Office partition guides
Clear, practical answers to the questions office managers, facilities teams and fit-out managers ask most.
How Much Do Office Partitions Cost in the UK? 2026 Price Guide
UK office partitions typically cost £55–£90 per m² for metal stud walls, £280–£420 per m² for frameless single glazed glass and £420–£650 per m² for double glazed glass, supply and install, excluding VAT. For a per linear metre price at 2.7m height, multiply the m² rate by 2.7. These are guide prices, confirmed after a free site survey.
6 min readSingle vs Double Glazed Office Partitions: Which Should You Choose?
Single glazed partitions use one pane of toughened or laminated glass, usually joined frameless, and suit areas where light and openness matter more than privacy. Double glazed partitions use two panes with a cavity, giving markedly better sound insulation and room for integral blinds, but cost more: around £420–£650 per m² against £280–£420, excluding VAT.
7 min readDo Office Partitions Need Building Regulations Approval?
Office partitions often need Building Regulations approval, because new rooms can affect means of escape, fire separation, safety glazing and access. Simple non-structural partitions that leave escape routes, fire compartments and accessibility unchanged may not, but Building Control should confirm. Leased premises also need landlord consent, and listed buildings may need listed building consent.
6 min readGlass Manifestation Requirements for Office Partitions
Glass manifestation is a visible marking applied to glazed partitions and doors so people do not walk into them. In England, Approved Document K section 7 calls for markings in two zones, 850–1000mm and 1400–1600mm above floor level, clearly visible against the background. Workplace Regulations regulation 14 places a similar duty on employers.
7 min readFire Rated Partitions Explained: EI 30, EI 60 and E 30
A fire rated partition is a complete wall system tested to resist fire for a stated time. E 30 means 30 minutes of integrity, stopping flames and hot gases. EI 30 and EI 60 add insulation, limiting heat on the unexposed side for 30 or 60 minutes. Ratings only apply when the tested system is installed exactly as tested.
7 min readAcoustic Partitions and Rw Ratings Explained
Rw is a laboratory rating, in decibels, of how well a partition reduces airborne sound, measured to BS EN ISO 10140 and calculated to BS EN ISO 717-1. Higher is better. A basic 10mm glass partition is around 32–35 dB Rw, while double glazed and acoustic stud systems reach 42–58 dB. Site results are usually several decibels lower.
6 min readDemountable vs Stud Partitions: Which Is Right for Your Office?
Stud partitions are fixed walls of metal studs and plasterboard, built and decorated on site, costing around £55–£90 per m². Demountable partitions are factory-finished panel systems that can be taken down and rebuilt elsewhere, costing around £180–£320 per m². Stud suits permanent layouts; demountable suits changing teams, short leases and future relocation.
6 min readHow Long Do Office Partitions Take to Install?
Most office partition projects take two to ten weeks from survey to completion. Stud walls can usually start within 1–2 weeks, frameless glass within 2–4 weeks and double glazed within 3–5 weeks of design sign-off. Toughened glass is made to measure after survey, so it cannot be cut on site. Installation itself often takes only days.
6 min readCrittall-Style Office Partitions: Steel or Aluminium?
Crittall-style office partitions are black framed glass screens with slim glazing bars that recreate the look of traditional steel windows. They are made either in true steel or in aluminium profiles designed to look like steel. Aluminium is lighter and usually less expensive; steel gives the slimmest sightlines. Guide prices are £550–£900 per m², excluding VAT.
7 min readOffice Partition Planning Checklist
Before installing office partitions, check measurements and ceiling heights, services in the ceiling void, sprinkler and fire alarm coverage, ventilation to each room, lighting and switching, power and data, door swings and widths, accessibility, landlord consent and the working hours your building allows. Settling these early avoids redesign and delays.
6 min readHow Do You Clean and Maintain Glass Partitions?
Clean glass partitions with a soft microfibre cloth or squeegee and a mild, non-abrasive glass cleaner, avoiding blades, scourers and ammonia-heavy products on film and seals. Maintenance means checking door closers and pivots, adjusting doors that drop or drag, replacing worn seals and re-sealing silicone joints. A routine inspection every six to twelve months suits most offices.
6 min readCategory A vs Category B Fit-Out: Where Do Partitions Fit?
A Category A fit-out is the landlord's base build: a lettable shell with raised floors, suspended ceilings, lighting, heating, cooling and finished toilets. A Category B fit-out is the occupier's own fit-out, including partitions, meeting rooms, kitchens, furniture and branding. Partitions almost always belong in Category B, paid for by the tenant.
6 min readPartitioning a Leased Office: Landlord Consent, Licences and Dilapidations
To partition a leased office you normally need the landlord's written consent, given through a licence for alterations. The landlord usually reviews drawings, specifications, method statements and insurance. The licence also says whether you must remove the partitions and reinstate the space at lease end, which forms part of your dilapidations liability.
6 min readGlass Partition Door Options: A Complete Guide
Glass partition doors come in five main types: frameless pivot, frameless hinged, sliding, framed double glazed and Crittall-style black framed. Frameless doors suit single glazed screens and open spaces, framed doors give better acoustic sealing and integral blinds, and sliding doors save floor space. Guide prices are £850–£2,600 per door, excluding VAT.
6 min readSwitchable Smart Glass: How It Works and What It Costs
Switchable smart glass is laminated glass with a liquid crystal film, usually PDLC, that changes from clear to frosted at the flick of a switch. With power on, the crystals align and the glass is clear; with power off, it turns opaque. In office partitions it costs around £1,100–£1,700 per m², excluding VAT.
6 min readOffice Partition Ideas for 2026
Practical office partition ideas for 2026 include glass meeting rooms that keep daylight moving, small focus booths for calls, black framed glazing for character, timber slatted screens, acoustic felt panels, planted dividers and branded manifestation. The right mix depends on how your team works, how much privacy each space needs and your budget.
Frequently asked questions
What safety glass is used in office partitions?
Office partitions use toughened glass made to BS EN 12150 or laminated glass made to BS EN 14449 and EN ISO 12543, impact classified to BS EN 12600. Both are safety glass suitable for critical locations under Approved Document K. Laminated glass stays held together if broken, which suits some locations.
Do new rooms need fire alarms and sprinklers?
Often, yes. Enclosed rooms may need smoke detection, alarm sounders and emergency lighting, and buildings with sprinklers usually need heads added or moved so each new room is covered. These alterations are designed and installed by specialist contractors and coordinated with the partition layout before glass is installed.
What is an inner room and why does it matter?
An inner room is a room that can only be left by passing through another room, called the access room. Approved Document B restricts inner rooms because occupants may not notice a fire in the access room. Solutions include vision panels, smoke detection or redesigning the layout so that every room opens directly onto a corridor.
Who is responsible for CDM 2015 on a partition project?
The client has duties under CDM 2015, including making suitable arrangements for managing the project and providing pre-construction information. Where more than one contractor is involved, the client must appoint a principal designer and principal contractor in writing. The partition installer provides risk assessments and method statements for its work.
Do partitions affect our fire risk assessment?
Yes. Changing the layout changes escape routes, travel distances and how a fire might spread, so the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 should review the fire risk assessment once partitions are installed. Keep the manufacturer's test evidence and as-built drawings with your fire safety records.
Plan your office partitioning
Free survey, drawings for sign-off and a fixed written price before any work starts.