2026 | Kansas City, MO | Cushman & Wakefield Office Fit Out Cost Guide (Americas) | |
| Office fit-out, open and flexible layout | 1,900–2,300 | $/m² | 2026 | Global average | JLL Global Office Fit-Out Costs Guide 2026 | |
| Office fit-out, high spatial variety layout | 2,000–2,500 | $/m² | 2026 | Global average | JLL Global Office Fit-Out Costs Guide 2026 | |
| Office fit-out, structured layout | 2,100–2,600 | $/m² | 2026 | Global average | JLL Global Office Fit-Out Costs Guide 2026 | |
| Office fit-out, regional average | 3,200 | $/m² | 2026 | North America | JLL Global Office Fit-Out Costs Guide 2026 |
Figures are as published on the linked page; check edition, scope and what the rate includes before using one.
—
How to use this calculator
The formula
Worked example
When this estimate will be off
- RLB prime/secondary rows are new hard construction cost; Cushman & Wakefield and JLL fit-out rows price an existing shell only — do not mix the two quantity bases (src/config/calculator-benchmarks.ts:184-195).
- JLL's global fit-out rows are priced per square metre, not per square foot; convert the unit before entering the rate (src/config/calculator-benchmarks.ts:191-194).
- Benchmark rows on this page are sourced reference points, not market data for your project; no currency conversion is supplied.
- No cost-plan, procurement, escalation, tax, finance, schedule, risk, or professional adequacy determination is made.
Frequently asked questions
A common mistake: RLB prime/secondary rows are new hard construction cost; Cushman & Wakefield and JLL fit-out rows price an existing shell only — do not mix the two quantity bases (src/config/calculator-benchmarks.ts:184-195).
No. It applies transparent arithmetic to a user-supplied benchmark and allowances — it does not predict bids, escalation, or final cost.
Use a dated source for the same market, currency, measurement basis, scope, and project type as the office construction project you're estimating. The benchmark table above lists sourced reference points, not market data for your project.
So nothing already included in the base rate is counted twice. Enter only allowances not already reflected in the benchmark rate itself.
No. The result is base amount × (1 + fees% + contingency% + other allowance%) only. Escalation, taxes, finance, procurement risk, and professional adequacy are not determined by this worksheet.
Sources
- User-identified cost source — must provide the rate, market, date, currency, measurement basis, scope, inclusions and exclusions
This free Office Construction Cost Calculator is built and maintained by DataDrivenAEC, using the relevant codes and standards. It does not substitute for professional judgment.