If you're budgeting for a new office in Taunton, from a unit at Nexus 25 to a converted period building near the town centre, the first question is always the same: what's it going to cost per square foot? The honest answer is that it depends heavily on the building you start with and the finish you want, but there are clear ranges worth knowing before you get quotes in.
For a straightforward Cat B fit-out, where you're taking a space that already has basic ceilings, flooring and services and adding partitions, decoration, a kitchen area and some meeting rooms, you're generally looking at £55 to £85 per square foot in this part of Somerset. A simple refresh with new carpet tiles, paint and a couple of stud walls can come in nearer £35 to £50 per square foot.
Step up to a higher-spec scheme with glazed partitioning, bespoke joinery, feature lighting, acoustic treatment and proper air conditioning, and costs typically run from £85 up to £130 or more per square foot. These figures are guides, not quotes, since every building and every spec sheet changes the numbers.
The building type matters more than people expect. Modern units on business parks like Blackbrook, Gateway Park or Nexus 25 off the M5 at junction 25 often already have raised floors, suspended ceilings and decent M&E in place, so the fit-out budget goes mostly on partitions, finishes and furniture. Older buildings nearer the town centre, including Georgian and Victorian conversions around East Street or Fore Street, frequently need more work on electrics, heating and fire compartmentation before you even get to the visible finishes, and some are listed, which adds planning time and cost.
Mechanical and electrical work is usually the single biggest swing factor. New air conditioning, extra data points, upgraded lighting controls and fire alarm changes can add tens of pounds per square foot on their own. Floor and ceiling condition, the amount of glazed partitioning versus stud walls, and how many meeting rooms or breakout areas you want all push the number up or down as well.
Access and parking around Taunton town centre can slow deliveries and add cost compared with a business park unit where a van can pull straight up to the door. Older buildings often reveal surprises once walls or ceilings are opened up, such as outdated wiring or asbestos-containing materials that need a survey and safe removal before work continues.
If the building is listed or in a conservation area, which applies to several properties in central Taunton, you may need listed building consent for anything affecting the original fabric, and that process through Somerset Council can add weeks to the programme. It's worth checking this early rather than after you've committed to a layout.
A square footage range is only useful as a starting point for your own budget conversation. The most reliable way to get an accurate number is a site visit, where a contractor can see the building's condition, check existing services and talk through what level of finish you actually need versus what would be nice to have.
We cover Taunton regularly from our base in Tiverton, around 25 minutes down the M5, so a site visit and a proper itemised quote rather than a vague per-square-foot figure is usually the next sensible step once you've got a shortlist of spaces or a layout in mind.
Often yes, because units at places like Nexus 25 or Blackbrook tend to have newer services and fewer structural surprises. Town centre buildings can still work out well, but older fabric and possible listed status usually add time and cost.
Usually not. Per square foot figures for a fit-out normally cover construction, partitioning, decoration, flooring, ceilings and M&E, with furniture, IT cabling and signage quoted separately depending on what you need.
A straightforward Cat B fit-out on a few thousand square feet often takes four to eight weeks on site once designs are approved, though older or listed buildings can take longer due to consents and unexpected remedial work.
Tell us about the project. You deal with Jamie direct, from first measure to handover.