A consultation room a few days before opening: tiled walls to a washable height, a stainless-top table and a floor that falls to a drain. The details that make a clinic cost more than an office are in the plumbing and the finishes. Illustrative photo.
Short answer: as an AEDO 2026 planning range, a small 60 sqm surgical vet clinic at the mid finish level (reception, consultation, treatment and surgery, kennel room, grooming and an isolation room, in a space that is already fitted out) comes to about ₱1.37 million to ₱2.40 million, or roughly ₱22,800 to ₱40,000 per sqm, construction only. Medical equipment, furniture and IT are extra. That is above a plain office at the same finish level because a clinic packs sinks, drains, ventilation and washable surfaces into a small floor. A plain pet shop sales floor lands near the bottom of the range; a grooming room or kennel room lands near the top.
Two things separate this from an ordinary fit-out. First, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) registers vet clinics, hospitals, pet shops, kennels and grooming facilities and inspects the building before it issues the certificate, and DA Administrative Order 54 s.2000 sets physical requirements for clinics: a reception that seats three clients, an exam room with a sink and smooth walls and floors, a cage room separate from the exam and surgery rooms. Second, the practice itself needs a PRC-licensed veterinarian under RA 9268. The calculator below prices each room and checks your room list against the BAI standard. After it: what drives cost room by room, drainage and odor, finishes, the registration path, and the mistakes we'd want you to avoid.
Enter the floor area of each room you plan (leave a room at 0 if you don't need it), pick the finish level and what type of BAI registration you're aiming for. You get a room-by-room planning range and a checklist of what AO 54 expects. AEDO 2026 planning ranges, construction only, excluding medical equipment, furniture, cages and VAT unless noted.
We don't invent a separate price list for vet clinics. Our fit-out guides, including the human clinic fit-out cost guide and the commercial building cost guide, use the published 2026 Manila fit-out bands: about ₱10,000 to ₱20,000 per sqm 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 come from published fit-out guides (Alphabuild's 2026 Manila office fit-out guide and J.I. Raymundo Builders' 2026 guide) and are written for offices. Regional cities such as Cebu, Clark and Iloilo were published lower, ₱12,000 to ₱28,000, and the bands include partitions, flooring, ceilings, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire systems, painting and professional fees. Furniture, IT and AV cabling (₱3,000 to ₱8,000 per sqm) and specialised finishes and medical equipment sit outside them. A bare shell was published at 40% to 60% more to fit out than a semi-fitted space.
A vet clinic is not an office. We start from the mid band and push the wet rooms above it, because a vet clinic has more plumbing and drainage points, higher air changes and washable finishes per square metre than the office the band was written for. That's the same reasoning as our fit-out vs renovation guide: fit-out cost is labour-heavy and concentrated in visible surfaces, and small areas don't get bulk discounts. Quote the scope with every per-sqm number, or you'll compare a four-trade price to a turnkey one.
Ask each contractor whether the figure includes: floor drains and plumbing to the point of discharge, exhaust and split-type air conditioning, the electrical for outlets in wet rooms, stainless steel counters and sinks, kennel fittings, and signage. The same clinic can be quoted at ₱1.4 million or ₱2.4 million depending on which of those are in.
The calculator uses these AEDO planning multipliers on the base band. They reflect how much plumbing, drainage, waterproofing and washable finish each room type carries compared with an ordinary dry room (1.00). They're our judgement for budgeting, not published rates.
| Room | AEDO planning multiplier | What pushes the cost up | What the BAI code says about it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reception and waiting | 1.00 | Counter, signage, washable wall finish where animals wait | Well lit, ventilated or air conditioned, smooth walls; seats at least 3 clients with animals (5 for a hospital) |
| Consultation / exam | 1.10 | Sink with drain, exam table, cabinets, wall and floor finish you can disinfect | Smooth walls and floors; table top of formica, aluminum, stainless steel or porcelain; sink with permanent water and drainage; cabinets or shelves |
| Treatment and surgery | 1.25 | Separate room, exhaust or air conditioning, lighting, oxygen, wall tile, floor drain, sealed floor | Separate from other rooms; smooth walls and floors; air conditioning, or exhaust fan and screened windows; operating table, surgical lamp, cabinet |
| Kennels / cage room / boarding | 1.15 | Drainage falling under cages, washable walls, exhaust, concrete or equivalent floors | Separate from exam and surgery rooms; at least 3 cages (6 for a hospital); floors and walls concrete or equivalent |
| Grooming | 1.20 | Tubs, hot and cold water, floor drain and trap with hair catch, exhaust for dryers, waterproofing | No room standard of its own; general facility specifications apply (ventilation, water, drainage) |
| Isolation / quarantine | 1.15 | Own door and own exhaust, sink, washable surfaces | General requirement: quarantine facilities to segregate newly arrived or sick animals |
| Laboratory | 1.10 | Counters, sink, power for analysers | Clinic: laboratory equipment or access to a laboratory; hospital: capable of hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis and fecalysis |
| Retail / pet shop floor | 0.90 | Shelving, lighting, display and shopfront; no wet work | Pet animals for sale: general facility specifications; care handout with every animal sold |
| Storage, toilet, staff and other | 0.80 | Toilet fixtures and finishes dominate the cost of a small area | The rest room shall be kept clean (AO 54, Section 3.1.3.5) |
The default case. With 12 sqm reception, 12 sqm consultation, 15 sqm treatment and surgery, 10 sqm kennels, 8 sqm grooming and 3 sqm isolation (60 sqm), the weighted area is 68.5 sqm. At the mid band that is 68.5 × ₱20,000 = ₱1,370,000 to 68.5 × ₱35,000 = ₱2,397,500. Per sqm of actual floor: about ₱22,833 to ₱39,958. Change the room mix and the range moves: the treatment room and kennels cost more per sqm than the waiting room, so a clinic that is mostly kennels costs more per sqm than one that is mostly consultation.
This is where clinic budgets go wrong. Animal rooms are cleaned with water and disinfectant, so the floor and its drain matter more than the wall finish.
The standard's wording is plain: in the examination and surgery rooms the walls and floors shall be "smooth for easy cleaning and disinfection," in the reception the walls smooth for easy cleaning, and in the cage room the floors and walls concrete or equivalent. Nothing in it names a tile or a coating. What that means in practice:
AEDO's own built-up trade rates for Metro Manila in 2026, supply and install and before markup, give a feel for the pieces (from our internal fit-out rate reference; regional rates are lower):
| Item | ₱ per unit, pre-markup | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Metal-stud drywall partition, 12.5 mm board both faces | 1,550 | sqm |
| Moisture-resistant board and insulation uplift, wet rooms | 400 | sqm |
| Skim coat and 3-coat acrylic latex paint | 420 | sqm |
| Porcelain 600 × 600 or vinyl plank floor | 1,300 | sqm |
| Seamless microcement or large-format porcelain floor | 2,600 | sqm |
| Suspended gypsum ceiling on furring and carrying channel | 1,250 | sqm |
| Veneer door set with frame and ironmongery, clinic grade | 22,000 | set |
Our private fit-out pricing adds 12% overhead and contingency, 8% profit and 12% VAT, about 1.355 times the direct cost. We have no published AEDO rate for wall tile, stainless steel fittings or kennel cages, so we don't quote one; for those, get supplier quotes. For labour rates by trade see the labour rates guide, and for tile and paint costs the tile and painting guide.
We read two texts in full: DA Administrative Order No. 54, series of 2000 (16 October 2000), the Code of Standards for Veterinary Clinics and Hospitals for Small Companion Animals, and DA Administrative Circular No. 04, series of 2015 (31 March 2015), which sets the registration rules for animal facilities including veterinary clinics, veterinary hospitals, pet shops, kennels, catteries and grooming facilities. AO 54 says the BAI supervises and regulates the establishment, operation and maintenance of veterinary clinics and hospitals (Section 1). The physical requirements, condensed:
| Space | Requirement (AO 54 s.2000, Section 3) |
|---|---|
| Reception (3.1.3.1) | Well lighted, good ventilation or air conditioning; smooth walls for easy cleaning and disinfection; room for at least three clients with their animals; chairs, table, filing, computer or typewriter, calculator, phone |
| Examination room (3.1.3.2) | Well lighted and ventilated or air conditioned; smooth walls and floors; exam table of appropriate size topped with formica, aluminum, stainless steel or porcelain; functional sink with permanent water supply and drainage; cabinets or shelves |
| Cage room (3.1.3.4) | Separate from the examination and surgery rooms; at least three cages of different sizes; cages of stainless steel, welded iron, fiberglass, cement or other acceptable material; removable flooring, or permanent flooring with appropriate drainage; cages secured; floors and walls concrete or equivalent |
| Surgery room, surgical clinic (3.2.1) | Well lighted; air conditioning, or in its absence an exhaust fan and screened windows; smooth walls and floors; operating table (stainless steel, aluminum, formica or porcelain); surgical lamp or equivalent; cabinet for surgical items; provision for disposal of unclaimed dead patients. Section 1.4 also asks that a surgery room without air conditioning be screened with fine mesh and be separate from rooms used for other purposes |
| Hospital (Section 3.3) | All of the surgical-clinic requirements, plus a reception for at least five clients, at least six cages, a laboratory able to do hematology and blood chemistry, urinalysis and fecalysis, two or more surgical packs, two veterinarians, a receptionist or medical technologist, and personnel for emergency cases outside regular hours |
| Rest room (3.1.3.5) | Kept clean |
What is not in it. AO 54 sets no minimum room size in square metres, no ceiling height, no air change rate and no drain requirement beyond the exam-room sink. Section 3.1.3.3 lists equipment and supplies (refrigerator, weighing scale, oxygen cylinder with gauge and control, dextrose stand or ceiling or wall hooks, microscope, emergency pack and more) that the clinic must have on hand. That's the owner's purchase, not a construction item, but the oxygen cylinder and dextrose hooks affect where you put cabinets and ceiling reinforcement.
Two texts, one small conflict. Circular 04 s.2015 (Section 3.1.11) lists general facility specifications that apply to every category: enough space, protection from the elements and adverse climate, containment and security, adequate ventilation, light, water supply, drainage and waste disposal, cleanliness and pest control, a recording system, adequate quarantine facilities to segregate newly arrived or sick animals, and functional treatment and laboratory facilities. It suggests housing materials such as wood, fiberglass, stainless steel or plastic, while AO 54 also allows cement for cages. Circular 04's repealing clause (Section 11) repeals or modifies inconsistent earlier issuances, and we did not find a later issuance that replaces AO 54 as the clinic standard. We could not confirm from the texts alone which one BAI's inspectors apply to a cement cage. Ask the BAI regional office before you pour or tile a kennel room.
BAI registration. Circular 04 s.2015, Section 2.1: anyone who wants to establish and operate a veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, pet shop, kennel or similar facility shall first be registered with the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry. The general documents (Section 3.1) include proof of business registration (DTI, SEC or CDA), a valid Mayor's Permit (listed for renewal registration), the veterinarian's PRC certificate and Professional Tax Receipt, a notarized employment contract or MOA of the veterinarian where applicable, a certificate of attendance in an accredited animal welfare seminar for the owner-manager and the hired veterinarian, an affidavit of undertaking, a location plan or sketch, and an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the DENR. BAI inspects and evaluates the facility (the Section 5 process flow) before the certificate is released.
Fees and validity. The 2015 schedule (Section 7) lists ₱300 for a veterinary clinic or hospital (initial, one year) and ₱900 for renewal (three years); a pet shop, kennel or cattery ₱500 and ₱1,500; a grooming facility ₱300 and ₱900. If a business does more than one of these, it applies and pays for each category (Section 7.2). Late renewal carries a 50% surcharge. These are 2015 figures, so confirm the current schedule with BAI before you budget.
Animal Welfare Act. The circular is issued under Republic Act 8485, the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, and its penal section refers to RA 8485 "as amended." We did not read the amending law's text for this article, so we don't quote penalties here.
PRC licensing (RA 9268). The Philippine Veterinary Medicine Act of 2004 (approved 19 March 2004) says that to practice veterinary medicine a person needs a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card (Section 30), and Section 29 defines the practice as including examination, diagnosis, treatment and operation on animals, or prescribing and dispensing remedies. We searched for an amending or replacing law and did not find one in the sources we read, but lawphil shows original text, so check the PRC Board of Veterinary Medicine for later changes. We did not find a rule in the texts we read that says who may own the premises; the BAI circular requires the clinic cases to be handled by a licensed veterinarian.
Building and business permits. The fit-out itself still goes through the building official and your barangay and city permits like any commercial unit. Our commercial fit-out permit guide and tenant fit-out requirements guide cover the steps and what the landlord will ask. We did not find a Philippine text that assigns a vet clinic a specific occupancy classification under PD 1096, so confirm with the building official how your unit is classified. And if the plans get returned, read why building permit plans are returned.
If you're taking a unit in a mall or building, the landlord may refuse animal boarding, want its own exhaust routing, or restrict drain connections. Ask before you sign the lease, not after you price the fit-out.
A pet shop or grooming shop doesn't have a room-by-room standard like AO 54, but Circular 04 registers both (Section 2.1 lists pet shops and kennels, and the title and fee schedule cover grooming facilities) and its general facility specifications (Section 3.1.11) apply: space for the animals, protection from the weather, secure containment, ventilation, light, water supply, drainage and waste disposal, cleanliness, and quarantine space for newly arrived or sick animals. A pet shop must also give care handouts with every animal sold (Section 3.2.1.1).
What AEDO does. AEDO's licensed civil engineers review a clinic or pet-shop floor plan against the BAI standard, mark the drain, exhaust and structural points, and price it room by room. Our published Single Milestone Check starts at ₱7,500 per visit, with a written report. We build only in Negros Oriental. Everywhere else in the Philippines, we design, seal, review your contractor's work remotely and check milestones, and you keep your own local contractor.
Facility rules were read from the full text of DA Administrative Order 54 s.2000 and DA Administrative Circular 04 s.2015. Licensing from RA 9268 (lawphil summary of Sections 27 to 30). The per-sqm bands are the published 2026 Manila fit-out figures already used in our clinic and commercial guides; the room multipliers, wet-room premiums and the ranges in the calculator are AEDO 2026 planning assumptions, not published prices. We did not read a Philippine standard on air changes, room sizes or occupancy classification for vet clinics, and say so above.
How much does a vet clinic fit-out cost in the Philippines?
As an AEDO 2026 planning range, a 60 sqm surgical clinic at the mid finish level (reception, consultation, treatment and surgery, kennel room, grooming and an isolation room, already fitted out) comes to about 1.37 million to 2.40 million pesos, or roughly 22,800 to 40,000 pesos per sqm. That is construction only: medical equipment, furniture, IT and AV are extra. A basic finish level runs about 10,000 to 20,000 pesos per sqm before the wet-room premium, and a high-end finish 35,000 to 45,000 or more.
Does a veterinary clinic need to be registered with the Bureau of Animal Industry?
Yes. DA Administrative Circular No. 04, series of 2015, Section 2.1 says anyone who wants to establish and operate a veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, pet shop or kennel must first be registered with the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry. The circular lists a licensed veterinarian, a Mayor's Permit, an animal welfare seminar certificate, a DENR environmental clearance and a location sketch among the documents, and BAI inspects the facility before it issues the certificate. Fees and validity periods were set in 2015, so confirm the current schedule with BAI.
What does the building itself have to have to pass the BAI standards?
DA Administrative Order 54, series of 2000, the code of standards for veterinary clinics and hospitals for small companion animals, asks for a well-lit and ventilated reception that seats at least three clients with their animals, an examination room with smooth walls and floors and a sink with permanent water supply and drainage, a cage room of at least three cages that is separate from the examination and surgery rooms, and, for a surgical clinic, a separate surgery room, also with smooth walls and floors and either air conditioning or an exhaust fan with screened windows. It sets no minimum room sizes in square metres.
Can a pet shop or grooming shop skip a building fit-out plan?
No. Pet shops and grooming facilities are among the establishments in DA Administrative Circular 04 s.2015 that register with BAI, and the circular's general facility specifications apply to them: enough space, protection from the elements, adequate ventilation, light, water supply, drainage and waste disposal, and quarantine space for newly arrived or sick animals. A pet shop must also hand out care instructions with every animal sold. The fit-out still needs the building official's and the barangay and city permits like any commercial space.
Who can own or run a veterinary clinic, and does the vet need a PRC license?
Republic Act 9268 requires a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card from the PRC to practice veterinary medicine (Section 30), and Section 29 defines examining, diagnosing, treating and operating on animals as practice. The BAI circular separately requires that clinic cases be handled by a duly licensed veterinarian and asks for the veterinarian's PRC registration and Professional Tax Receipt. We did not find a rule in the texts we read that says who may own the premises, so ask BAI if the owner is not the veterinarian.
What finishes work best in a vet clinic?
Smooth, non-absorbent, easy-to-clean surfaces: porcelain or ceramic wall tile in the treatment, kennel and grooming rooms, sealed seamless or large-format floors with floor drains falling to them, moisture-resistant board where tile is not used, and stainless steel or laminate counters. The BAI standards require smooth walls and floors for easy cleaning and disinfection in the examination and surgery rooms, and floors and walls of concrete or equivalent in the cage room. Avoid wood and open-grain finishes near animals.
Codes, rules and guides read for this article. External links open in a new tab.
We did not read the full text of DA Administrative Order 8 s.1999 (only summaries), the text of the law that amended RA 8485, or any Philippine standard for air changes, room size or building occupancy classification of a vet clinic, so none of those are stated as fact. The BAI fee schedule is from 2015 and may have changed. The room multipliers and calculator ranges are AEDO planning assumptions. This article is general information, not a design for your building.
Send us your floor plan with room names and areas. A licensed civil engineer will check it against the BAI standard and tell you what to price and what to fix before you sign a fit-out contract.
