Short answer: published 2026 bands put a Manila fit-out at about ₱10,000 to ₱20,000 per sqm for a basic refresh, ₱20,000 to ₱35,000 mid-range and ₱35,000 to ₱45,000+ high-end, with a full package including furniture, IT and fees near ₱55,000 per sqm. None of those numbers means anything until you say which scope it covers. A budget set for ceilings, walls and floors can't build a render drawn with seamless plaster, curved walls and feature ceilings.
The pattern goes like this. The designer sends a beautiful deck. The owner sets a budget that felt reasonable for "the fit-out". Quotes come back at twice the budget, and it looks as if someone is overcharging. That may not be what happened. The budget was priced for one scope and the design was drawn for another.
Bands are the published 2026 figures from Alphabuild, for office fit-outs in Manila and major cities. We'd expect a clinic to sit higher within a band because of its services.
| By finish level | ₱ per sqm | By location | ₱ per sqm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic / cosmetic | 10,000–20,000 | BGC / Makati CBD | 25,000–45,000+ |
| Mid-range | 20,000–35,000 | Ortigas / Mandaluyong | 20,000–38,000 |
| High-end / premium | 35,000–45,000+ | Quezon City / Alabang | 15,000–32,000 |
| Full package incl. furniture, IT, fees (JLL) | ≈ 55,000 | Cebu / Clark / Iloilo | 12,000–28,000 |
Two more figures from the same guide move budgets a lot: IT can add ₱3,000 to ₱8,000 per sqm, and a bare shell costs 40 to 60 percent more to fit out than the same design in a semi-fitted space. A second published guide, J.I. Raymundo Builders, gives a standard commercial office planning range of ₱20,000 to ₱35,000 per sqm, which sits in the same place.
An office spreads its services over an open floor. A clinic puts a sink, dedicated circuits and sometimes its own ventilation into every treatment and consultation room, then adds toilets, a pantry, storage and sometimes a procedure room. More rooms mean more partitions, more doors and more ceiling breaks. That's why we treat the published office bands as a floor for a clinic rather than a midpoint.
Finishes move it further. Seamless plaster or microcement on walls and ceilings, curved walls and cove lighting are mostly trade hours, and curved work takes far more labour than straight framing. They're what makes a render look premium, and they're the first thing to itemise when a quote lands above budget.
Price two options on the same layout: the design as drawn, and standard finishes. Buy back the upgrades patients actually see, such as the reception feature wall and the waiting area ceiling. Keep the services uncompromised, because plumbing and electrical in a clinic are the expensive things to redo later. Permits still apply to a fit-out; see our fit-out permit guide, and plan an accessible toilet into the layout from the start.
Tier and location bands, the IT add-on and the bare shell premium are from Alphabuild's 2026 Manila office fit-out guide, which also cites JLL's 2026 figure of about USD 1,006 per sqm including furniture, IT and fees. The ₱20,000 to ₱35,000 planning range is from J.I. Raymundo Builders' 2026 guide. These are published secondary sources for office work; the clinic reasoning is AEDO's engineering judgement.
How much does a clinic fit-out cost per square metre in the Philippines?
Published 2026 fit-out bands for Manila run about 10,000 to 20,000 pesos per square metre for a basic refresh, 20,000 to 35,000 for mid-range and 35,000 to 45,000 or more for high-end work. Those bands are published for office fit-outs. Clinics pack more plumbing, electrical circuits and ventilation into each room, so budget from the mid band upward unless the scope is genuinely cosmetic.
Does location change the cost?
Yes. The same published source gives about 25,000 to 45,000 or more per square metre in BGC and the Makati CBD, 20,000 to 38,000 in Ortigas and Mandaluyong, 15,000 to 32,000 in Quezon City and Alabang, and 12,000 to 28,000 in Cebu, Clark and Iloilo.
How much more does a bare shell cost to fit out?
Alphabuild's 2026 guide puts a bare shell fit-out at 40 to 60 percent more than the same design in a semi-fitted space, because ceilings, base services and sometimes floor screeds all have to be built from nothing.
What is included in a full fit-out budget?
JLL's 2026 data, as cited by Alphabuild, puts Manila's average fit-out at roughly USD 1,006 per square metre, about 55,000 pesos, when furniture, IT and professional fees are included on top of construction. IT alone can add 3,000 to 8,000 pesos per square metre. Medical equipment sits outside all of these figures.
Why is my contractor's quote double my budget?
Check first whether the budget and the design describe different projects. A budget set for ceilings, walls, flooring and partitions cannot build a design drawn with seamless plaster on every surface, curved walls and feature ceilings. Price the design as drawn, price the same layout with standard finishes, and choose the upgrades that matter most to patients.
Published cost guides used in this article. Links open in a new tab.
All bands are published figures for office fit-outs, used here as a reference for clinics. They are not AEDO quotations, and this guide does not cover health facility licensing requirements.
See what the render costs as drawn, what the same layout costs with standard finishes, and which upgrades to buy back.
