Total Cost Calculator
Calculate the true cost of renting a railway arch. Our free calculator compares monthly costs with your budget and shows cash needed to open, including your fit-out, deposit and fees.
Plan the costs before signing
Headline rent is one part of a premises budget. Start with your landlord’s quote, then add the bills you expect to pay and the cash needed to get the space ready.
Rent and business rates
Use a quoted annual rent if you have one. Rates depend on the property’s assessed rateable value and applicable reliefs; the annual rent is only a rough fallback. An actual rates bill takes priority over the tool’s estimate.
Find the property’s official rateable valueCharges, utilities and insurance
The service charge and insurance amounts are editable planning allowances. Check what the landlord charges, obtain insurance quotes and estimate the energy, water and other costs of your activity. A zero input means that cost is excluded.
VAT and cash flow
Select rent VAT only if the landlord charges it. The tool shows cash paid before any reclaim. Enter other costs including VAT where payable, so the cash budget covers the amounts you expect to pay.
Cash needed to open
Enter the agreed deposit, advance rent, fit-out and professional fees. Check whether you also need equipment, stock and working capital. Opening cash and first-year cash are separate views: advance rent is not added twice in the first year.
Build an itemised fit-out budgetRead the railway arch costs guideCost estimates by area
Illustrative annual costs for a 1,000 sq ft industrial arch. Uses the same calculation as the tool: rent as a rateable-value proxy, England’s standard base rates, no SBRR, £250/month service charge and £50/month insurance. Utilities, other costs and VAT are excluded here.
| Area | Estimated rent (£/sq ft/year) | Annual premises subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Bermondsey | £26–£35 | £40,832–£53,720 |
| Hackney | £24–£38 | £37,968–£58,016 |
| Shoreditch | £28–£42 | £43,696–£63,744 |
| Brixton | £15–£25 | £25,080–£39,400 |
| Peckham | £12–£22 | £20,784–£35,104 |
| Bexley | £6–£12 | £12,192–£20,784 |
| Deptford | £10–£18 | £17,920–£29,376 |
| Manchester | £11–£20 | £19,352–£32,240 |
| Leeds | £5–£12 | £10,760–£20,784 |