How much does a shop fitout cost in Australia?

Basic: $400–$800/sqm. Mid: $800–$1,500/sqm. Premium: $1,500–$3,000+/sqm. A 100 sqm boutique with custom joinery typically lands $80k–$150k.

What is the difference between a shopfitter and a builder?

A shopfitter specialises in tenancy-scale fitouts, fixtures, joinery, and retail-specific compliance (POS, lighting, customer flow). A builder typically handles whole-building construction.

How long does a typical shop fitout take?

Boutique fitout (50–150 sqm): 4–8 weeks. Larger flagship (>300 sqm): 10–16 weeks. Cafe/hospitality with kitchen exhaust: add 2–4 weeks for council approvals.

Do I need council or landlord approval for a shop fitout?

Landlord approval is almost always required. Council DA only triggers for structural changes, signage above certain sizes, or change-of-use applications. We manage both.

What is included in custom retail joinery?

POS counter, display fixtures, shelving systems, wall panelling, back-of-house storage, change rooms (for fashion), product display showcases — all designed to brand standards.

How do I choose the right shopfitter?

Look for: completed retail portfolio in your sector, public liability $20m+, MBA or HIA membership, willingness to provide fixed-price quote, and references you can call directly.

Can a shopfitter work to a brand style guide?

Yes — we routinely receive brand bibles from franchise and chain retailers and execute to planogram. CAD files, colour codes, and brand-mandated suppliers all incorporated.

What warranty should I expect from a shopfitter?

10-year structural joinery, 12-month builders' warranty on workmanship, manufacturer warranties on hardware (Blum 25yr), and statutory warranties under Australian Consumer Law.

Custom Joinery · Australia-wide

Shopfitting & Retail Joinery — Custom Shop Fitouts Across Australia

Your retail environment is your brand made physical. Before a customer picks up a product or speaks to your staff, your shopfit has already communicated whether your brand is premium or budget, considered or careless, worth their time or just another shop. At SteepWood we design and build custom shopfitting and retail joinery for businesses across Australia — from boutique fashion stores and specialty cafes, to pharmacies, medical centres, beauty salons, and flagship retail spaces.

Get a Free Design Consultation Browse Shopfitting Projects

Shopfitting & Retail Joinery crafted in the SteepWood Newcastle workshop

Shopfitting facts — quick reference

Retail shop fitouts in Australia range from AU$400–AU$1,500 per square metre for mid-range custom joinery Hipages shopfitting guide.
Premium hospitality and boutique retail fitouts can exceed AU$3,000 per square metre with imported finishes HIA retail benchmarks.
SteepWood manufactures display shelving, counters, and cash desks in Newcastle for national rollout programmes SteepWood shopfitting.
Landlord approval drawings and council-compliant documentation are supplied on commercial tenant projects SteepWood commercial process.

What is shopfitting & retail joinery?

Shopfitting is custom retail joinery — display shelving, counters, fitting rooms, and service desks — built to your brand planogram and landlord requirements. SteepWood manufactures shopfit components in Newcastle for boutique, hospitality, pharmacy, and medical tenants Australia-wide.

Complementary services: Commercial Joinery, Office Fitout, Custom Furniture.

Shopfitting is more than assembling shelves and a counter. It is the precise integration of custom joinery, lighting, flooring, signage, and customer flow — all executed to a brief that reflects your brand, meets your landlord's conditions, complies with council requirements, and opens on time. We manage the full process: initial concept design, documentation for landlord and council approval, manufacture of custom joinery, co-ordination of trades, and on-site installation.

Our retail joinery is manufactured in Newcastle using commercial-grade Laminex and Polytec panels, CNC-routed MDF profiles, solid surface counters, and custom metal fixtures where the brief demands them. We work to planograms and brand style guides, and we are experienced in replicating a fitout across multiple store locations when rollout consistency is required.

Shop fitout costs in Australia vary widely by scope and finish level. Basic retail fitouts: $400 to $800 per square metre; mid-range custom with bespoke joinery: $800 to $1,500 per sqm; premium luxury fitouts with imported finishes and architectural metalwork can exceed $3,000 per sqm. Most established retail fitouts fall in the mid-range tier.

Contact SteepWood to discuss your retail fitout brief. Free initial consultations, fixed-price quotes, clear programme timelines.

What's included

POS counters
Custom point-of-sale counters designed to brand standards and customer flow.
Display fixtures
Fashion, pharmacy, beauty, and medical display units built to planogram.
Shelving systems
Wall and freestanding shelving for retail, hospitality, and specialty tenants.
Showcases
Product display showcases with lighting integration where required.
Back-of-house storage
Staff storage, change rooms, and BOH cabinetry for retail operations.
Landlord approvals
Documentation and co-ordination for landlord and council compliance.

Materials & finishes

Retail joinery uses commercial-grade Laminex and Polytec, CNC-routed MDF profiles, solid surface counters, and custom metal fixtures where the brief requires them. Finishes are selected for durability under daily customer traffic.

Commercial-grade Laminex and Polytec panels, CNC-routed MDF profiles, solid surface counters, and custom metal fixtures.

Execution to brand style guides, planograms, CAD files, colour codes, and brand-mandated suppliers.

10-year structural joinery warranty, 12-month builders' warranty on workmanship, and manufacturer hardware warranties.

Premium joinery materials and finishes in the SteepWood workshop

POS counters

Custom point-of-sale counters designed to brand standards and customer flow.

Display fixtures

Fashion, pharmacy, beauty, and medical display units built to planogram.

Shelving systems

Wall and freestanding shelving for retail, hospitality, and specialty tenants.

Showcases

Product display showcases with lighting integration where required.

Contact SteepWood to discuss your retail fitout brief. Free initial consultations, fixed-price quotes, clear programme timelines.

Showcases — Shopfitting & Retail Joinery by SteepWood

Back-of-house storage

Staff storage, change rooms, and BOH cabinetry for retail operations.

Landlord approvals

Documentation and co-ordination for landlord and council compliance.

Our shopfitting process

01
Retail brief
Sector, brand standards, landlord conditions, and opening date established upfront.
02
Concept and documentation
Landlord and council documentation prepared before manufacture begins.
03
Manufacture
Boutique fitout (50–150 sqm): 4–8 weeks. Flagship (>300 sqm): 10–16 weeks.
04
Install and fit-off
On-site installation with co-ordinated trades and defect-free handover.