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Cost guide · 2026

Fit-out cost per m²

These are real reference ranges to budget with. The exact number always depends on drawings and site condition — AIC returns an itemised BOQ within 4 working hours. Figures below exclude VAT and specialised items.

This guide covers: rates by segment, how to read a fit-out quote correctly, what sits inside the rate versus what is priced separately, a few worked examples from real projects, and a checklist to receive a quote without cost overruns mid-project.

Grade A office fit-out by AIC at Bitexco
Restaurant fit-out by AIC
Retail fit-out by AIC

Investment ranges by segment

AIC delivers fit-out for four main project types. Each follows a different cost logic — offices and homes are priced per m², retail by concept and brand book, factories by structure and scope.

FDI & corporate offices

B+ from 4 · FDI A- 5–8 · Grade A premium 8–12

4–12M VND/m²

Grade B+ → Grade A

Apartments · townhouses · villas

Basic finishing from 5 · turnkey 8–12 · villa/penthouse 12–15

5–15M VND/m²

Basic → premium

Retail · showroom · F&B

Kiosk/small store → flagship → multi-site rollout (chain rates)

per brand book

By concept

Factories & industrial

In-plant offices · mezzanine · support areas — priced per structure

per work item

By scope

See detail by segment: FDI offices, retail · showroom, apartments · homes.

Three office tiers — which one?

Offices are the most-asked segment. The three tiers below mirror the table on the office page — they differ in finish level and how complete the technical systems are.

Standard — Grade B+

from 4M VND/m²

Renovated offices, startups, spaces with basic infrastructure already in place.

Finishing (ceiling · flooring · partitions · paint), light electrical and basic joinery made at AIC workshops. MEP, HVAC and PCCC are separate items, added when the space requires.

Recommended for FDI offices

FDI factory office — Grade A-

5–8M VND/m²

FDI factory offices, office blocks inside industrial parks.

Full finishing, full joinery, coordinated MEP per shop drawings, HVAC to heat load, and PCCC coordinated with licensed partners. Bilingual EN–VN documentation, BOQ within 4 hours.

Grade A premium — high-rise

8–12M VND/m²

Headquarters and representative offices in downtown Grade A towers.

Premium materials and joinery, full MEP/HVAC, appraised PCCC, and coordination with the building’s designated contractors. AIC holds the General Contractor + QC role as a single point of contact.

Reference rates, excluding VAT and specialised items. At the same area, the gap between Grade B+ and Grade A premium can reach 2–3× — mostly from materials and the MEP/HVAC/PCCC systems.

How to read a fit-out quote

Three common quote formats — understand them to compare fairly and avoid surprises later.

1. Turnkey per-m² rate (lump per m²)

Fast and easy for a rough comparison across contractors. The downside: it can hide scope — two quotes both at “6M/m²” can differ entirely in materials and included items. Always ask exactly what that rate includes.

2. Detailed BOQ (Bill of Quantities)

Lists each item with real quantity × rate, summed to a total. This is the basis for the contract and for controlling variations — you can see the unit, quantity and material of every line. AIC returns a detailed BOQ within 4 working hours — see how we work.

3. Lump sum by work package

In between: grouped by trade (ceiling, flooring, electrical, joinery…). Suitable when the scope is clear but not yet needed line-by-line. Still keep a note of which items are excluded.

What does the per-m² rate include?

Transparent from the start: which items sit inside the rate, which are priced separately per actual conditions, and which change by tier.

Plasterboard ceiling (exposed / concealed grid)

Included

Base of every rate; concealed grid for high-finish zones

Flooring (vinyl · SPC · carpet · tile)

Included

Chosen by function; stone or natural wood pushes the rate up

Plasterboard partitions

Included

Basic room division, standard acoustics

Glass partitions — aluminium frame · tempered

By tier

Meeting rooms, executive rooms; acoustic double glass priced separately

Light electrical · sockets · lighting

Included

Technical and premium decorative lighting priced on top

Joinery (desks · cabinets · counters — AIC workshops)

By tier

Basic / full / premium: laminate–melamine to veneer–natural wood

Coordinated MEP (shop drawings)

From FDI A- tier

Priced per the actual systems of the space

Air-conditioning · ventilation (HVAC)

Priced separately

Per heat load and occupancy density

Fire safety — PCCC (build + appraisal · acceptance)

Priced separately

Via licensed partners; AIC holds GC and QC

AV · network · security (AV/IT)

Priced separately

Per operational and security requirements

Design fee

Depends on model

Bundled in design-build / separate if design-only — see below

AIC does not publish single unit rates per item (how much per m² for ceiling, per m² for partitions) because they depend on the specific material, quantity and site condition — publishing them out of context would mislead. All unit rates appear transparently in the BOQ against your actual drawings.

How is the design fee priced?

This is the line most often missed when comparing quotes. There are two models:

Design-build (design + construction, one point of contact): the design fee is usually bundled and balanced into the total. The advantage is that drawings flow straight into construction with little gap between “drawn” and “built”, and a single party is accountable from concept to handover.

Design-only (separate fee): when the client wants design done first, or already has a designer, the design fee is a standalone item priced per m² or per dossier. When comparing construction quotes, add or subtract this part to keep the comparison fair.

For a deeper comparison of the two approaches — cost, risk, schedule — read Design-build turnkey vs separate tender for FDI office fit-out.

Why does the same area differ 2–3×?

Area is only one variable. These are the factors that really decide the final number.

  1. Site condition (shell or renovation, floor level, building working-hour restrictions).

  2. Finish level & materials (laminate/melamine vs veneer/natural wood; standard vs imported fittings).

  3. Technical systems (MEP/HVAC/PCCC to FDI standards, building-designated contractors in Grade A towers).

  4. Scale & schedule (larger areas optimise unit rates; rushed or after-hours work raises labour cost).

  5. Location (industrial parks vs city centre; logistics and crew accommodation).

Worked examples from real projects

The simplest way to picture a budget: multiply the area by the tier’s rate band. The figures below are estimates from the reference rate, not actual contract values — only to give a sense of the scale of investment.

East Minerals

FDI office · Bitexco Tower T34 · 211 m² · Grade A-

211 m² × 5–8M ≈ 1.1 – 1.7 billion VND

USOL Vietnam

FDI office · E-town · 422 m² · Grade A-

422 m² × 5–8M ≈ 2.1 – 3.4 billion VND

CMC Creative Space

Creative office · Tan Thuan EPZ · 1,281 m²

Larger scale usually optimises the rate below the reference band

For industrial projects, the per-m² multiplication no longer holds. Distribution centres like Droppii (HCMC and Hanoi) or in-plant office blocks are priced by structural scope and work items — mezzanines, support areas, systems — so they always need a separate take-off.

International vs Vietnam benchmark: market reports from international real-estate consultancies typically publish office fit-out cost in USD/m², varying widely by city and grade. In Vietnam, the advantage of local labour and in-house workshops (AIC runs two workshops of 1,200 m² and 600 m²) makes rates more competitive than the regional average for the same finish level — but a fair comparison must hold materials and technical systems to the same standard.

Checklist before you accept a quote

A transparent quote is one you can verify. Before signing, check these 7 points.

  • Clear units of measure: each line per m², linear metre, set or lump sum — avoid “provisional” lines.

  • Real quantities, not just “1 lot”. Only quantity × rate can be verified.

  • Materials and brands stated (or “or equivalent”) for the main items.

  • Explicit exclusions: HVAC, PCCC, AV/IT, water supply/drainage infrastructure.

  • VAT and design fee shown as separate lines for a fair comparison.

  • Variation clause: changes only when scope changes, always quoted as a priced addendum in advance.

  • Payment tied to acceptance milestones, without excessive upfront deposits.

Payment

Progress-based payment — transparent at every stage

AIC splits payment into milestones tied to actual acceptance — never a single lump sum. The schedule and ratios are stated in each project contract and agreed before signing.

  1. 20–30%

    Advance on contract signing

    Project kick-off — materials ordered, crew mobilised, workshop production scheduled.

  2. Per milestone

    Progress payments

    Multiple instalments tied to partial acceptance — no single end-of-project inspection.

  3. On handover

    Acceptance & handover

    Handover payment after acceptance passes + bilingual as-built documentation delivered.

  4. ~5%

    Warranty retention

    Retained amount, released after the 24-month warranty period ends.

The ratios above are typical examples — flexible by project size, schedule and contract agreement. All terms are transparent in the bilingual Vietnamese–English BOQ and contract.

Frequently asked questions

Do the per-m² rates include VAT?

The reference ranges above EXCLUDE VAT and specialised items (HVAC, PCCC, AV/IT are priced separately). AIC’s detailed BOQ itemises every line and the VAT component.

What is the difference between a per-m² rate and a detailed BOQ?

A per-m² rate is a quick figure to size the budget and compare roughly, but it can hide scope. A BOQ (Bill of Quantities) lists each item with real quantity × rate, summed to a total — this is the basis for the contract and for controlling variations. Ask for a BOQ before deciding.

Why do costs vary so much for the same type of office?

The variance comes from finish level, materials, technical systems (MEP/HVAC/PCCC) and site condition. At the same area, a Grade B+ office and a Grade A office can differ 2–3×. An exact number only comes from a take-off against your actual drawings.

Are fire safety (PCCC) and air-conditioning in the per-m² rate?

Usually priced separately. PCCC (build + appraisal + acceptance) and HVAC depend on the building systems and actual heat load, so AIC itemises them for transparency. AIC coordinates licensed PCCC specialists while holding the General Contractor + QC role.

Is the design fee separate or included in construction?

It depends on the model. In design-build (design and construction under one point of contact), the design fee is usually bundled and balanced into the total. If the work is design-only, or the client already has a separate designer, the design fee is a standalone item priced per m² or per dossier.

How do I avoid cost overruns mid-project?

Lock the scope on the BOQ before work starts and fix the price to the signed scope. Variations only occur when scope changes (different materials, added items, larger area) — and are always quoted as a priced addendum before the work is done, never billed after the fact.

Does AIC also build factories and distribution centres?

Yes. Beyond offices, AIC has built distribution centres (such as Droppii in HCMC and Hanoi) and in-plant office blocks. Industrial projects are priced by structural scope and work items, not by an office per-m² rate.

Is fit-out cheaper in provincial industrial parks than downtown?

Not by default. The rate depends on materials and technical systems, not just location. Provincial sites can add material transport and crew accommodation costs, and stainless-steel/CNC items are still typically fabricated in HCMC for quality.

How do I get an exact number for my project?

Send drawings or a site brief (area, location, requirements) — AIC returns an itemised BOQ within 4 working hours, price locked before work starts; any scope change becomes a transparent addendum agreed in advance.

Further reading

Design-build turnkey vs separate tender (FDI offices) PCCC acceptance for FDI offices & factories — process & cost Grade A offices in Ho Chi Minh City — how to choose Grade A construction — how to prepare and avoid defects

Want the exact number for your project?

Send drawings or a site brief — AIC returns an itemised BOQ within 4 working hours, price locked before work starts.

Get a BOQ quote See office pricing
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