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Fit-out costs and permitting procedures

94countries
186cities with fit-out costs
186cities with the permitting procedure
17major markets with property insights

Compare CAT B office fit-out costs across the UK, EMEA and global markets. Explore indicative costs per sq ft and m², local permitting procedures, property market insights and approval routes for 186 cities in 94 countries. Budget ranges for CAT B office fit-out excluding professional fees, and the approval route a fit-out has to go through in each city — which procedure applies, who decides and how long it takes. Set the specification and how much of the floor is enclosed, add furniture and AV if you need them, and download the result as a PDF.

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How to use this: set the specification and how much of the floor is enclosed, then slide furniture and AV & technology up from "None" if you want them in the budget. This is a high-level budget guide only, accurate to around ±20% depending on specification. Building condition, specification, layout and base-build infrastructure (MEP capacity, sprinklers, fire strategy) all have a significant impact on cost. It excludes professional fees, landlord base-build (CAT A) works, VAT and local taxes, and is not a quotation.
Exchange rates: 1 USD = 0.7494 GBP = 0.8726 EUR = 0.8257 CHF. Source: European Central Bank reference rates, 18 September 2026.

Zurich (incl. Zug), Switzerland — fit-out budget

Fit-out construction costs, excluding professional feesUS$1,000 – US$3,620per m². With furniture and AV & technology, up to US$4,190 per m² all-in. Budget guide only, ±20% depending on specification.
LowMediumHigh

Medium — Good-quality finishes, typical services upgrade

Open plan30%60% enclosed

25% of the floor enclosed (meeting rooms, offices, focus rooms)

Add to the budget
NoneBasicMid-rangeHigh-end

None — not included

NoneBasicMid-rangeHigh-end

None — not included

ItemRate per m²Project (2,000 m²)
Fit-out construction costs, excluding professional feesUS$2,720US$5,445,000
Furniture——
AV & technology——
TotalUS$2,720US$5,445,000

Zurich office-market story

Market evidence reviewed September 2026. City and submarket figures are separated from regional context so the report does not hide the sharp difference between central Zurich and its outer districts.

Executive reading

Zurich is not one balanced market. Prime, modern and energy-efficient Grade A space in the centre is in acute shortage, while older or less accessible stock in parts of the periphery is oversupplied. A single city-wide vacancy figure therefore gives a misleading picture for an occupier.

Vacancy and availability

  • Broader Zurich availability is reported at approximately 5.1%–5.3%.
  • Prime central submarkets are materially tighter at approximately 1%–3%.
  • District 11 is reported at approximately 11.9%, demonstrating the outer-market surplus.
  • Roughly 650–700 commercial properties were actively listed for rent when the research was compiled; this is a listing count, not total vacant floor area.

Demand and absorption

  • Demand is concentrating on high-quality, efficient and well-connected central workplaces.
  • Unoccupied space across the central and adjacent districts reportedly reduced by more than 35,000 m².
  • District 11 experienced a single-year increase of more than 50,000 m² of empty space associated with large buildings including Quadro Towers, Vertex and Skykey.

Supply and development pipeline

  • The 2026–2028 office development pipeline is historically low at approximately 71,000–82,000 m².
  • Limited new delivery should protect well-located Grade A stock from broad oversupply.
  • Obsolete office buildings are increasingly being converted to residential use, permanently removing secondary stock from the commercial supply pool.

Rental levels

  • Prime office rents are indicated at approximately CHF 525–975+ per m² per year, depending on location and configuration.
  • Secondary and outer locations are indicated at approximately CHF 220–350 per m² per year.
  • Quoted rent is not effective occupancy cost: incentives, service charges, taxes, parking and landlord contributions must be tested separately.

Submarket picture

  • Shortage: District 1 and central adjacent districts 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8—especially high-quality modern space.
  • Oversupply: District 11/Oerlikon and Opfikon/Glattbrugg, which together account for a large share of the region’s available offices.
  • The correct fit-out and lease strategy depends on the precise district, building quality and starting condition.

What this means for an occupier

  • In the centre, allow less negotiating leverage, faster decision-making and a stronger risk of rent escalation.
  • In outer submarkets, test whether rent savings outweigh transport, attraction, retention and refurbishment risks.
  • Older surplus buildings may require heavier MEP, energy, accessibility and compliance upgrades than the headline fit-out benchmark assumes.
  • Compare landlord contribution and existing-condition value alongside rent—not rent alone.

Sources and evidence status

This summary draws on published office-market research from the first half of 2026 and current property listings. Figures should be reconfirmed against the underlying publications before an investment or lease commitment.

Zurich districts

The city is split into 12 districts (Kreise), each made up of named quarters. Shading follows the submarket picture above: where office space is short and where it is oversupplied. Numbered pins are the buildings listed in the next section. Hover or tap a district or pin to find it in the table and cards.

District 1: Rathaus, Hochschulen, Lindenhof, CityDistrict 2: Wollishofen, Leimbach, EngeDistrict 3: Alt-Wiedikon, Friesenberg, SihlfeldDistrict 4: Werd, Langstrasse, HardDistrict 5: Gewerbeschule, Escher WyssDistrict 6: Unterstrass, OberstrassDistrict 7: Fluntern, Hottingen, Hirslanden, WitikonDistrict 8: Seefeld, Mühlebach, WeineggDistrict 9: Albisrieden, AltstettenDistrict 10: Höngg, WipkingenDistrict 11: Affoltern, Oerlikon, SeebachDistrict 12: Saatlen, Schwamendingen-Mitte, Hirzenbach1234567891011121. Prime Tower12. Europaallee23. Paradeplatz banking HQs34. Quai Zurich Campus45. Swiss Re Next56. Andreasturm67. Vertex78. Quadro Towers89. SkyKey9
Shortage (Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8) Oversupply (District 11) Not assessed Building

Boundaries: City of Zurich open data (Stadtkreise, Statistische Quartiere). Opfikon/Glattbrugg, also named as oversupplied, is a separate municipality just north of District 11 and is not drawn.

DistrictQuartersOffice marketBuildings
District 1Rathaus, Hochschulen, Lindenhof, CityShortage
3Paradeplatz banking HQs
District 2Wollishofen, Leimbach, EngeShortage
4Quai Zurich Campus
5Swiss Re Next
District 3Alt-Wiedikon, Friesenberg, SihlfeldNot assessed—
District 4Werd, Langstrasse, HardShortage
2Europaallee
District 5Gewerbeschule, Escher WyssShortage
1Prime Tower
District 6Unterstrass, OberstrassShortage—
District 7Fluntern, Hottingen, Hirslanden, WitikonNot assessed—
District 8Seefeld, Mühlebach, WeineggShortage—
District 9Albisrieden, AltstettenNot assessed—
District 10Höngg, WipkingenNot assessed—
District 11Affoltern, Oerlikon, SeebachOversupply — 11.9% availability
6Andreasturm
7Vertex
8Quadro Towers
9SkyKey
District 12Saatlen, Schwamendingen-Mitte, HirzenbachNot assessed—

Iconic commercial buildings

Landmark office buildings a Zurich occupier or fit-out contractor will come across, from the prime centre out to the Oerlikon surplus. Every figure comes from the owner, the architect or a published listing, and each card links to its source.

1

Prime Tower

Hardstrasse 201 · District 5, Escher Wyss (Zürich West)

Height126 m
Floors36
Completed2011

Owned by Swiss Prime Site and designed by Gigon/Guyer, with about 39,500 m² of floor area. It was the tallest building in Switzerland from 2011 until Basel's Roche Tower (178 m) opened in 2015. Tenants have included Deutsche Bank Schweiz, Homburger, Citibank Switzerland, Infosys, EY and Zürcher Kantonalbank.

2

Europaallee

Europaallee, 8004 · District 4, Langstrasse, next to Zurich HB

DeveloperSBB
Cost≈ CHF 1.5bn
Completed2020

SBB's mixed-use quarter along the tracks at the main station, built from 2009 with UBS as a major early investor. It holds offices, shops, a hotel and the Pädagogische Hochschule. Google's Campus Europaallee is its largest Zurich site, with about 2,500 of its roughly 5,000 Zurich staff.

3

Paradeplatz banking HQs

Paradeplatz, 8001 · District 1, City / Lindenhof

UBS building1897–99
Ex-Credit Suisse1873
OwnerUBS

The core of Zurich's financial district. The UBS building sits on the west side. The former Credit Suisse (Kreditanstalt) building on the north side dates from 1873, and UBS took it over with Credit Suisse in 2023.

4

Quai Zurich Campus

Mythenquai 2 · District 2, Enge (lakefront)

OccupierZurich Insurance
Reopened10 Sep 2021
On site120 yrs

Zurich Insurance Group's headquarters, rebuilt and reopened on the lakefront site the group has occupied for 120 years. It is certified LEED Platinum, WELL Platinum and MINERGIE-P ECO, and fewer than half of its workspaces are traditional desks.

5

Swiss Re Next

Mythenquai 50 · District 2, Enge (lakefront)

GFA32,148 m²
Workplaces1,100
Completed2017

Swiss Re's headquarters extension by Diener & Diener (2008–2017), known for its undulating glass façade. It has 19,006 m² above ground, holds about three times the workplaces of the 1960s building it replaced, and is certified Minergie-P-Eco and LEED Platinum.

6

Andreasturm

Andreasstrasse 5 · District 11, Oerlikon (station)

Height80 m
Office20,000 m²
Completed2018

SBB's office tower by Gigon/Guyer, linked directly to Zurich Oerlikon station by the east passenger underpass. It has 20,000 m² of offices plus 940 m² of retail. SBB gives the height as 80 m; Wikipedia lists 83 m.

7

Vertex

Thurgauerstrasse 30/32 · District 11, Seebach / Leutschenbach

Offered11,424 m²
+ storage1,255 m²
AvailableNow

Agents' research names it as one of the buildings behind District 11's rise in empty space. A current listing offers 11,424 m² of fitted office space "immediately or by arrangement". A finews headline reports FINMA taking 7,000 m² in this former Credit Suisse tower.

8

Quadro Towers

Hagenholzstrasse 20–22 · District 11, Seebach / Oerlikon

Offered36,000 m²
Floors25
FromSummer 2028

Marketed as the largest quickly available office complex in the region: 36,000 m² of fully fitted offices with floor-to-ceiling glazing, raised floors and TABS heating and cooling. On site are restaurants, conference rooms, a gym and a tower bar.

9

SkyKey

Hagenholzstrasse 60 · District 11, Seebach / Oerlikon

Floor space41,251 m²
Workstations≈ 2,400
Built2014

Swiss Prime Site's business centre, built for Zurich Insurance Group as its Swiss headquarters (about 40,000 m² over 18 floors). Agents' January 2026 market research lists SkyKey among the District 11 buildings behind the rise in available office space there.

Dilapidations / reinstatement

Typical cost to reinstate a fitted office at lease end: US$240 – US$290 per m². Excludes removal of furniture and IT, VAT and professional fees.

Permitting at a glance

Most office fit-outs in Zurich go through the Anzeigeverfahren, which usually takes about 2 months. This is the route for interior renovations that don't affect the neighbours.

Allow about 3 months if there are façade changes or extensions, and about 5 months for complex renovations. A change of use generally needs a permit. Cosmetic work and small-scale maintenance usually don't.

Permits are issued by the city's Amt für Baubewilligungen. Your contact there is the district architect for your Kreis.

Full permitting path and how other cantons differ ↓

Typical permitting path — Zurich

Swiss federal law says buildings may only be put up or altered with an official permit. How that permit is obtained is set by each canton's own building law, and in the German-speaking cantons the municipality usually issues it. For Zurich, that means the Canton's Planning and Building Act (PBG) and the City's Amt für Baubewilligungen.

The sequence for an office fit-out

  1. Confirm landlord consent and the lease rules. This is a lease matter and sits outside the permit.
  2. Check whether a permit is needed. The City's position: a change of use "generally requires a building permit". For maintenance, it depends heavily on the extent of the work. Cosmetic updates usually need no permit. Structural changes do. Ask the district architect (Kreisarchitekt) before you submit.
  3. Identify the procedure. See the table on the right. The city confirms which one applies at the preliminary check.
  4. Submit digitally through eBaugesucheZH. Permit procedures in the Canton have been paperless since 1 April 2024.
  5. Preliminary check: 21 days from receipt. Missing documents stop the clock.
  6. Assessment. For the ordinary procedure, the project is published and the plans are on public display for 20 days. During that window neighbours and third parties can ask to be sent the decision, which they must do before they can appeal. The Anzeigeverfahren has no publication.
  7. Specialist reviews run in parallel:
    • Fire protection is checked against the national VKF fire rules (BSV 2015 currently). The fire department charges its own fee.
    • Workplace safety. For offices, the Canton's labour inspectorate does a Planbegutachtung, an advisory review. The binding Plangenehmigung applies only to industrial businesses.
  8. Permit decision, then a 30-day appeal period. Allow about a week for issue and another for postal delivery.
  9. Build, inspection and completion. Building inspections are charged separately.

Which procedure, and how long

ProcedureUsed forTypical time
Anzeigeverfahren
Notification procedure
Smaller works that don't affect neighbours, such as interior renovations. The usual office fit-out route.
21-day preliminary check + 30-day assessment + 30-day appeal period
≈ 2 months
Ordentliches Schnellverfahren
Ordinary procedure, fast track
Extensions and façade changes, e.g. new openings or a changed shopfront.
21 days + 2 months + 30-day appeal period
≈ 3 months
Ordentliches Langverfahren
Ordinary procedure, standard track
New buildings and complex renovations, e.g. a change of use with major works.
21 days + 4 months + 30-day appeal period
≈ 5 months
Meldeverfahren
Registration procedure
Only certain solar panels, heat pumps, district-heating connections and EV chargers. Not used for fit-outs.≈ 1 month

These times assume a complete submission. The City warns they can run over when many applications come in.

Fees

For renovations, the fee is based on the estimated construction cost (CHF); the City has an online fee calculator. Publication, inspections, project changes and the fire department are charged separately.

What this means for the programme

For a straightforward CAT B, allow about 2 months for the permit before starting on site, and more if any façade, use or structural change is involved. This fits the market story above: in the tight centre (Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8) a slow permit costs you negotiating position. In older surplus stock (District 11), heavier MEP and fire upgrades are more likely to push you into the ordinary procedure.

Coming up: new national fire rules (BSV 2026) are now due to take effect in 2027, after approval planned for March 2027.

Does it differ across Switzerland? Yes — by canton

Each of the 26 cantons has its own building law, so the procedure names, who decides, and the objection periods all change. The fire rules are the one common thread: the VKF fire regulations apply nationwide, with each canton enforcing them. The Geneva row covers the other city in this report.

Canton (city)Who decidesLight route for interior worksStandard routePublic objection window
Zurich
German
Municipality: City of Zurich, Amt für BaubewilligungenAnzeigeverfahren, no publication, ≈ 2 monthsOrdinary procedure, ≈ 3–5 months20 days of public display
Geneva
French
The Canton, not the commune: Office des autorisations de construire (OAC), +41 22 546 64 00APA (accelerated procedure) for interior changes that don't alter the building's general appearance. No publication before the decision. Legal deadline 30 days.DD (definitive request) for new builds, extensions and changes of use, 60-day legal deadline. Digital via AC-Démat.30-day public consultation (DD)
Vaud (Lausanne)
French
Municipality, with the cantonal services' reviews coordinated through CAMACThe municipality may waive the public inquiry (dispense d'enquête) for minor works, but a permit is still neededPublic inquiry (mise à l'enquête) published in the Feuille des avis officiels (FAO)30 days, then a 30-day appeal period
Basel-Stadt
German
The Canton: Bau- und GastgewerbeinspektoratVereinfachtes Verfahren (simplified procedure) or Meldeverfahren for minor works; the inspectorate decides which at the preliminary checkOrdinary procedure for works with significant external impact30 days. Appeals must be filed within 10 days of the decision.
Bern (city)
German
Municipality: Stadt Bern Bauinspektorat, via eBauKleine Baubewilligung (small permit), which can skip publication if the neighbours consent in writingOrdinary procedure, published on ePublikation.ch, ≈ 3 months if the file is complete30 days

The practical differences: Geneva and Basel-Stadt decide at canton level. Zurich, Bern and Vaud decide in the municipality. Zurich's 20-day display is shorter than the 30 days used by the other four. Geneva and Vaud work in French, so submissions and the gazette (FAO) are in French. For a fit-out contractor, the light route is not reliably faster everywhere. Geneva's APA has a 30-day legal deadline, but the clock stops whenever the authority asks for more information.

Source schedule dated 19 September 2026. Costs are benchmarks, not quotations. Verify scope, lease obligations, taxes and local authority requirements before use. For a detailed London budget, use the London calculator.

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