Office fit-out cost per sq ft in Malaysia — by grade, M&E breakdown, Bomba submission and a fixed quote from a Klang Valley commercial contractor.
Office fit-out is priced per square foot of net floor area, and the range is wide because an "office" can mean anything from a lightly partitioned SME unit to a Grade-A MNC headquarters. As a planning guide for Klang Valley, the table below sets the bands; a measured quote follows a site survey and the approved design.
| Office grade | Indicative cost (per sq ft) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic / functional | RM80 – RM130 | Open-plan layout, standard flooring, system furniture, minimal partitioning |
| Mid-range corporate | RM140 – RM200 | Glass partitions, custom carpentry, feature lighting, acoustic treatment, meeting rooms |
| Premium / Grade-A MNC | RM250+ | High-end finishes, advanced IT & server infrastructure, imported furniture, smart-office automation |
In the KL central business district a professional fit-out commonly lands between RM120 and RM220 per sq ft. Because of steel, glass and copper-cable price rises, sub-RM80 fit-outs are rarely realistic unless the scope is very light.
The grade you choose should follow your lease length and brand needs. A short lease or a fast-growing startup is usually best served by a basic functional fit-out that maximises usable desks per ringgit. A 3–5 year corporate lease justifies the mid-range band, where glass-fronted meeting rooms, branding and acoustic comfort start to matter for staff retention and client impressions. Premium spend only pays off for client-facing HQs or regulated industries. For the renovation-style angle, see our office renovation cost guide.
The single biggest cost block in any office fit-out is mechanical & electrical (M&E): air-conditioning (ACMV) reconfiguration, electrical and data cabling, lighting, and fire-protection works typically take 30–40% of the total. Partitions and ceilings, flooring, carpentry/joinery, furniture, and finishes make up most of the rest. Underestimating M&E is the most common reason an office budget blows out, especially when the base-build air-conditioning needs extending to a new layout.
| Cost component | Share of budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| M&E (ACMV, electrical, fire) | 30 – 40% | Biggest variable; server-room cooling adds cost |
| Partitions, ceiling, flooring | 20 – 30% | Glass partitions cost more than drywall |
| Carpentry & joinery | 10 – 20% | Reception, pantry, built-ins |
| Furniture & loose items | 10 – 20% | System desks, chairs, soft seating |
| Authority submission & fees | 3 – 8% | Bomba, building management, professional fees |
A typical turnkey quote covers space planning and design, partitioning and ceilings, flooring, ACMV extension and balancing, electrical and data points, lighting, fire-protection compliance (sprinkler/smoke-detector relocation), carpentry (reception, pantry, storage), glazing, painting, and final cleaning. Loose furniture and IT/AV are sometimes separate — always confirm what is in and out of scope so quotes compare like-for-like.
Landlords often hand over space as a "CAT A" shell — basic ceiling, raised floor, base air-conditioning and lighting. Your fit-out (the "CAT B") is everything that makes it your office: layout, partitions, branding, meeting rooms, pantry and finishes. Knowing whether your unit is bare shell, CAT A, or a reinstated previous tenancy materially changes the budget, because a bare shell needs the base services built first.
Most office fit-outs in commercial buildings require an authority submission — drawings endorsed by a registered professional and routed through the building management, the local council, and Bomba (Fire & Rescue) for fire-safety sign-off, especially where partitioning affects escape routes, sprinklers or smoke detection. This is mandatory for occupation and for many tenancy agreements. We cover the full process in our commercial renovation permit guide.
For a typical SME to mid-size floor, allow 2–4 weeks for design and authority submission and 4–8 weeks on site, so roughly 6–12 weeks end to end. Large or premium fit-outs with heavy M&E and bespoke joinery run longer. Building management work-hour limits (many only allow noisy works after office hours) and lift-booking windows are the usual schedule stretchers.
Commercial buildings impose strict renovation rules: approved contractors only, work-hour windows, service-lift booking, hoarding, a renovation deposit, and reinstatement obligations at lease end. Factor reinstatement into your fit-out decisions early — bespoke built-ins are great while you are there but add to the make-good cost when you leave.
Reuse the base-build ceiling and air-conditioning where possible, keep partitioning to where it earns its keep, choose system furniture over bespoke for open areas, and concentrate premium finishes on the reception and client-facing zones only. Designing to the existing M&E rather than relocating it is the biggest single saving.
Pick a contractor with real commercial experience and the ability to manage authority submission and Bomba, not just the lowest tender. Ask for an itemised quote that separates M&E, confirm who handles building-management approvals and the deposit, check CIDB registration for the build works, and get the programme in writing. A team that knows your building moves faster through approvals.
ClickBina is a Klang Valley commercial and home-services contractor that delivers office fit-outs end to end — design, authority submission, M&E, partitioning, carpentry and finishing — with itemised fixed quotes and WhatsApp replies within the hour. Tell us your floor area and the building and we will give a same-day ballpark.
Tell us what you need — we reply within the hour.