Construction Cost Estimator
Get a budget for a building in two ways. Enter the floor area, number of floors, finish level and your cost per m² for a quick estimate, or price a bill of quantities line by line with your own unit rates. Works in any currency. Add contingency, contractor margin and VAT, then download the estimate as PDF or Excel. Quantities from the Quantity Takeoff Calculator come in with one click.
Any currency, your own pricesShell, semi-finished or fully finishedBill of quantities with unit ratesContingency, overhead and VATPDF and Excel with live formulas
Your contractor's or your own price per m² of built-up area at this finish level, before VAT. Each level keeps its own price.
One line per item: quantity × your unit rate. Type the rate on the line, or save it once in My unit rates below and every line of that item uses it.
My unit rates
Supply-and-install rates you use often. A rate here fills every line of that item that has no rate of its own. They stay in this browser.
On top
Leave overhead and profit at 0% when your prices already include the contractor's margin; add 10% to 15% when they are bare costs of materials and labour. VAT is added last, on the total with contingency and overhead.
Estimated cost
An indicative estimate for budgeting and feasibility. It is only as good as the prices you enter, so get priced quotations before you commit. Excludes land, design fees, permits and furniture unless your prices include them.
Estimate a building in three steps
Pick the currency and method
Type the currency you work in. Use the quick estimate for early feasibility, or the detailed estimate when you have quantities.
Enter the building and your prices
For a quick estimate, give the area per floor, the floors, any basement, the finish level and your cost per m². For a detailed one, add items with quantities and type the unit rate for each, or save your usual rates once.
Add the extras and export
Set contingency, contractor overhead and profit and the VAT rate, and download a PDF for the client or an Excel file whose totals recalculate when you change a rate.
What each finish level includes
| Level | Includes |
|---|---|
| Shell (structure) | Excavation, foundations, concrete frame and slabs, masonry walls |
| Semi-finished | The shell plus plaster and the plumbing and electrical rough-in |
| Fully finished, standard | Floors, paint, ceilings, doors, windows, sanitary ware and MEP to a mid-market specification |
| Fully finished, premium | Higher-end finishes such as porcelain or marble, imported fittings and more joinery |
Enter the cost per m² of built-up area for the level you pick; each level keeps its own price. Basements are counted at 1.25 times that price for retaining walls, waterproofing and dewatering.
Where to get the prices
| Price | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Cost per m² | A contractor’s quote per m² for a similar building, your own recent projects, or a cost consultant’s benchmark for your city |
| Unit rates | Supply-and-install quotations from contractors and suppliers, or a priced bill from a recent tender |
| VAT | The VAT or sales tax rate where the project is built; leave it at 0% if the client does not pay it |
The split by element in the quick estimate is a typical share of the building cost for each finish level, used to show where the money goes. It is not a priced breakdown. Prices move fast, so check them against current quotations.
Construction cost questions
It depends on the country, the city, the finish level and who builds it, so the estimator does not guess. Ask a contractor for a price per m² for a similar building, or use the cost from a recent project, and enter it for the finish level you pick. A structural shell usually costs well under half of a fully finished building.
Every price comes from you. In the quick estimate you enter the cost per m² for each finish level. In the detailed estimate you type a rate on each line, or save your usual rates once in My unit rates and every line of that item uses them. Your prices are kept in this browser. The Excel export keeps quantities and rates as cells with formulas, so you can keep editing there.
Whichever you type in the Currency box, such as USD, EUR or your local currency. It is a label shown next to every amount and in the PDF and Excel files; nothing is converted.
A contingency of 5% to 10% is common for early estimates, and 10% to 15% when the design is still a sketch. If your prices already include the contractor’s margin, as most quotations do, leave overhead and profit at 0%. If they are bare costs of materials and labour, 10% to 15% is typical.
Enter the VAT or sales tax rate as a percentage and it is added last, after contingency and overhead. Leave it at 0% if your prices already include tax or the client does not pay it.
Fill in the Quantity Takeoff Calculator and press Price these quantities. This page opens on the detailed estimate and offers to replace your lines or add them. Lines whose item is in My unit rates are priced at once; type a rate on the others.
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