Reception desks
Brand-defining reception joinery designed for daily client-facing use.
Custom Joinery · Australia-wide
Office Fit-Outs in Australia — Custom-Built by SteepWood
An office fitout is one of the most significant investments a business makes in its workplace culture and productivity. Done well, a fitout energises your team, impresses clients, and supports the way your people actually work. Done poorly — or chosen purely on the basis of lowest price — it can be a source of daily frustration, cramped spaces, inadequate storage, and a brand presentation that undersells your business.
Office Fitout facts — quick reference
- Office fitouts in Australia range from AU$800–AU$3,000+ per square metre depending on finish level and city HIA commercial fitout benchmarks.
- Sydney and Melbourne commercial fitouts sit at the upper end of national cost benchmarks Hipages office fitout guide.
- SteepWood supplies reception desks, breakout joinery, and storage walls with fixed-price contracts SteepWood office fitout.
- Typical 200–500 sqm fitouts run 6–12 weeks from contract to handover SteepWood programme data.
What is office fitout?
An office fitout is the complete workplace joinery package — reception desks, breakout kitchens, meeting room cabinetry, and storage walls — designed for how your team works. SteepWood plans and delivers commercial fitouts from our Newcastle workshop with fixed-price contracts and documented programmes.
At SteepWood we plan and deliver complete office fitouts for businesses of all sizes across Australia: from start-ups fitting out their first space, to established firms relocating to new premises, to large corporates refurbishing existing offices to support new ways of working. Our team handles the full scope: workplace strategy, design, documentation, custom joinery, partitioning, flooring, lighting, and acoustic treatments.
We are specialists in the joinery elements that define a quality fitout — reception desks, breakout kitchen joinery, boardroom credenzas, storage walls, and meeting room cabinetry. These are the pieces that carry your brand identity and see the most daily use. We manufacture in our workshop using commercial-grade Laminex and Polytec panels, solid surface tops, and Blum and Häfele hardware, and we finish to the same standard we bring to residential work.
Office fitout costs in Australia typically range from $800 to $3,000+ per square metre, depending on city, finish level, and the extent of structural work required. Capital-city tenancies typically sit at the upper end; regional projects often offer lower freight and programme costs. A basic open-plan refresh may be achievable under $1,000 per sqm; a premium fitout with custom joinery, quality finishes, and advanced acoustic treatment will sit from $2,500 upward.
We provide fixed-price contracts, detailed project programmes, and a single point of contact for every project. Contact us to discuss your office fitout brief.
What's included
Breakout joinery
Kitchenettes, credenzas, and breakout storage for staff amenity zones.
Meeting room cabinetry
Boardroom storage, AV integration, and display joinery.
Partitioning co-ordination
Acoustic and privacy solutions integrated with joinery layouts.
Storage walls
Floor-to-ceiling storage and filing systems for agile workplaces.
Project management
Fixed-price contracts, programmes, and single point of contact.
Materials & finishes
Commercial office joinery uses grade laminate and compact panels, solid surface benchtops, and Blum or Häfele hardware rated for high-cycle use. Acoustic and privacy treatments are co-ordinated with the joinery installation programme.
Office joinery from SteepWood is manufactured in our workshop and installed Australia-wide. Carcasses and casework use commercial-grade Laminex and Polytec panels, compact phenolic where high-cycle wear is expected, and solid surface or stone bench tops on reception desks and breakout zones. Hardware is Blum and Häfele throughout — drawer runners, hinges, and lift mechanisms rated for the cycle counts a busy office produces.
Commercial joinery fitout cost Australia varies more by inclusions than by size: a 200 sqm tenancy with a custom reception desk, two boardroom credenzas, a breakout kitchen, and four storage walls can land anywhere between $80,000 and $250,000 depending on finish level, freight to city, and programme compression. Capital-city tenancies typically sit at the higher end; projects near our workshop benefit from shorter lead times, faster site revisits, and no interstate freight loading on joinery.
We also build home office fitout ideas built-in shelves elements — wall-to-wall bookcase joinery, integrated desks, and floor-to-ceiling storage — as part of larger residential commissions and for executives running serious home offices. The same workshop, the same Blum hardware, the same 2pac and veneer finishes carry across our commercial and residential work, which makes co-ordinating brand colour across head office and home study very straightforward.
Joinery lead time Australia workshop schedules are the single biggest factor in office-fitout programmes that slip. Our standard workshop lead time is six to ten weeks from signed shop drawings to delivery for a mid-sized fitout, and we book site dates against the construction programme rather than pretending to deliver in unrealistic windows. We provide weekly progress photos, shop drawings for certifier review, and a single project manager from brief to handover.
Our office fitout process
- 01
Workplace brief
We understand headcount, work styles, and brand requirements before measuring.
- 02
Design and documentation
3–4 weeks for design, landlord approvals, and fixed-price contract.
- 03
Construction programme
Manufacture in our workshop runs in parallel with site partitioning and services. Joinery lead time Australia workshop schedules are typically six to ten weeks for a mid-sized commercial fitout, and we lock dates against the builder's programme at shop-drawing sign-off — not at deposit. Weekly photos from the workshop floor keep the project manager and tenant in the loop.
- 04
Handover
Co-ordinated trades, defect period, and itemised depreciation schedule supplied.
What our clients say
Office Fit-Outs across Australia
We deliver office fit-outs nationwide. Pick your closest workshop hub for local information:
Newcastle
NSW Coastal · 0 — Newcastle is home
Office Fitout in Newcastle →
Sydney
Capital City · ~2 hours via M1
Office Fitout in Sydney →
Canberra
Capital City · ~5 hours
Office Fitout in Canberra →
Melbourne
Capital City · Freight delivery (~9 hours road; 1-day truck transit)
Office Fitout in Melbourne →
Central Coast
NSW Coastal · ~1 hour 15 minutes via M1
Office Fitout in Central Coast →
Hunter Valley
NSW Inland · ~45 minutes
Office Fitout in Hunter Valley →
Gold Coast
Capital City · ~9 hours (freight delivery)
Office Fitout in Gold Coast →
Wollongong
NSW Coastal · ~3.5 hours
Office Fitout in Wollongong →
Brisbane
Capital City · ~9 hours (freight delivery)
Office Fitout in Brisbane →
Perth
Capital City · Freight only (3–5 day transit)
Office Fitout in Perth →
Byron Bay
NSW Coastal · ~9 hours (freight)
Office Fitout in Byron Bay →
Port Macquarie
NSW Coastal · ~3 hours
Office Fitout in Port Macquarie →
Coffs Harbour
NSW Coastal · ~5 hours
Office Fitout in Coffs Harbour →
Adelaide
Capital City · Freight only (2–3 day transit)
Office Fitout in Adelaide →
Bathurst
NSW Inland · ~3.5 hours
Office Fitout in Bathurst →
Orange
NSW Inland · ~3.5 hours
Office Fitout in Orange →
Frequently asked questions
How much does an office fitout cost per square metre in Australia?
Office fitout costs in Australia typically range from $800 to $3,000+ per square metre, depending on city, finish level, and the extent of structural work required. Capital cities and premium CBD tenancies sit at the upper end; regional projects often offer lower freight and trade costs. A basic open-plan refresh may be achievable under $1,000 per sqm; a premium fitout with custom joinery, quality finishes, and advanced acoustic treatment will sit from $2,500 upward. Commercial joinery fitout cost Australia is the major driver inside that per-sqm figure on most projects.
Do you provide office fit-out Australia-wide?
Yes. We deliver office fit-outs Australia-wide from our workshop, with the shortest lead times and direct site revisits for projects in our home region. See the locations section below for city-specific scope and pricing guidance.
How does commercial joinery fitout cost compare across Australia?
Commercial joinery fitout cost Australia depends on three things: panel grade (commercial Laminex / Polytec vs decorative residential board), hardware tier (Blum and Häfele commercial-rated runners vs domestic), and the volume of custom shop-drawn elements vs off-the-shelf casework. As a rule of thumb, expect $1,200–$2,200 per linear metre for premium commercial joinery, plus separate line items for stone benchtops, integrated AV, and acoustic treatments. Interstate freight is quoted separately so you can see exactly what the joinery itself costs.
Do you also handle shopfitting joinery, or just office fitouts?
We do both. Shopfitting joinery cost Australia tracks slightly lower per linear metre than office fitout because retail counters and shelving systems repeat across modules, while office reception and boardroom joinery are typically one-off. If your project is retail rather than office — POS counters, display fixtures, shelving systems — see our shopfitting service page at /shopfitting/. We are happy to scope mixed-use jobs (e.g. ground-floor retail with first-floor head office) under a single project programme.
Can SteepWood also build a home office to match my workplace joinery?
Yes. Many of our office-fitout clients ask us to deliver matching home office fitout ideas built-in shelves, integrated desks, and bookcase walls for their residences. Because we hold colour and timber samples on file from your commercial project, we can match decor finishes, brand colour, and hardware tier across both spaces. See our home office joinery service page at /home-office-joinery/ for residential scope.
What is included in an office fitout?
Demolition, partitioning, electrical, joinery (reception, kitchen, storage), flooring, ceiling, lighting, acoustic treatment, paint, signage, and IT cabling co-ordination.
How long does an office fitout take?
Typical 200–500 sqm fitout: 6–12 weeks from contract. Design and approvals: 3–4 weeks. Construction: 4–8 weeks. Large or council-permit-required: 16+ weeks.
What is the difference between a warm shell and cold shell fitout?
Cold shell: bare concrete, no services, no ceiling. Warm shell: services stubbed in, basic ceiling and floor. Turnkey: full fitout to occupancy.
Do I need a permit for an office fitout?
Cosmetic works (paint, carpet, joinery): usually no permit. Structural, fire-rated wall changes, or change-of-use: council development application required. We manage the certification process.
How do I find a reliable office fitout company?
Check HIA or MBA membership, public liability insurance ($20m minimum), commercial portfolio, fixed-price contract willingness, and direct trade references from completed projects.
What is agile workplace design?
A workplace where staff don't have fixed desks — instead, a mix of focus zones, collaboration areas, and quiet rooms. Suits hybrid-work organisations with <70% daily attendance.
Can I claim an office fitout as a tax deduction in Australia?
Fitout depreciation falls under Division 43 (capital works, 2.5% over 40 years) and Division 40 (plant & equipment, varying lives). Consult your accountant; we provide an itemised depreciation schedule with every project.
Ready to design your office fitout?
Free design consultation, fixed-price quote within 5 working days, no obligation.