What an office fit-out costs per square foot in Kolkata
Commercial work is priced by the square foot for a reason. Here is what each band buys, why per-seat cost matters more than headline rate, and how to phase around a working week.
In short
- ₹850–1,400 per sq ft covers workstations, ceiling, lighting and paint.
- Cost per seat is the number your finance team will actually compare.
- Out-of-hours execution costs a little and saves a great deal.
Commercial interiors are quoted per square foot because that is how landlords, tenants and finance teams compare them. It is a useful unit, but it hides as much as it reveals — two fit-outs at the same rate can seat very different numbers of people.
What each band buys
| Rate | Specification |
|---|---|
| ₹850 – 1,400 / sq ft | Workstations, basic ceiling, lighting, painting |
| ₹1,400 – 2,200 / sq ft | Cabins, glass partitions, acoustic treatment, branding |
| ₹2,200 – 3,800 / sq ft | Bespoke joinery, stone, full AV and access control |
Think in cost per seat
Divide the total by the number of people the plan actually seats. A layout at ₹1,200 per sq ft that seats 40 is cheaper per head than one at ₹1,000 that seats 28 — and the second one will also need re-planning the moment you hire.
The things that get forgotten
- Desk-level power and data — planned before the joinery is made, not after.
- Acoustic treatment — a hard-floored open plan is unbearable without it.
- Server and utility room ventilation, and access control provision.
- Meeting room glazing specification, if the room needs to be genuinely private.
- Reinstatement obligations in the lease at the end of the term.
Below about 500 sq ft the per-square-foot rate rises, simply because mobilising a team and a delivery costs the same whatever the size of the job.
Written by
Canvas & Brick Interiors
We design, manufacture and install interiors in Kolkata from our own workshop in Rajarhat — a family timber business since 1974. Everything here is what we tell clients across the table.
