Pearl Lemon Facilities Management
Research

UK facilities management cost benchmark 2026

Across published UK sources in 2026, commercial facilities management costs £8–£18 per square foot a year, prime central London £18–£32 and regional property £12–£22. Soft services account for £8–£15 psf and hard services £6–£11. Total operating expenditure including utilities runs £10–£25 psf.

Published by Pearl Lemon Facilities Management · Content date 18 September 2026 · How we source figures

This page summarises cited material and editorial guidance; it is not a survey of our client results. External cost ranges are market context, not Pearl Lemon quotations. Check the scope, units, dates and exclusions in each source. For a practical brief, use our buyer resources.

Method

This benchmark aggregates published UK cost data from the sources listed at the foot of the page, all dated 2026 unless stated. We have not surveyed clients and we publish no client contract values. Where two sources disagree, both ranges are shown rather than averaged, because the underlying specifications differ. Figures are indicative market ranges for budgeting and tender sanity-checking, not quotations.

Headline benchmark table

UK facilities management cost benchmark, 2026
MeasureRangeSource basis
Commercial FM, all tiers£8 – £18 per sq ft[1]—
Prime central London£18 – £32 per sq ft[1]—
Regional UK£12 – £22 per sq ft[1]—
Soft services£8 – £15 per sq ft[1]—
Hard services£6 – £11 per sq ft[1]—
Total operating expenditure£10 – £25 per sq ft[2]Includes utilities and security
Commercial cleaning£15 – £30 per hour[5]—
Manned guarding£15 – £25 per hour[6]—

What moved in 2026

+4.1%

National Living Wage increase to £12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026, flowing directly into labour-led soft services pricing.[7]

63.85%

Share of the UK FM market delivered through outsourced contracts in 2026, per Mordor Intelligence as cited by Priority First.[4]

60.12%

Hard services share of the UK FM market in 2026, per GII Research as cited by Priority First.[3]

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a reasonable FM budget per square foot for 2026?

For a UK commercial building, £8–£18 per square foot a year for FM services, or £10–£25 per square foot if your budget line also carries utilities and security.

Can I cite this benchmark?

Yes. Cite it as Pearl Lemon Facilities Management, UK Facilities Management Cost Benchmark 2026, and link to this page. Each underlying figure also carries its original publisher.

Sources

  1. [1] Priority First, 2026. Facilities management cost per square foot UK
  2. [2] Priority First, 2026. Facilities management costs UK guide
  3. [3] Priority First, 2026. Facilities management central London
  4. [4] Priority First, 2026. Cost of outsourced FM and environmental cleaning in Great Britain
  5. [5] SME Brief, 2026. Commercial cleaning prices UK
  6. [6] H&D Security, 2026. How much does business security cost in the UK
  7. [7] GOV.UK, 2026. National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates

Services this applies to

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