How accurate is the office fit-out cost calculator?

It gives a preliminary budget range based on your office size, condition, layout, finish level and selected services. It is an early planning estimate, not a formal quotation — final costs are confirmed after a site assessment.

Is the calculator free to use?

Yes. The calculator is completely free and there is no obligation. You provide your project details and contact information and receive an instant estimated budget range.

What does the estimate include?

The range covers construction and fit-out works for the scope you select — finishes, internal layout, and any additional services chosen. Furniture is included only if you select it. Prices exclude VAT.

Does the estimate include VAT?

No. All figures are shown excluding VAT.

What happens after I get my estimate?

Your details are sent to the First Gate team and we respond quickly — typically the same business day — to discuss your project and arrange a site assessment for an accurate quotation.

Which areas does First Gate cover?

First Gate delivers office fit-out, refurbishment and relocation projects across Cape Town and surrounding areas.

How does design and build differ from a traditional architect-plus-contractor route?

In a traditional route, the client signs two contracts: one with an architect and one with a construction contractor. In design and build, both sit under one contract with one firm. The difference matters most when something goes wrong: in a traditional appointment, the architect blames the contractor and the contractor blames the architect; in design and build, there's no gap to point into.

Is design and build more expensive?

No. The single contract removes the cost of interface disputes (variation orders for things nobody priced) and shortens the programme by allowing construction to start before the design is 100% resolved. Costs that show up as extras in a traditional tender tend to be priced into the original scope of a design and build contract.

Can construction start before the design is finished?

Yes. Long-lead procurement (joinery, glass, furniture) can be released against signed-off design packages while detailed drawings for later trades are still being prepared. That overlap is what allows a design and build firm to hit move-in dates a traditional sequential appointment can't.

Does design and build mean I'm locked in?

No. The contract is fixed-scope and fixed-price against an agreed design. If the brief changes substantially you can vary the contract; if the relationship doesn't work you can terminate per the contract's clauses. The point is single accountability, not exclusivity.

Do you handle the council submission as part of the build?

Yes, where the project needs one. The same in-house team that prepares the design lodges the building plan, manages the City's review, and manages the occupancy certificate application process through to issue. The design is drawn submission-ready from the start.

What size of project do you take on?

Most of our design and build work sits between R500,000 and R5 million in total project value, with office footprints between 200 and 2,000 m². Below that, a single-trade contractor on a quoted job is a better fit; above it, we'd want a conversation about whether First Gate is the right size of firm for the project.

How quickly do you respond to enquiries?

Within two business days. We come back with an assessment of what the project requires, a clear scope, and a fixed price. The initial assessment is free.

Service · Cape Town

Office Design & Build — Cape Town

One contract, one accountable party, one team carrying a Cape Town office project from first sketch to the day the keys change hands.

Calculate your budget

Scope

What design and build delivers

Three tracks, in sequence and in parallel, against one fixed scope. In a traditional appointment these are three separate contracts with three separate accountabilities. In a design and build appointment, they're one.

01
Design
Space planning, concept, materials, lighting, technical drawings, 3D visualisations.
02
Construction
Procurement, programme, site management, sub-contractor coordination, quality control, snagging.
03
Compliance
Council submissions where required, occupancy certificates, coordination of required fire and electrical compliance sign-offs, heritage clearance for older buildings.

15+

Years in Cape Town

40+

Municipal submissions since 2016

Level 1

BEE Contributor

Team, one contract

Process

How First Gate runs a design and build project

01
Step 01
Brief, budget, deadline
The opening conversation is about brief, budget and deadline, in that order. We don't price a design until we know what the project is solving for. The design for a 12-month BPO ramp is not the design for a 7-year head office.
02
Step 02
Design
Measured survey, two or three space-plan options, chosen direction developed into a concept. 3D visualisations follow when the design needs to feel real for sign-off. Technical drawings, finishes schedules and the construction programme are produced against the agreed design and budget.
03
Step 03
Construction + compliance
Construction runs on a fixed-price contract against the agreed scope, with a single project lead through site. Council submissions, where required, run in parallel: drawn by the same people preparing the technical drawings, lodged on the City's portal, tracked through review.
04
Step 04
Handover
Occupancy certificate application managed through to issue, as-built drawings, operating-and-maintenance manuals, and a closed snag list. Anything missing is closed out before the building is signed over.

Scope

What this service is, and isn't.

When it fits

Single accountability over a fixed programme

A tenant fit-out where the move-in date is fixed and the lease has started — overlap between design and construction shortens the programme.
Businesses commissioning a Cape Town office between 200 and 2,000 m²: professional services, fintech, BPO contact-centres, growing tech teams.
Landlords preparing a building for a new tenant, or property managers handling a tenant changeover.
Projects where compliance (council submissions, occupancy certificates) is part of the scope.

When it doesn't

You already have an appointed architect
A traditional tender with a separate construction contractor protects the architect's work through procurement. First Gate handles that engagement too — see our design-only service — but the design and build framing isn't the one.
Small repair or maintenance package
Design and build is over-engineered for these. A single trade contractor on a quoted job is faster and cheaper.

Why First Gate

Design + construction + compliance under one team

Few firms combine design, construction and compliance under one delivery team.

01 / Single accountability

One contract, one team

Architectural design, construction and compliance under one roof. No interface gaps, no triangular blame. When something goes wrong, there's one number to call.

02 / Procurement-ready

Level 1 BEE Contributor

Verified. Material for corporate tenants and landlord projects with procurement preference scoring.

03 / Compliance in-house

15+ years in Cape Town

SACAP-registered, 40+ municipal submissions since 2016, working knowledge of how the City of Cape Town reviews and approves commercial work.

Selected Work

Recent projects in this category

First Gate's completed Cape Town work. Click any project to view the full gallery.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

: In a traditional route, the client signs two contracts: one with an architect and one with a construction contractor. In design and build, both sit under one contract with one firm. The difference matters most when something goes wrong: in a traditional appointment, the architect blames the contractor and the contractor blames the architect; in design and build, there's no gap to point into.
: No. The single contract removes the cost of interface disputes (variation orders for things nobody priced) and shortens the programme by allowing construction to start before the design is 100% resolved. Costs that show up as extras in a traditional tender tend to be priced into the original scope of a design and build contract.
: Yes. Long-lead procurement (joinery, glass, furniture) can be released against signed-off design packages while detailed drawings for later trades are still being prepared. That overlap is what allows a design and build firm to hit move-in dates a traditional sequential appointment can't.
: No. The contract is fixed-scope and fixed-price against an agreed design. If the brief changes substantially you can vary the contract; if the relationship doesn't work you can terminate per the contract's clauses. The point is single accountability, not exclusivity.
: Yes, where the project needs one. The same in-house team that prepares the design lodges the building plan, manages the City's review, and manages the occupancy certificate application process through to issue. The design is drawn submission-ready from the start.
: Most of our design and build work sits between R500,000 and R5 million in total project value, with office footprints between 200 and 2,000 m². Below that, a single-trade contractor on a quoted job is a better fit; above it, we'd want a conversation about whether First Gate is the right size of firm for the project.
: Within two business days. We come back with an assessment of what the project requires, a clear scope, and a fixed price. The initial assessment is free.

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Price your fit-out in two minutes.

Tell us the space, the headcount and your timeline. Get an on-screen budget range instantly — no phone call, no obligation.

Instant on-screen estimateNo obligation

Calculate your budget

Office Design & Build — Cape Town

What design and build delivers

How First Gate runs a design and build project

Brief, budget, deadline

Design

Construction + compliance

Handover