U.S. and Canada Office Fit-Out Cost Guide 2025

Introduction

The value of the office has been reevaluated globally, identifying a particular focus on quality and flexibility in the U.S. and Canada. Increased emphasis on structured policies and encouraging in-office attendance in 2025 continues to drive many corporate occupiers to create high-quality office spaces that enhance employee experience and performance.

While the current economic climate may encourage cautious decision-making, forward-thinking companies focused on growth and expansion continue to invest strategically in office fit-outs. These investments aim to support long-term goals and capitalize on potential benefits in the coming months.

Our U.S. and Canada Office Fit-Out Cost Guide 2025 provides crucial insights into market trends and cost drivers to inform capital planning and office fit-out strategies in this dynamic environment.
 

Key Findings

• Uncertainty is driving market dynamics. Multiple factors reshaping business investment assumptions currently: policy shifts in trade, immigration, and federal spending are creating short-term impacts that companies must balance against long-term needs while competing for limited high-quality space and little new product. As a result, builders and occupiers alike are having difficulty staying proactive and managing these challenges.

• Office quality priorities remain constant. Organizations continue to prioritize high-quality, sustainable spaces that support employee well-being and productivity. The persistent focus on wellness, collaboration, and sustainability reflects the enduring value of the office environment. Corporate sustainability goals and local regulations further reinforce the demand for premium, environmentally conscious workspaces.

• The future office is top of mind. Organizations are prioritizing design strategies that can adapt to evolving workplace needs while balancing short-term uncertainties with long-term plans. Modular and adaptable design solutions, supported by advanced space utilization monitoring are increasingly common, enabling companies to accommodate fluid workspace requirements and support the accelerating return to office trends.

The average costs of fitting out an office vary geographically, with costs in each region influenced by material and labor costs, market practices and construction regulations. The average cost in Q1 2025 for moderate style medium- quality office was $280 USD per square foot and $278 CAD per square foot for the U.S. and Canada, respectively.

Understanding costs in key cities can be critical to portfolio CAPEX planning and the implementation of corporate design requirements across regional locations. To understand the relative costs between cities, moderate-style medium- quality office fit-outs have been assessed against their respective national averages.

The U.S. and Canadian construction industries are grappling with a complex array of cost pressures in 2025 while occupiers continue to reevaluate and optimize their space needs under new economic uncertainty. Organizations are seeking to understand the relative cost factors and potential associated outcomes to better inform the design and delivery of office fit-outs as a result.

Builders works occupy the largest share and have the highest variance between and within countries:

• Specification of materials and finishes can have a significant impact on the quality of workplaces but also can account for more than a 20% difference in total costs.

• Cost variations for builders works are heavily influenced by labor, with local wages and proportion of specialty trades required for projects having considerable impact.

M&E services and IT/AV/Security are the next highest costs and share some similar properties:
 

• The floor for these costs has generally increased, as corporate requirements continue to converge on a higher baseline. These categories enable much of the adaptability and value that is being prioritized by occupiers in the current period of uncertainty.

The U.S. cost landscape in 2025 is characterized by considerable uncertainty due to ongoing trade tensions and evolving policies. The costs presented in this guide reflect Q1 2025 data. Overall costs are likely to evolve at an accelerated pace in 2025 due to uncertainty. While the extent of these changes remains unclear, they may be unavoidable or disproportionate for some goods and trades.

Trade uncertainty carries extensive implications that complicate the balance between short-term impacts and long-term needs for businesses. Ongoing trade tensions may lead to longer-term shifts in supply chains and material sourcing, potentially affecting fit-out costs beyond immediate price increases. Further, any rebalancing of domestic industries could significantly shift broader CRE needs, creating supply and demand challenges for local office markets.

In this climate of uncertainty, close collaboration with project teams is crucial. Regular monitoring of policy developments and consideration of flexible budgeting strategies can help accommodate potential cost fluctuations not captured by this research at publication. Ongoing reassessment of material choices and sourcing options may be necessary to address changing project costs and requirements.

Early and continued engagement with project delivery teams and supply chains will be vital in 2025 to effectively manage fit-out projects and future-proof long term capital planning.

Navigating uncertainty through adaptive planning. The U.S. and Canadian fit-out markets are facing elevated uncertainty due to evolving trade policies, economic fluctuations, and shifting workplace dynamics. In this environment, capital planning is the best opportunity to stay proactive despite uncertainty:

• Focus on short-term, actionable steps that align with long-term goals

• Regularly reassess market conditions and adjust strategies accordingly

Capitalizing on the persistent demand for quality. Despite economic uncertainties, there is a continued demand for high-quality space that will be able to support business needs through change. Given a limited office pipeline and an uncertain timeline to replenishment:

• Invest strategically in upgrading existing spaces to meet evolving workplace standards

• Focus on creating environments that support employee well-being, productivity, and changing demand

Embrace long-term value drivers and trend. The gap between base and high quality spend continues to narrow due to continued increases in the acceptable floor of tech readiness. These tools make for better workplaces and enable better planning:
 

• Align fit-out projects with long-term corporate goals and iterate using data analytics and performance metrics

• Work with partners that can evaluate emerging technologies and consider their long-term value in context of specific goals

This guide is part of JLL’s newly launched Global Office Fit-Out Cost Guide 2025, bringing together JLL’s expertise and data across regions, and enhancing our Office Fit-out Cost Guides. In comparison to prior versions of JLL’s U.S. and Canada Fit-Out Cost Guide, M&E services are now reported as a unique cost category, to allow for global variations and requirements within this. Inclusions under Security, IT & AV works have also varied slightly from previous years, although still reflecting current typical fit-out requirements and costs. For more information on the costs for fitting-out offices across the U.S. and Canada, or to understand how these costs have changed over time, and how to plan for potential future changes, reach out to your regional PDS team or Research lead, listed below.