Category B Office Fit-Out Estimating
City of London

The brief

A main contractor based in London was invited to tender for a Category B office fit-out in the City. The project involved a full strip-out of an existing open-plan floor plate and complete refit to a high-specification CAT B standard for a professional services occupier. Architectural and engineering drawings were issued by the employer's design team, and the tender deadline was six working days from receipt of documents.

The contractor needed a complete measured take-off across all trade packages, rate build-ups for each element, subcontractor enquiries issued and returns analysed, and a submission-ready Excel pricing document compiled in time for the deadline. I was brought in as lead estimator to run the full process from document issue to tender submission.

Scope measured

The project covered a typical CAT B interior fit-out across a single open-plan floor plate, with the following primary trade elements:

How the take-off was done

All measurement was taken from architectural GA drawings and room data sheets issued in PDF format. Each trade was measured separately and recorded in a structured Excel workbook with dimensions, descriptions and net totals — formatted so rates could be applied directly by the estimator or fed to specialist subcontractors as a basis for their quotes.

For partitions and ceilings, quantities were checked against the structural drawings to confirm openings, penetrations and builder's work items were captured. The raised access flooring take-off required coordination with the M&E drawings to ensure the correct panel height and cut-around items were properly measured.

Subcontractor management

With the measured quantities in hand, subcontractor enquiries were issued to specialist firms across the key trade packages: drylining and partitioning, suspended ceilings, raised access flooring, glazed partitioning, and bespoke joinery. Each enquiry included the relevant scope of works, drawn information, measured quantities and programme requirements.

Returns were received and analysed on a like-for-like basis. Where subcontractors had priced different specifications or excluded items, those differences were noted and adjusted before comparison. Recommended package values were fed into the main pricing document with allowances held for items not covered by sub-quotes.

Deliverables

Outcome

The tender was submitted on time at a competitive price. The client was awarded the contract and the project proceeded to site. The pricing document was structured in a way that made post-contract commercial management straightforward — each trade package was clearly identified and the supporting take-off was available as a checking document if scope queries arose during the build.

Total project value on award: £648,000.