Commercial joinery
Commercial joinery and shopfitting
Commercial joinery covers shop, bar, salon and office fit-outs: counters, back-bars, display, partitions and reception desks. It is usually priced per project, with fitters at roughly £250 to £400 per day.
What this covers
Typical price. Priced per project, usually £250 to £400 per day per fitter
What the job covers
- Shop and salon fit-outs
- Bar and restaurant joinery
- Office partitioning and desks
- Reception counters
- Landlord and end-of-tenancy reinstatement
What is involved
Commercial work differs from domestic in three ways that affect the quote. It is often out of hours, so a trading unit can stay open. It is specified to a drawing rather than agreed on site, so changes cost more than they would in a house. And it is built for heavy use: 25mm boards where a house would use 18mm, edging on every exposed corner, and finishes chosen for cleaning rather than for looks.
Fire and access requirements sit over everything. Wall and ceiling linings in a public space have surface spread of flame requirements, counters and reception desks have accessible height sections, and escape routes keep their full width around the new joinery. A commercial joiner should raise these before the drawing is signed off, not during the fit.
Shop and salon fit-outs, one of the jobs under commercial joinery.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask for photographs of a completed fit-out in the same sector. Ask whether they work nights and what the uplift is. Ask who is responsible for the fire performance of the materials, and get the answer in writing.
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Common questions
How long does a shop fit-out take?
A small retail unit is typically one to three weeks of joinery. Bars and kitchens run longer because of the services co-ordination.
Can the work be done overnight?
Most commercial joiners will work out of hours and price it accordingly. It is usually cheaper overall than closing a trading unit.